So lets try this one , if one doesn't have a black ball displayed and some moron blasts through an anchorage and t-bones a boat they get to sue due to the lack of a ball. By the same account the same moron t-bones a moving boat that is flying a black ball should be able to sue because the boat was shown as anchored but was underway?
This would in theory make the ball showing boat just as guilty as a non ball showing boat?. I get where the original rule came from, before radar, electronic charting, GPS, everyday Joe's owning binoculars, vhf radios, people that needed glasses being able to get them, lots of recreational boats being out anchored on the water ETC. It was a good way to distinguish an anchored boat from a distance.
Today we have all these things at our disposal and the ball is really superfluous in navigation, could this be why the Coasties or other law enforcement agencies do not write out tickets on a regular basis for this grievous infraction?.
As mentioned by myself and others here, on the West coast one never sees an anchor ball hoisted, your WAY more likely to see a blow up sex doll or a wait oe panties waving in the breeze that the aforementioned anchor ball.
We were out anchored in a popular bay for the weekend and not a black ball was to be seen in the 35/40 boats that were anchored there. I didn't notice anyone not showing an anchor light after sunset because that rule actually makes sense.
HOLLYWOOD