Safe navigation in restricted waters continues to be a perennial concern for ship owners, operators, navigators, and citizens. The Nieuw Amsterdam, a cruise ship which ran aground in Southeast Alaska in August 1994; the Royal Majesty, another cruise ship which ran aground 10 miles east of Nantucket Island in June 1995; and the Regent Star, which caught fire in Prince William Sound, Alaska on 22 July, 1995, are just a few of the recent incidents which remind us of the importance of safe navigation in restricted waters. Clearly, the Braer, the World Prodigy, and the Exxon Valdez provide other examples of the importance of safe navigation in close waters. Fire, collision, allisions and groundings can result if vessels navigating in such waters stray.
