|
|
|
|
|
Marine
Navigation Rules |
|
From
an article in Boat U.S. written by Tim Murphy with Illustrations:
©2015 Mirto Art Studios |
|
By
following three simple rules, and one wise principle,
you can spend a lifetime avoiding collisions on the
water.
On
the water, with no lane markers, stop signs, traffic
lights, or crosswalks, you'd think every busy weekend
would bring pileups of boating accidents. Why don't
they? The answer lies in the Navigation Rules, more
properly called the International Regulations for Preventing
Collisions at Sea.
At
their core, the Rules are surprisingly simple. Still
more surprising is how well they work. We'll focus here
on recreational powerboats in clear daylight. Later,
we'll look briefly at other kinds of boats and other
situations.
The
key to the simplicity behind the Rules starts here:
There are only three ways boats can collide overtaking,
meeting head-on, and crossing. As long as you know what
to do in each scenario as well as what to do
when the other boater doesn't follow the Rules
you can be reasonably assured of avoiding collisions
throughout all your time on the water. There's a beautiful
quirk in the International Navigation Rules: They avoid
the phrase "right of way." Instead, they refer
to a "give-way" vessel and to a "stand-on"
vessel.
|
|
|
Give-Way
Vessel
"Every
vessel which is directed to keep out of the way of another
vessel shall, so far as possible, take early and substantial
action to keep well clear." (Rule 16 Action
by Give-Way Vessel.)
Stand-On
Vessel
"Where
one of two vessels is to keep out of the way, the other
shall keep her course and speed." (Rule 17
Action by Stand-On Vessel.) This brings up one of the
most important principles underpinning the Rules: that
it's more important to avoid an accident than it is
to follow the Rules. The implication is that no one
has the "right" to keep course and speed if
doing so will lead to a collision. Rule 17 allows the
stand-on vessel to "take action to avoid collision
by her maneuver alone" as soon as she recognizes
that the other boat isn't following the Rules, and Rule
2 makes every boater responsible for taking any precaution
which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen
or by the special circumstances of the case. (Rule 2
Responsibility and Rule 17 Action by Stand-On
Vessel.) Let's look at those three scenarios and see
what the Rules say about how to avoid collisions.
Overtaking
This
one's simple: "Any vessel overtaking any other
shall keep out of way of the vessel being overtaken."
See Figure 1. So far, so good. But when, exactly, is
a vessel overtaking? The Rules are explicit: when she's
coming up on another from a direction more than 22.5
degrees abaft her beam. OK, but what if you're not sure
about the angle? Again, the Rules answer that one: Assume
that you are overtaking. (Rule 13 Overtaking.)
|
|
|
|
Head-On
Situation
"When
two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or
nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision,
each shall alter course to starboard so that each shall
pass on the port side of the other." See Figure
2. But what if you're not sure whether your courses
are reciprocal? Again, the Rules are ready for that
one: Assume that they are, and act accordingly (Rule
14 Head-On Situation).
These
three situations are by and large handled identically
whether under Inland or International Rules. See Tip
to learn which rules apply to you. But Inland Rule 14
adds a wrinkle for the Great Lakes and certain other
inland waters: "A power-driven vessel ... proceeding
downbound with a following current shall have the right-of-way
over an upbound vessel." Notice that phrase "right-of-way"?
This is one of its rare appearances and it's
in the Inland version only, not the International.
|
|
|
|
Crossing
Situation
"When
two power-driven vessels are crossing, so as to involve
risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on
her own starboard side shall keep out of the way and
shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid
crossing ahead of the other vessel." See Figure
3.
And
that's it. The idea is that if a boat poses a collision
risk, it can only be coming from one of three directions:
ahead of you, from the side, or from behind. Of course,
we've only spoken here about powerboats that can see
each other in daylight. Sailboats under power, even
if they have sails raised, and personal watercraft follow
the same rules as power-driven vessels. Other Rules
describe the different responsibilities of sailboats,
fishing boats, tugboats, and others, as well as boats
operating at nighttime or in fog. (See sidebar.)
What
about canoes and kayaks? The Navigation Rules treat
them as vessels, but they aren't explicitly included
in the hierarchy of stand-on and give-way vessels, nor
are they named in the Rules that recommend actions to
avoid collision. The U.S. Coast Guard website replies
to the question this way: "Ultimately, the issue
of who gives way would fall to what would be required
by the ordinary practice of seamen or by the special
circumstances of the case' (Rule 2 Responsibility)."
Common sense says that canoes and kayaks should paddle
outside marked navigation channels, cross any channels
quickly and at right angles, and keep to the sides of
navigable creeks or rivers when other boats are using
the deeper channel.
Reading
and understanding all 38 of the Navigation Rules should
help you avoid any waterborne pileups and other problems.
But on a recreational powerboat, with these three simple
Rules firmly planted in your mind, you can focus better
on what's really important: the indelible fun of being
out on the water.
|
|
|
|
|
|