STEERING & SAILING RULES FOR CLEAR, DAYLIGHT HOURS

Narrow Channels

To help prevent collisions while operating in narrow channels, all boaters must stay to the right hand side of the channel as is safe practicable. Do not make wide sweeping turns around bends.
Recreational boats may not interfere with the passage of a vessel that can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway and should never anchor in a narrow channel.

Stand-on and Give-way Vessels

When interacting on the water, boats are defined as a "stand-on" vessel or a "give-way" vessel.

When a boat is directed to stay out of the way of another vessel, it is termed the give-way vessel. The give-way vessel is obligated to take all necessary action to avoid colliding with the other vessel. When taking action as the give-way vessel, make it early and substantial. Do not make small incremental changes, as the other vessel may not clearly see your course change and therefore not know your intentions. This is especially true at night when the only visible part of your vessel may be the navigation lights.

When one boat is directed to keep out of the way of another, the other boat is termed the stand-on vessel. The obligation of the stand-on vessel is to maintain course and speed so that the give-way vessel can maneuver as directed. The stand-on vessel should maintain course and speed, but it may alter course if it becomes apparent that the give-way vessel is not following the established rules and a risk of collision is imminent.

Rules for Power-driven Vessels

The next two rules, crossing and head-on, apply only when two power-driven vessels are interacting with each other and there is a risk of collision.

Head-On Situation

The head-on or "bow to bow" situation occurs when two power-driven vessels are meeting with their bows in-line with each other. The rule here is that each boat turns to the right (starboard) and passes port-to-port. At night, a head-on situation is occurring when you see both the red and green running lights and the white light of another power-driven vessel. In the head-on situation, neither vessel is the "stand-on" vessel

Crossing Situation

The obligation of the stand-on vessel is to maintain course and speed. However, if during a crossing situation, the give-way vessel comes so close to the stand-on vessel that the stand-on vessel believes there is a risk of collision, the stand-on vessel may depart from the rules by turning to starboard.

Responsibilities Between Vessels

A power-driven vessel underway shall keep out of the way of a sailing vessel. For situations where a power-driven vessel (not constrained by draft, etc.) encounters a sailing vessel, the “head-on” and “crossing” rules do not apply because the sailing vessel is the stand-on vessel whenever being approached by a power-driven vessel. The power-driven vessel must take early and substantial action to stay well clear and out of the sailing vessel’s way, regardless of the angle of approach.

Rules for Sailing Vessels

The navigation rules are different for sailing vessels than they are for power-driven vessels. Since sailing vessels are affected by the wind, the rules accommodate for the wind affect.

Here are the rules to follow when two sailing vessels are approaching one another with a risk of collision: when each vessel has the wind on a different side, the vessel which has the wind on the port side must keep out of the way of the other; when both have the wind on the same side, the vessel which is to windward must keep out of the way of the vessel which is to leeward. "Windward" means the side to which the wind is coming from. "Leeward" means on the side away from the wind. In the case of a sailing vessel, it means the side to which the mainsail is carried (the wind blows the sail to the other side of the sailboat).

Overtaking

The rules for overtaking another vessel are very simple - any vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken. The vessel being overtaken is the "stand-on" vessel, while the vessel that is doing the overtaking is termed the "give-way" vessel. The give-way vessel is obligated to stay out of the way, while the stand-on vessel is obligated to maintain course and speed.

You are in an overtaking situation if at night you would only be able to see the white light of a vessel, but neither of the running lights (red or green). The overtaking vessel may pass on either side if they can do so safely.

If the angle between the boats changes during an overtaking situation it is still an overtaking situation and the overtaking vessel must stay well clear and out of the of other vessel’s way.

Maneuvering and Warning Signals

All boaters are required to carry efficient producing devices (whistle, horn, etc.) and use them in certain situations such as crossing, overtaking and restricted visibility. Sound producing equipment can be used to prevent collisions by signaling intentions to other recreational watercraft, and commercial and military vessels. This table shows the various signals and meaning: