The lookout is the boat's eyes and ears. You do not need every rule of the road: your job is to see other vessels early, tell the skipper where they are and what they are doing, and recognise the few situations and signals that matter most.
Where should I be looking when I'm on lookout on a sailing yacht?
All round the horizon, not just ahead: a lookout turns to check astern every few minutes for fast ferries and RIBs, and ducks to look under the genoa, which hides the leeward bow.
A lookout watches all round the horizon, with eyes and ears, not just ahead. Fast ferries and RIBs come up from astern quickly and quietly, so turn and look behind you every few minutes.
Under sail the genoa hides a whole sector on the leeward bow: on starboard tack that is the port bow. Duck down and look under the sail often.
At night your eyes need about 20 minutes of darkness to see well, and one bright white light undoes it. Read the chart by a dim red light.
How do I tell the skipper where another boat is?
Use the clock, counted from your own bow: 12 o'clock is dead ahead, 3 abeam to starboard, 6 astern, 9 abeam to port. Add the distance and what it is doing: "Motor boat at ten o'clock, about a mile, coming closer."
Report what you see, and report it early: a vessel, a buoy, a fishing float, something in the water. The skipper needs time to decide, and would rather hear of ten things that do not matter than miss one. Say what it is, where and how far.
The simplest way to say where is the clock, counted from your own bow: 12 o'clock is dead ahead, 3 is abeam to starboard, 6 is astern, 9 is abeam to port. Add your guess at the distance and what the vessel is doing.
"Motor boat at ten o'clock, about a mile, coming closer."
How can I tell if another ship is on a collision course with us?
Watch its bearing, several times a few minutes apart. If it stays the same while the vessel gets closer, there is risk of collision: call the skipper now. If it changes clearly, it should pass clear.
To tell whether another vessel will hit you or pass clear, watch its bearing: the compass direction to it. Take it with the hand-bearing compass, or line the vessel up with a stanchion while your boat holds a steady course. Check it several times, a few minutes apart.
| The bearing | What you report |
|---|---|
| Stays the same while the vessel gets closer | Risk of collision: call the skipper now |
| Changes clearly | It should pass clear. Keep checking until it is past |
Steady bearing, closing range: collision course.
Does a motor boat always have to give way to a sailing yacht?
Normally, not always: a sailing yacht keeps clear of a vessel engaged in fishing and of a ship that can only use a narrow channel. And when overtaking, the vessel coming up from astern keeps clear, sail or power.
The skipper decides what to do, but you report better when you know what should happen. One vessel keeps clear; the other holds her course and speed.
Overtaking: the vessel coming up from astern keeps clear, sail or power, on any tack. Head-on under power: both turn to starboard and pass port to port. Power and sail: a vessel under power normally keeps out of the way of one under sail.
Normally, not always. A sailing yacht keeps clear of a vessel engaged in fishing: trawling, or with nets or long lines out that stop her turning. By day she shows two cones, points together. A boat trolling a line, or anglers with rods, get no priority. And in a narrow channel or harbour entrance a yacht must not get in the way of a ship that can only use that channel. A ferry leaving port will not move over for you.
What does it mean if I see a red and a green light together at night?
The vessel is heading straight at you: red is her port sidelight, green her starboard one, and seeing both means her bow points at you. Report it to the skipper at once.
At night you see lights, not hulls. A vessel under way shows a red sidelight on her port side, a green one to starboard and a white sternlight aft. Under power she adds a white masthead light above them; a big ship, 50 m or more, shows two, the forward one lower.
Read the colour first. Red is her port side, so her bow points to your left; green is her starboard side, bow to your right. Red and green together: she is heading straight at you, so report it at once. A single white light is a stern. Sidelights with no white above them mean sail; a yacht may carry them in one tricolour lantern at the masthead.
What do five short blasts on a ship's horn mean?
A warning: five or more short, rapid blasts mean I doubt your intentions. The other vessel does not understand what you are doing, or thinks you are not doing enough to keep clear; tell the skipper at once.
Vessels under power in sight of each other announce their manoeuvres on the horn. A short blast lasts about a second.
| You hear | It means |
|---|---|
| One short blast | I am altering my course to starboard |
| Two short blasts | I am altering my course to port |
| Three short blasts | My engines are going astern |
| Five or more short, rapid blasts | I doubt your intentions: a warning |
Five short blasts aimed at your boat mean the other vessel does not understand what you are doing, or thinks you are not doing enough to keep clear. Tell the skipper at once.
Questions from this topic, as the app asks them. Open one to see the answer.
You are the lookout on this yacht. Where is your blind spot?
A. On the port bow, behind the genoa
The genoa hides the leeward bow — on starboard tack that is to port, so look under it often.
You spot this ship. How do you report it to the skipper?
C. 'Ship at three o'clock, about two miles'
Clock bearings count from your own bow: 12 is dead ahead, 3 is abeam to starboard.
You have been taking bearings of this ship. What do you tell the skipper?
D. Bearing steady and closing — risk of collision
A steady bearing on a vessel that is getting closer means you are on a collision course.
You are sailing towards this boat. Who keeps clear?
B. You do — a boat fishing comes first
Rule 18: a sailing vessel keeps out of the way of a vessel engaged in fishing.
You see these lights. Which way is the vessel heading?
C. Crossing ahead of you from right to left
You see its red port side, so its bow points to your left; the white light shows it is under power.
A motor boat ahead of you gives one short blast on its horn. What is it telling you?
B. 'I am altering my course to starboard'
Rule 34: one short blast — altering to starboard; two — to port; three — going astern.
All 20 questions of this topic are in the app: practice by topic with the reason after every answer, your mistakes brought back, and a timed mock exam. Free, no sign-up, in the browser or in Telegram.