This level works by rule number: is she in sight, what do her lights, shapes or signals make her, which rule decides?
1 · Look-out and risk
Before anyone gives way
How do I know if there is a risk of collision with another vessel?
Watch her compass bearing: under Rule 7 risk exists if an approaching vessel's bearing does not appreciably change, and near a big ship or a tow even if it does. Then act early, with one large alteration.
Keep a look-out (Rule 5) by sight and hearing, all round, under the genoa too; radar only adds to it. Safe speed (Rule 6) drops where shore lights or radar clutter hide craft.
Risk of collision (Rule 7): an approaching vessel's compass bearing does not appreciably change; near a big ship or a tow, even if it does. Act early (Rules 8, 16): one large alteration, at night enough to show her your other sidelight.
Rule 2: no rule excuses poor seamanship, and immediate danger justifies departing from one.
2 · Channels and schemes
Do not impede
Do I have to keep out of the way of ships in a narrow channel?
Yes: in a narrow channel (Rule 9) keep to starboard, and under 20 m or under sail never impede a vessel that can only navigate within it. Act early, before risk of collision exists.
In a narrow channel (Rule 9) keep to starboard and avoid anchoring. Under 20 m or under sail, never impede a vessel confined to it: act early, before risk of collision exists.
In a traffic separation scheme (Rule 10) follow your lane; join at its end, or from the side at a small angle. Cross on a heading at right angles to the traffic. Under 20 m or under sail you may use the inshore zone, but never impede a power-driven vessel following a lane. Head-on in a lane, Rule 14 still applies.
3 · Vessels in sight
Sail, overtaking, head-on, crossing
Who gives way when two sailing yachts are on the same tack?
The windward yacht keeps clear (Rule 12); on opposite tacks, port tack gives way to starboard. Your tack is the side opposite your mainsail, and on port tack, unsure of a windward boat's tack, keep clear.
Under sail (Rule 12) port tack keeps clear of starboard; on the same tack, the windward vessel. Your tack is the side opposite your mainsail. On port tack, unsure of a windward vessel's tack, keep clear.
Same tackwindward keeps clear
Main to starboardport tack
Came from asternstill overtaking
She is to portstand on
Overtaking (Rule 13) overrides the rest: coming up from more than 22.5° abaft her beam, where only her sternlight shows, you keep clear, even under sail; in doubt, assume it. Power-driven vessels head-on (Rule 14) both turn to starboard; crossing (Rule 15), the one with the other to starboard gives way and does not cross ahead.
The stand-on vessel (Rule 17) holds course and speed. She may act once the other clearly is not, and must when the other alone cannot avoid collision; under power, not by turning to port for a vessel to port. The give-way vessel stays bound.
4 · Responsibilities
Rule 18: who gives way to whom
Does a sailing yacht have right of way over a fishing boat?
No: under Rule 18 a sailing vessel, unless overtaking, keeps clear of one fishing, restricted in ability to manoeuvre or not under command. Trolling lines don't count as fishing: her gear must hamper her.
Unless overtaking, power keeps clear of sail, fishing, restricted in ability to manoeuvre and not under command; sail of the last three; fishing of the last two. All but those two avoid impeding one constrained by her draught.
Not under command
Restricted in ability to manoeuvre
Fishing
Constrained by draught
Motor-sailing
Aground
A yacht using her engine is power-driven (Rule 3). Trolling lines are not fishing: the gear must hamper her. Towing alone gives no priority. At anchor show a ball, unless under 7 m and clear of channels and anchorages.
5 · Lights
Rules 21–25, 30: arcs and ranges
Can I show my masthead tricolour when motoring at night?
No: under engine show a masthead light, sidelights and sternlight. The tricolour, or red over green, is for sail only, and never both together.
A masthead light covers 225°, from right ahead to 22.5° abaft each beam; each sidelight its half of that; the sternlight the 135° astern. A lone white seen from abeam is all-round: an anchor light.
Range, M
Masthead
Side
Stern, all-round
50 m or more
6
3
3
12–50 m
5 · 3 under 20 m
2
2
Under 12 m
2
1
2
Ship heading rightforward masthead lower
Power under 12 m
Under sail
Anchored, over 50 m
Under engine show masthead light, sidelights and sternlight; the tricolour, or red over green, only under sail, never both. Under 7 m and 7 knots, or anchored under 50 m, one all-round white suffices.
6 · Vessels at work
Rules 24–29: lights for the job
What do two all-round red lights on a vessel mean?
She is not under command, which is not a distress signal; if she also shows sidelights and sternlight, she is making way. Three all-round reds mean a vessel constrained by her draught.
Vessels fishing, not under command or restricted show sidelights and sternlight only when making way.
Towing, over 200 mtwo mastheads if shorter
Tug from astern
Trawling, stopped
Fishingpass the other side
Restricted: dredgerred-white-red; pass her greens
Mine clearance1000 m off
All-round lights
Vessel
Two reds
Not under command, not distress
Three reds
Constrained by draught
White over red
Pilot vessel
Anchor lights, two reds
Aground
Never pass between a tug and her tow, whose own sidelights follow astern; by day, diamonds mean over 200 m. Pushing or towing alongside, a tug shows no yellow light. A yacht towing another lights the towline.
7 · Sound and fog
Heard, not seen
Which way should I turn for a radar contact ahead of me in fog?
Not to port: for a target forward of the beam avoid turning to port, unless overtaking her, and for one abeam or abaft avoid turning towards her (Rule 19). In restricted visibility nobody stands on.
Rule 34: • short, — prolonged
Whistle or light, in sight
•
Altering to starboard
• •
Altering to port
• • •
Engines astern
• • • • •
I doubt your action
—
Nearing a blind bend
— — •
Overtaking to starboard
— — • •
Overtaking to port
— • — •
Agreed, overtake
Restricted visibility includes heavy rain: lights on by day, fog signals sounding. Nobody stands on (Rule 19). With a radar target forward of the beam, avoid turning to port unless overtaking her; with one abeam or abaft, avoid turning towards her. A fog signal heard forward of the beam: bare steerage way, or stop. In sight, normal rules.
Forward: to starboard
Abaft: turn away
Rule 35, every 2 min
In fog
—
Power, making way
— —
Power, stopped
— • •
Sail, fishing, towing, restricted, not under command, constrained (fishing, restricted: also anchored)
— • • •
Manned tow
• • • •
Pilot, added
Bell, each minute
At anchor
• — •
At anchor, warning
3 strokes, bell, 3 strokes
Aground
Motor-sailing, you sound as power. Under 12 m, any efficient signal. Distress (Annex IV): red rockets and flares, orange smoke, flags N over C, a square flag with a ball; not a white flare or flag V.
Practice questions
Questions from this topic, as the app asks them. Open one to see the answer.
0200, autopilot on
Radar and AIS running below
Watchkeeper reading under the sprayhood
Shipping lane 4 M ahead
On a night passage along the Turkish coast you come on deck and find the watch like this. What is missing under Rule 5?
A look-out by sight and hearing, all round
A radar guard zone set to 6 miles
An AIS alarm set to a 2-mile CPA
Nothing — radar and AIS are the look-out
Show the answer
A. A look-out by sight and hearing, all round
Rule 5: a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means — electronics add to it, never replace it.
All 100 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.
