Page 208 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

Nautical Rules of the Road

The nautical traffic laws are contained in severnl sets of rules.
These are cOlllmonly known as the nautical rules of the road. -
There are two main sets of rules: the illlernalion~t1 rules, and the
)~S" GU~RO
U.S. inland rules. Most provisions are idcntical, but there are some
I1.AB(lH CITY
differences.

Where Rules Apply

The international rules must be obeyed by all vessels of all nations
that trowel on the high seas. These rules were first established in
1897 by all the maritime I1ntiollS of the world. There have been
several major revisions since then, the latest of these being in 1972.
The full official name for the internalioIl<l1 rules of the road is Tile
JlllemntiOlw/ Regll/(/fiolls for Prcl'cllfil1g Collisiolls at Sell, 1972,
The nautical rules of the road have one purpose- to prevent ship
often abbreviated to "the COLREGS." These rules were drawn up
collisions. A Coast Guard plane flies over the collision of the con-
b}' the Inter-GO\'ernll1cntal lvlaritime Consultativc Organiz.1tion tainership Transhawaii and the passenger-cargo ship Republica de
of the United Nntiolls, now known simply as the Intefllntional Colombia east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The collision caused
the death of one man, injuries to four others, and the loss of 24,000
lvhuitime Organization (iMO). They became law in the United
gallons of diesel oil.
Stnte5 with their ratification by Congress in 1977.
The u.s. inland rules must be obc)'ed b)' 011 vessels of 011
nntions that navigate the bays, harbors, and rivers of the United
St<ltes. These rules were established by Congress under the Jlllmui A vessel is "under way" when not at anchor, when not moored
J\l(ll'igatiollnl Rilles Act of 1980. They are also known as the unified to a dock or buoy. or when not aground. So .1 ship stopped dead
rules because they combine three sets of rules formerly in effect in in the water can still be lInder way. In stich a situation, the phrase
U.S. waters. used is "under way but with no Wily on."
Both international and inland rules cover vessel lights and day
shapes, sOllnd signals, steering and sailing rules, and distress signals.
Purpose of the Rules In the event of a collision on water, the applicable international
and inland rules are lIsed by the courts to decide who will pay for
The purpose of the rules of the road is to prevent ship collisions.
the damages. Unless the vessels are equally at l~llIlt or there was
Ship collisions Ciln result in the loss of millions of dollars through
nothing more that either one could have dOlle. the courts must
dalll<lge or sinking. Also, lives mily be lost in sllch collisions.
split the damages according to degree of lilllit (one vessel 30 per-
The rules govern all waterborne traffic. As defined in the rules,
cent ot fault, the other 70 percent ot "lllit, ctc.).
a power-driven \'Cssel means any vessel propelled by machinery,
e\'cn though it Illay nlso have snils up. Any vessC'lunder sail alone
is considered a sailing vessel whether propulsion machinery is
Rules for Lights
i.lboard or not. Because they are Illore easily IlHlJlC'lI\'ered, power-
driven vessels Illust usually give way to sailing vessels. On the other Proper lights must be shown by all vessels ti·Olll Sllllset to sunrise
hand, in harbors and narrow channels, small craft and sailboats and during times of reduced visibility due to fog, smoke. storms,
must avoid collisions by standing clear. since larger vessels do not or other causes. Lights that could be mistaken for required lights
have as much freedom of nloveillent. nUlst not be shown. The word "visible" when applied to lights
means visible on a dark night with a clear atmosphere.

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