The COLREGS are the International And Inland Rules of the Road, formulated by the International Maritime Organization to prevent collisions at sea. Every vessel 39 feet and over must carry a copy of the rules aboard and every vessel actively sailing whether along shore or at sea should carry a copy of the rules. The COLREGS are the bible for the safe operation of a boat in any and all encounters with other vessels at sea.

Rule 2 and Common Sense

Of particular importance to sailors is Rule 2, which should be considered an essential preamble to understanding and following the rules which follow. Rule 2 stipulates that following the COLREGS to the letter of the rule does not exonerate a skipper from his responsibility to operate his vessel safely and in a seamanlike fashion. If, in a collision situation, a skipper would put himself and his boat in danger of grounding by following the normal rules, he must take another appropriate action, dictated by common sense and seamanship, that will avoid the collision and avoid the danger of grounding. The Rules provide a uniform guide to safe operation of a boat. They do not provide all the answers to every situation met while underway.

Steering And Sailing Rules

Rules 4 through 19 cover the basic rules of the road. These rules are the conventions adopted by sailors worldwide to avoid collisions and to permit a wide range of different types of craft, from fishing boats to sailboats to commercial freighters and dredges to share the same waters without danger of incident and collisions.

For sailors, the rules that have the most immediate relationship to the ordinary business of sailing and cruising will be familiar. The need to maintain a constant and vigilant lookout (Rule 4) is understood by most navigators. Although the growth of single-handed sailing and racing has created some notable exceptions to the practice of following this rule, in general when sailing, maintaining a watchful eye on the horizon and on other traffic in your area is just plain good sense.

How sailing vessels react to each other when they meet, and when both are under sail, is one of the first aspects all sailors study when taking up sailing. Rule 12 covers sailing encounters. Both vessels are required to remain clear, yet the rules define which boat must alter course (the give-way vessel) and that which should hold its course (the stand-on vessel). When one boat is on the starboard tack and one is one the port tack, the port tack vessel must give-way. When both boats are on the starboard tack, the boat to windward must give-way. When sailing on the port tack and you can not determine which tack the approaching vessel in on, assume you are the give-way vessel and alter course appropriately. Lastly, an overtaking vessel must keep clear of a vessel being overtaken.

It is important to remember that when altering course to avoid a collision, the course change must be made in a timely way and must be significant enough to indicate that the give-way vessel is indeed giving-way (Rule 16).

For boats and ships under power, the basic premise for avoiding collisions is the port to port (red to red running light) convention as spelled out in Rule 14. When you find yourself in a head-on situation, both vessels are required to alter their courses to starboard, thereby permitting the other vessel to pass to port.

When in a crossing situation (Rule 17 in which the two boats or vessels maintain a constant relative bearing and therefore are on a collision course, the boat that has the other vessel on its starboard side is the give-way vessel and should alter course to avoid a collision. When altering course, the give-way vessel should strive to set a new course that will pass behind the stand on-vessel. The stand-on vessel, should hold its course and permit the give-way vessel to demonstrate its intentions by altering course. Also, a sound signal should be used.

The steering and sailing rules form the internationally accepted format for avoiding collisions and navigating in crowded waters. Although the rules may seem elementary, it is wise for a skipper to review them and to have his crew review them before setting out to do battle with other boats and ships in a crowded waterway.

Lights And Shapes

How a vessel is lighted at night and the solid shapes it flies during the day are the language and code of identification for all boats on the water. Rules 21, 22 and 25 of the COLREGs spell out precisely the design of running lights and the required strength (distance visible) of such lights.

Every boat that intends to sail along a coast or through a busy shipping lane is obliged to make certain that its lights are installed correctly, are in good working condition and are of the type specified for the size of the boat.

However, to sail safely among the commercial fleets of the world, it is necessary for the skipper and the crew of a sailboat to recognize the lights employed by the widely different types of cargo and fishing boats to be found along a coast at night. Rules 23, 24 and 26 through 31 spell out the various light configurations that must be followed in every commercial activity. The experienced sailor will know that it is vital to be able to recognize these lights without hesitation. In most instances, professional sailors, commercial fishermen and cargo seamen follow the rules meticulously. Failing to adhere to the COLREGs lighting requirements can be grounds for dismissal and even legal action against the offending skipper.

In the far flung sailing areas of the world, in the islands of the Caribbean and South Pacific and along the coasts of many of the lesser developed countries of the world for example, adherence to the letter of the law is often the exception rather than the rule. No matter where you sail, it is vital to look for the appropriate running and steaming lights at night. Equally important is a healthy dose of skepticism. Never believe the other vessel has its lights properly lit, nor that its intentions are clear, until you have it safely behind you.

Many modern sailing boats are equipped with masthead lights, known as the tricolor lights. Although widely used, there are right and wrong times to light your masthead tricolor. In sailboats less than 65 feet, you have a choice of which running lights to illuminate when under sail at night. You may either light the tricolor at the masthead or you may light your conventional running lights on deck. Both sets of running light should never be illuminated at the same time. If motor sailing, the sailboat becomes immediately a power vessel and must use only conventional running lights, plus a steaming light mounted as far forward as possible. This steaming light must be visible through an arc of 225 degrees; in vessel less than 65 feet, it must be visible for three miles and in vessel under 39 feet it must be visible for two miles.

Unless you regularly use your running lights, you will find that the electrical connections of most standard light installations will corrode rapidly and will require regular maintenance. As a matter of course, it is always prudent to check and weatherproof your running and steaming lights before setting off for an overnighter.

Sound and Light Signals


Implicit in the writing of regulations governing the rules of the road at sea and the conduct of vessels in close quarters is the need for those vessels to be able to communicate in a simple and direct manner. Rules 32 through 37 cover the protocols for using sound and sight signals between vessels to alert another skipper to you intentions, present situation and imminent maneuvers.

To announce your intended maneuver to another vessel:

  • One short blast: I am altering course to starboard.
  • Two short blasts: I am altering course to port.
  • Three short blasts: I am in reverse.
  • Two long and one short blasts: I am going to overtake you on your starboard side.
  • Two long followed by two short blasts: I am going to overtake you on your port side.

The vessel being signaled in a close-quarter situation is obliged to return a signal to confirm to the signaling skipper that the message has been heard and understood. The standard responses are:

When responding to a vessel on a collision course, repeat the signal received and then either hold your course while the other alters his, or alter your course to conform to the intended maneuver.

When responding to an overtaking situation, the overtaken vessel, upon hearing the signal of the overtaking vessel's intentions, should respond by sounding one long, one short, one long and one short blast in that order.

If, in any of the above situations, and upon hearing a signal that will put either your vessel or another vessel in danger, the correct response is to sound the danger signal.

The danger signal is to sound at least five short, rapid blasts. The danger signal should be repeated as necessary.

The strobe light, which has become common at the mastheads of cruising boats, is considered by the rules to be both a device to attract attention and a device to signal distress. How a strobe is to be used in the two different circumstances is not covered by the rules. However, practice and basic seamanship leads one to make the following observation. A masthead strobe should be turned on if, and only if, a boat is in immediate danger of a collision with a large commercial vessel. The light will attract the attention of the watch on the bridge and will alert those in command of a possible collision. Once a collision has been averted, the strobe should be switched off.

In the more extreme case, and only when operating within the lines of the Inland Rules, a strobe should be used as a distress signal, in the same way you would use a flare or an emergency distress flag. The strobe should be switched on when you have decided that you can no longer manage without outside assistance. And, should the situation so dictate, once you have switched on your strobe in distress, you should be prepared to abandon your boat in favor of your rescuer.

The strobe, while efficient and powerful, is also often misused. For example, fishermen off the coast of the Pacific Northwest often will leave a strobe flashing all night as they set their trawls. Such a use of the strobe is a violation of the tenants of the COLREGs. Although the lights may be useful for a fishing fleet striving to stay clear of each other's nets, it also sends a signal to the unwary — the passing freighter, the transient cruising boat — that sailors are seeking attention and may need assistance. At sea, under the International Rules, the strobe does not signal that you are in distress. But, it does require a prompt response by anyone who sees it.

It is vital, therefore, to use strobe and all distress signals as dictated by the International Rules. To do otherwise is to cry wolf.

Distress Signaling

Distress signaling at sea, as covered by the COLREGS, offers seaman a wide variety or methods to attract the attention of passing vessels that might be able to render assistance. The seaman's aim is to attract attention as quickly as possible and to transmit, by whatever means necessary, the standard message SOS.

Using flags, you can fly the required black circle and square on an orange field; you can fly the signals November Charlie; or, you can fly your American flag or ensign upside down.

With a sounding device, repeated and continuous blasts on a horn, whistle or gong will work, or you can fire a gun at one-minute intervals.

Radio signals include setting off an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) or calling a Mayday via VHF or long-range radio.

Other visual signals include lighting a flare, either a parachute or meteor or a hand-held, or deploying a smoke signal or a dye marker, or lastly, simply waving your arms up and down in rapid succession.

With a light or sounding device, sending the signal SOS or simply sending repeated short blasts will transmit the distress message. Lastly, illuminating a strobe light will attract attention that then can be signalled as a distress situation by other means.

Although the COLREGs may seem dry and impersonal, it is important for all sailors concerned with safety aboard their boats to remember that they embody the seamanship and wisdom distilled from hundreds of years of seafaring. All sailors are better and safer on the water because of the rules laid down in the COLREGS, thus it is vitally important that all sailors know the rules, follow them and insist that those who sail as crew be well versed in their content and meaning.