Collision rules A boat must always be navigated on the starboard side (right) of a river or channel. Each boat alters course to starboard (right) and passes port to port (left). Always assume this situation exists. A boat approaching from your starboard (right) side has right of way.
When meeting head on, powered vessels must turn to starboard (right) and pass at a safe distance. When crossing, powered boats must give way to the right. A powered vessel must give way to a sailing vessel, unless it's being overtaken by the sailing vessel.
Give-way vessel: The vessel that is required to take early and substantial action to keep out of the way of other vessels by stopping, slowing down, or changing course. Avoid crossing in front of other vessels. Any change of course and/or speed should be large enough to be readily apparent to another vessel.
The word 'starboard' is the combination of two old words: stéor (meaning 'steer') and bord (meaning 'the side of a boat'). The left side is called 'port' because ships with steerboards or star boards would dock at ports on the opposite side of the steerboard or star.
Most sailors were right handed, so the steering oar was placed over or through the right side of the stern . Sailors began calling the right side the steering side, which soon became "starboard" by combining two Old English words: stéor (meaning "steer") and bord (meaning "the side of a boat").
Since the steering oar was on the right side of the boat, it would tie up at the wharf on the other side. Hence the left side was called port. The Oxford English Dictionary cites port in this usage since 1543.
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Rule 5 requires that "every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.
Whenever a boat is overtaking another, the vessel in front always has the right of way and should be allowed to continue their original course unhindered. This is the case even if the vessel behind has a higher level of right-of-way priority, such as a sailboat.
A boat approaching from your starboard (right) side has right of way. If you are approaching another boat from its starboard side, you have right of way. However, if the other boat does not give way, you must take action to avoid a collision.
If it is not possible to pass port-to-port due to an obstruction or shoreline, a starboard-to-starboard pass should be signaled with two short blasts. In short, vessel A must blow two short blasts, indicating its intention to pass starboard-to-starboard, and alter its course to port.
Ships can dock on either port or starboard side, depending on the layout of the port itself, the direction you are sailing in, and individual government regulations about how cruise ships can be arranged on a pier. It's also often at the discretion of the captain to choose how to position the ship in port.
Five or more short rapid blasts signal danger, or signal that you do not understand or disagree with the other boater's intentions.
Direction of travel in main body of lake (water-ski area) is counter clockwise. All boats off the lake at Sunset. Keep to the right in channel / No ski zone.
Risk of collision. (a) Every vessel shall use all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions to determine if risk of collision exists. If there as any doubt such risk shall be deemed to exist.
A boat shall avoid contact with another boat if reasonably possible.
Rule 12 - Sailing vessels
Power driven vessels must avoid and/or give way to all sailing vessels when under sail. Ships, tugboats with tows, commercial ferries and fishing vessels have right of way over sailing vessels. Yachts should stay well clear of these vessels.
Three short blasts tell other boaters, “I am operating astern propulsion.” For some vessels, this tells other boaters, “I am backing up.”
Rule 13 simply says that while you are tacking, you must keep clear of other boats from the moment you pass head to wind until you are on a close-hauled course (on either tack). A “close-hauled course” is the course a boat will sail when racing upwind and sailing as close to the wind as she can.
Rule 17 deals with the action of the stand-on vessel, including the provision that the stand-on vessel may "take action to avoid collision by her manoeuvre alone as soon as it becomes apparent to her that the vessel required to keep out of the way is not taking appropriate action.
dock. verb. if a ship docks, it arrives at a dock.
Now let's learn the words for the front, rear, left and right sides of the boat. The front of a boat is called the bow, while the rear of a boat is called the stern. When looking towards the bow, the left-hand side of the boat is the port side. And starboard is the corresponding word for the right side of a boat.
Red is the international convention for the port side, while green is the colour for the starboard side. Hence, the port side has red navigation lights, and the starboard side has green navigation lights. This is common on aircraft and helicopter vessels.