Right-of-Way on the Water: The Navigation Rules Every Recreational Boater Should Know

Every vessel must keep a proper lookout by sight and hearing, and by all available means (radar, AIS, the radio), at all times. On a small boat that means:

• Look all the way around, including behind you, before turning or changing speed
• Assign a lookout when visibility is poor, when you're towing a skier, or when the skipper is busy docking
• Turn the music down enough to hear horns and engines

A safe speed is one that lets you take effective action and stop within a distance that suits the conditions. Rule 6 lists what to weigh: visibility, traffic (including clusters of fishing boats), how fast your boat can stop and turn, background lights at night, wind, sea and current, nearby hazards, and your draft compared with the depth. Local speed and no-wake zones are separate rules on top of this.

Use every means you have. The classic test: if the compass bearing to an approaching boat doesn't change appreciably, a risk of collision exists. Line it up with a fixed point on your boat (a stanchion or windshield frame); if the other boat stays in the same spot while getting bigger, you're on a collision course. If in doubt, assume the risk exists. Big ships and tows can be a risk even when the bearing is changing.

When you take action, do it early and make it large enough for the other skipper to notice, such as a clear turn or a big slowdown, rather than a series of small nudges. Turning alone often works if there's room. Slow down, stop or back down if you need more time. Keep watching until the other boat is past and clear.

When two power-driven vessels meet head-on or nearly so, each turns to starboard (right) and they pass port to port (left side to left side). At night you'd see both of the other boat's sidelights, or its masthead lights in line. If you're not sure whether it's head-on, assume it is and turn right. Under the Inland Rules, power-driven vessels in sight of each other and within half a mile signal their passing: one short blast means "I intend to leave you on my port side," and the other boat answers with the same signal if it agrees (Rule 34). The International Rules use the horn differently, so see our horn signals guide.

When two power-driven vessels cross, the one that has the other on its own starboard (right) side is the give-way vessel. It keeps out of the way and, if it can, avoids crossing ahead of the other boat; usually that means slowing down or turning right to pass behind it. BoatUS describes the "danger zone" as the arc from dead ahead to about 112.5 degrees on your starboard side: a boat crossing in that zone has priority over you. At night, if you see the other boat's red sidelight, you're the give-way vessel; if you see its green, you're the stand-on vessel but must still watch it closely.

Any vessel overtaking another must keep out of the way of the one being overtaken, whatever type each boat is. You're overtaking if you're coming up from more than 22.5 degrees abaft the other boat's beam (roughly from behind its side, where at night you'd see only its white sternlight). If in doubt, assume you're overtaking. You stay the give-way vessel until you're well past and clear, even if the angle changes as you pass.

• Give-way vessel (Rule 16): take early and substantial action to keep well clear.
• Stand-on vessel (Rule 17): keep your course and speed so the other skipper can predict you. But as soon as it's clear the give-way boat isn't acting, you may maneuver to avoid a collision, and if you get so close that the give-way boat can't avoid it alone, you must act. In a crossing, avoid turning to port (left) toward a boat on your port side.

BoatUS sums up the principle: it's more important to avoid an accident than to insist on the rules.

Except when overtaking or in narrow channels and traffic lanes, a power-driven vessel underway keeps out of the way of:

• a vessel not under command (broken down or otherwise unable to maneuver)
• a vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver (dredges, buoy tenders, vessels laying cable, and similar)
• a vessel engaged in fishing: this means with nets, trawls or lines that restrict maneuverability, not a boat trolling with rod and reel
• a sailing vessel

A sailboat with its engine running is a power-driven vessel, even with sails up. Between two sailboats under sail, Rule 12 decides: the boat with the wind on its port side gives way to the one with the wind on its starboard side, and when both have the wind on the same side, the windward boat gives way.

Canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are vessels too. The rules don't place them in this list, so BoatUS points to Rule 2 (good seamanship): powerboats give paddlers plenty of room and slow down, and paddlers stay out of marked channels where they can and cross them quickly.

In a narrow channel or fairway:

• Keep to the starboard (right) side as far as is safe and practical.
• A vessel under 20 meters (about 65 feet), or a sailboat, must not impede a vessel that can safely navigate only within the channel.
• Boats fishing must not impede other traffic in the channel.
• Don't cross a channel if it impedes a vessel that can only use the channel.
• Navigate with extra caution and sound one prolonged blast approaching a blind bend; boats around the bend answer with a prolonged blast (Rules 9 and 34).
• Don't anchor in a narrow channel.

On the Great Lakes, Western Rivers and other waters the Coast Guard designates, a power-driven vessel going downbound with a following current has the right-of-way over an upbound vessel (Rules 9 and 14), one of the rare places the rules use that phrase. Rule 14(d) also says the downbound boat proposes how the two will pass and sounds the passing signal first, so if you're heading upstream, wait for its signal and answer it.

Ships and tows can't stop or turn quickly, may not see a small boat close under their bow, and often can only use the deep channel, so in practice the small boat keeps clear (Rules 9 and 18). BoatUS notes that recreational powerboats generally yield to other types of traffic. Remember too that a ship's bridge may be hundreds of feet behind its bow, so the crew may lose sight of you when you're close ahead. Practical habits:

• Cross a shipping channel quickly, at right angles, well ahead of or well behind traffic
• Never cut between a tug and its tow; the towline may be underwater
• Listen for five or more short, rapid blasts: it's the doubt signal, meaning the other vessel doesn't understand your intentions or thinks you aren't doing enough to avoid a collision (Rule 34(d)); act right away
• Keep your VHF on channel 16 (and the local bridge-to-bridge channel where ships talk) so you can hear or call them

Traffic lanes near big ports (Rule 10). Some harbor approaches have charted traffic separation schemes: one-way inbound and outbound lanes with a separation zone between them, like a divided highway for ships. Rule 10 (33 CFR 83.10) says a boat under 20 meters (about 65 feet) or a sailboat must not impede a power-driven vessel following a traffic lane. If you're not using the scheme, stay clear of it by as wide a margin as you can; if you must cross, do it as close to a right angle to the traffic flow as practical. Don't anchor in or near the lanes, and be extra careful near the ends of a scheme, where ships turn and converge. Your chart or chartplotter shows the lanes, usually in magenta.

At night, read the other boat's lights to tell its heading and type (see our navigation lights and night boating guides). In restricted visibility, slow down to a safe speed, sound the fog signals and listen for others (see our fog guide). The rules for boats in sight of one another (Rules 11 to 18) don't apply in fog when you can't see the other boat; Rule 19 governs then.

As BoatUS puts it, every time you meet another boat ask: who is higher in the pecking order, and am I stand-on or give-way? Then make your move early, make it obvious, and keep watching until you're clear.