Nautical Rules of the Road (COLREGS) for Coast Guard Exams

Explore rule 1 of the COLREGS, distinguishing international and inland rules and their application, including altered configuration and submarine lights shown on chart demarcations.

Ensure good seamanship to avoid collision; rule two holds each vessel responsible for its movements and covers circumstances when three or more vessels meet, allowing deviation to prevent collision.

Define vessels, power driven vessels and sailing vessels. Distinguish fishing vessels, trolling, and trawling; explain VRAM and not under command, plus inland versus international rules and constrained by draft.

Examine COLREGS part a, focusing on application, inland and international rules, and definitions, followed by a quiz discussion on restricted in her ability to maneuver and power driven vessels.

introduce part b of the steering and sailing rules, covering any condition of visibility, lookout and safe speed, risk of collision, and maneuvering in narrow channels and traffic separation schemes.

Explore rule 6 safe speed by memorizing six factors—visibility, traffic density, vessel maneuverability, night stopping distance, background lights, wind, sea, current, and draft—and reevaluate speed with changing conditions.

Learn how rule 7 defines risk of collision through constant bearing decreasing range, bearing drift, and the maneuvering board and radar to assess head-on, crossing, and overtaking scenarios.

Rule 8 requires early, substantial, and readily apparent action to avoid collision, using drastic course changes or speed adjustments in crossing or head-on situations, with ongoing monitoring until clear.

Rule 10 defines traffic separation schemes as ocean highways. Join or cross at shallow angles; maintain lookout and avoid anchoring near ends and the separation zone.

Examine part b, section two of the Colregs, detailing vessels in sight and the steering and sailing rules, including overtaking, head-on and crossing scenarios, plus give-way and stand-on duties.

Identify the wind side on sailing vessels—port or starboard—and apply rule 12 with its three cases, including windward and leeward concepts and the right of way.

Identify overtaking by the twenty-two and a half degrees about the beam rule and keep clear; the overtaking vessel remains so until past and clear, regardless of vessel type.

Rule 14 governs head-on encounters between two power-driven vessels on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses, requiring both to maneuver and pass port to port to avoid collision.

Explore rule 15 crossing situations between two power-driven vessels, where the give-way vessel alters course to starboard to pass behind, and the stand-on vessel keeps its course to avoid collision.

Explain rule 16 give way and emphasize early and substantial action to keep well clear, linking to rule eight’s avoid collision and the give way vessel’s duty to keep clear.

Explain Rule 18, the vessel hierarchy, detailing which vessel has priority—not under command, restricted in maneuver, fishing, sailing, and power driven—plus exemptions and memory aids.

Outline rule 19 for vessels in restricted visibility, detailing when to slow, bear steerage, and maneuver, with rare left turns except for overtaking or radar risks.

Master part c of the rules, covering night lights and restricted maneuvering, with side and stern light basics. Learn day shapes like balls and diamonds, required for all vessels.

Identify key light definitions—sidelights, stern light, masthead light, towing light—and master the arc of visibility for international and inland navigation, including flashing versus special flashing lights.

Learn the rule 23 power driven vessel lights underway, including sidelights, a white stern light, a white masthead light, and inland versus international 12 m and 7 m provisions.

Explore rule 24 part 1 international towing and pushing, identifying two white masthead lights, a yellow towing light, and diamond day shapes with inland differences.

Learn inland towing and pushing rules under rule 24 part 2, including light configurations, yellow towing lights, and key differences from international rules such as special flashing lights and diamonds.

Compare inland and international Rule 20 tow and push differences, including inland two towing lights and a flashing tow light, diamond shapes, and western rivers sidelights with two towing lights.

Learn rule 24 part 3 for towing and pushing under international and inland rules, including light configurations and length thresholds, then review England differences and test understanding with a quiz.

Learn rule 28 for vessels constrained by draft under international rules, with day cylinder shape and night three red lights, plus mast headlights, sidelights, and stern light beyond 50 meters.

Learn how anchored vessels and vessels aground must display anchor lights, all around white lights, deck lights, and day shapes, with inland and moored barge exceptions.

Master part C lights and shapes, including day shapes, and focus on towing and pushing, not under command, and the maneuverability restrictions, across international and inland contexts.

Rule 32 defines core terms, including the whistle per annex three, short blasts of about one second, and prolonged blasts of four to six seconds with dot and dash notation.

Rule 36 covers signals to attract attention. Note that signals must not confuse navigation aids or use high intensity revolving lights; searchlights are allowed in inland waters.

Learn rule 37 distress signals by memorizing the 16 international signals and inland variations, including a white strobe 50 to 70 flashes per minute.

Review part d sound and light signals in the Colregs, covering the six rules, maneuvering and warning, international vs inland, overtaking, fog and distress signals.

Explore the annexes and exemptions in nautical rules of the road, including fishing vessel signals, sound signals, distress signals and pilot rules, and law enforcement and public safety vessel lights.

Explore key differences between international and inland COLREGS for exam prep, focusing on rule applicability, drafting constraints, lighting configurations, towing and pushing, narrow channels, and special inland provisions.

Explore the Colregs, including the international versus inland rules and the demarcation line, plus how fishing vessels, narrow channels, and risk of collision shape safe navigation.

Target key colregs topics that students struggle with, including underway not making way and vessel lights, inland versus international towing, memorization of rules 6 and 19, shamsul, and overtaking signals.