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Forum - Rules of the Nautical Road

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Student
William Nelson
Tucson, AZ, USA
Crew Level 0
Status: Sailor
Qualified days: 0
Head on to several boats
Posted 2023, Apr 26 17:56
In taking an intro lesson, we had a couple cases coming head on to two or three sailboats motoring on parallel tracks (side by side). This made me pretty anxious and it wasn't clear to me what should be done since the grouped boats have to communicate with each other to maneuver. In one case we passed between at what seemed a bit close quarters to me. In the other case we steered away. I didn't feel that I understood how to make the decision in general.
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Student
Charles Neuman
Plainview, NY, USA
Crew Level 0
Status: Sailor
Qualified days: 0
communication by blasts, VHF
Posted 2023, Jun 15 00:41
If one vessel gives a single blast to signal port-to-port, does the other vessel respond? Also, how would one communicate this intention on VHF, particularly if you don't know the name of the other vessel?
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Nicole Jean Flores
Olympia, WA, USA
Crew Level 0
Status: Sailor
Qualified days: 0
Good Practice for Ultra Beginner
Posted 2023, Jul 21 18:43
I would rather make mistakes on a test than on the water. The more I take this test the more I am learning and getting these rules ingrained!
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Student
Mike Alton
Courtenay, BC, Canada
Bareboat Charter Master Level V
Status: Big Time Sailor
Qualified days: 401
Question on exam wrong
Posted 2023, Jul 30 04:10
In the exam for Rules of the road question 20. The picture shows a red light and another red light over a green light. The correct answer was port side Sailboat. I don't understand how you could see two red lights on a sailboat at night, it only has one? Maybe if you had too much beer, but that was not an option in the answers.
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Christopher Mai
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Crew Level 0
Status: Sailor
Qualified days: 0
Muscle powered vessels
Posted 2023, Aug 04 00:37
What about muscle powered vessels like kayaks or rowing boats? Where do they come in in the list? Also, what about windsurfer and kitesurfer?
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Student
Mike Nerone
San Antonio, TX, USA
Crew Level I
Status: Sailor
Qualified days: 19
Alternative mnemonic.
Posted 2024, Mar 24 17:02
I didn't love the fishing related mnemonic that is suggested by this module for remembering the categories of vessels under the rules (not to mention that it's factually incorrect). I just wanted to offer mine as an alternative: "Observant Navigators Read COLREGs For Safe, Prudent Sailing" Some may find "Charts" easier to remember than "COLREGs" - I just like the meta of the mnemonic referring to the rules. :P
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Student
Kenneth Sherwood
Indiana, PA, USA
Skipper Level II
Status: Sailor
Qualified days: 26
Starboard right of way - great story
Posted 2024, May 15 04:28
So this is something new, that the priority of starboard over port is not just convention. I've always explained it to new sailors as an arbitrary rule -- like how we drive on the right side of the road in the US but not in the UK. I knew the origin of "starboard" in steering board. But I had always understood the starboard priviledge over port as an exception to other rules of the road that have a practical logic or safety rationale. It certainly makes sense that a side-mounted rudder would be less effective when heeled and partially out of the water. This is great information! Thanks for this.
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