Scott: Keep in mind the rules of the water

While there’s no official “boating season” in the Midwest, there’s no denying the fact that the number of boats sharing most bodies of water skyrockets between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Since more boats equals more potential for mishaps, there’s no better time for anyone who intends to pilot any type of watercraft to do a serious assessment of how much he or she knows about boating’s rules of the road.

Most people are at least vaguely aware that there are rules meant to maintain order — to say nothing of safety — as boats navigate the invisible roads that crisscross every body of water larger than a farm pond, not only within the United States but also on the seas offshore. However, relatively few people know that these rules have been codified into a 219-page set of federal regulations enforced both by the U.S. Coast Guard and by state water patrol agencies.

If you’re as curious as I am, you can download the complete “Navigation Rules International and Inland” at uscg.mil/vtm/navrules/navrules.pdf. Meanwhile, here’s an overview of what you absolutely should know before your boat leaves its trailer.

One should-be-obvious regulation states, “Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.” Take careful note of the phrase “at all times,” because many boating accidents take place literally in the blink of an eye.

No-wake zones and a few other exceptions aside, there aren’t any posted speed limits on waterways. Nevertheless, excessive speed is the proximate cause of far too many boating accidents. Rule 6 addresses this problem by describing 13 factors every boat operator needs to take into account before he or she decides to treat a boat throttle like an on/off switch.

An entire section of the Navigation Rules deals with rights of way during encounters between boats. Complying with these regulations, which are, by the way, legal requirements, begins with an understanding — and acceptance — of the fact that easily maneuverable powerboats are at the absolute bottom of the maritime “pecking order” and, thus, must yield the right of way to all other types of watercraft.

That’s simple enough — at least in principle — but who yields the right of way to whom when two “equal” boats are otherwise destined to occupy the same space at the same time?

Whenever conditions allow, in crossing situations, the boat on the starboard (right) side has the right of way and has a duty to “stand on” by maintaining its course and speed. Meanwhile, the boat on the port (left) side has a duty to “stand away” by altering its speed and direction so as to pass astern of the stand on boat. If shallow water, traffic congestion or some other factor prevents two boats from crossing each other’s path in the standard manner, both boat operators must clearly signal their intentions to the other prior to altering course or speed.

When one boat overtakes another, the overtaken boat always has the right of way but has a duty to stand on by maintaining its current course and speed. The overtaking boat has a duty to stand away by altering its course so as to pass the overtaken boat at a safe distance, preferably on the overtaken boat’s starboard side.

When two boats approach each other head on, both boats have a duty to stand away by altering course to starboard so as to pass one another port side to port side. If conditions prevent this action, both boat operators must reduce speed and clearly signal their intentions to one another.

These rules notwithstanding, every boat operator has an absolute duty to do everything in his or her power to avoid a collision even if the other boat is not being operated lawfully. Always remember that, if such a thing is possible, there’s even less room for road rage on the water than on the highway.

There’s one other regulation no boat operator should ever ignore — every boat, regardless of size, must have one fully functional Coast Guard-approved PFD (life jacket) per person on board. Boats 16 feet or more in length must also carry a throwable floatation device. Current regulations do not require that PFDs be worn, but they must be “readily accessible.” Floatation devices stowed in lockers or below decks do not satisfy this regulation, and rightly so.

One final thought on life jackets. Like most of you, I wear my life jacket when I’m motoring from place to place, but I usually take it off while I’m fishing. Imagine my surprise when I learned that Coast Guard records indicate most boating fatalities occur when the boat is moving slowly or not at all.