{"id":2061,"date":"2018-09-17T07:04:43","date_gmt":"2018-09-17T14:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tradewindssailing.com\/wordpress\/?p=2061"},"modified":"2020-11-12T11:40:18","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T19:40:18","slug":"inland-navigation-rules-simplified-by-tradewinds-instructor-virginia-l","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tradewindssailing.com\/wordpress\/general\/inland-navigation-rules-simplified-by-tradewinds-instructor-virginia-l\/","title":{"rendered":"Inland Navigation Rules – Simplified! 1 through 6 – By Tradewinds Instructor Virginia L."},"content":{"rendered":"

Inland Navigation Rules <\/strong><\/p>\n

Nav Rules Made Easy<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Navigation Rules are also commonly called \u201crules of the road\u201d and apply to you, me and all Tradewinds skippers.<\/p>\n

The rules are nicknamed, \u201cColregs\u201d which stands for International Reg<\/strong>ulations for Preventing Col<\/strong>lisions at Sea.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s stop for a minute and think about that.<\/p>\n

The purpose of the rules is to prevent boats from getting in accidents with other boats on the water.<\/p>\n

Why?\u00a0 Why is so important to prevent boating accidents?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to prevent collisions because boating accidents can be much more serious than accidents on land.<\/p>\n

Think about it.<\/p>\n

If a boat gets into a \u201cfender bender\u201d with another boat, it\u2019s possible that the damage, even if the damage is \u201cjust a small hole in the hull\u201d can quickly cause a dangerous and even life-threatening situation.<\/p>\n

If a boat gets into an accident on the water, the boat can\u2019t just pull over to the side of the road.\u00a0 There is no \u201cside of the road\u201d.<\/p>\n

So, the Navigation Rules, or \u201cColregs\u201d is a set of rules that tell us how to interact with other boats on the water.\u00a0 The purpose of the rules is to ensure that everyone does everything possible to avoid a boating collision.\u00a0 The rules apply to almost anything that floats with at least one passenger.<\/p>\n

In this Nav Rules Made Easy<\/em><\/strong> series, we\u2019ll explain each Inland Navigation Rule, with an emphasis on the information that\u2019s most important for recreational sailing in the San Francisco Bay.\u00a0 We won\u2019t include portions of the rules that are highly technical and intended for commercial mariners.<\/p>\n

Note: If you travel more than one mile outside the Golden Gate Bridge or if you charter a boat in another country, the International Rules apply.\u00a0 Many of the International Rules are exactly the same as the Inland Rules.\u00a0 However, there are also a few that contain important and significant differences from Inland.\u00a0 Make sure that you study and learn International Rules if you are traveling in international waters.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Rule 1 – Application<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rule #1 tells us when the Nav Rules apply.\u00a0 To figure out if the Nav Rules apply to your boat or watercraft, just answer these few questions:<\/p>\n