COLREGs · Rule 13
Overtaking
TL;DR
Any vessel overtaking another shall keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken. A vessel is overtaking when coming up from a direction more than 22.5° abaft the other's beam — i.e., she would see only the stern light at night.
Why it shows up on the exam
Overtaking trumps Rule 14 head-on and Rule 15 crossing — once the overtaking situation is established, it remains until the vessel is finally past and clear.
Authoritative source
- 33 CFR §83.13— verbatim Inland Rule text (US Code of Federal Regulations)
- International COLREGs Rule 13 verbatim text is published by the IMO. The Inland counterpart 33 CFR §83 chunk above mirrors the international wording almost verbatim.
Inland parallel
Inland Rule 13 — Overtaking →More from Part B-II — In Sight of One Another
Related drills
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