Rule text#
Source
(a)Unless otherwise agreed, when two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision each shall alter her course to starboard so that each shall pass on the port side of the other.
(b)Such a situation shall be deemed to exist when a vessel sees the other ahead or nearly ahead and by night she could see the masthead lights of the other in a line or nearly in a line and/or both sidelights and by day she observes the corresponding aspect of the other vessel.
(c)When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether such a situation exists she shall assume that it does exist and act accordingly.
(d)Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Rule, a power-driven vessel operating on the Great Lakes, Western Rivers, or waters specified by the Secretary, and proceeding downbound with a following current shall have the right-of-way over an upbound vessel, shall propose the manner of passage, and shall initiate the maneuvering signals prescribed by Rule 34(a)(i) (§ 83.34(a)(i)), as appropriate.
Why it shows up on the exam#
Two short blasts (Inland) or two long-short signals are wrong here — the rule is one short blast 'I am altering my course to starboard.'
Authoritative source#
Source links checked against the current public rule corpus on 2026-05-16.
- 33 CFR §83.14 — the section this text comes from, with its neighbours.
- International COLREGs Rule 14 verbatim text is published by the IMO and is authoritative for international waters.
Practice this rule#
One real exam question on this rule, cited to source. No sign-up.
Two power-driven vessels are meeting head-on on an inland waterway. Vessel A sounds one short blast. Vessel B disagrees with the proposed maneuver. What is the correct response by Vessel B under Inland Rule 34?
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