Getting up to speed with give way rules

We’ve got our heads around road traffic rules, but are we also up to speed with give way rules out on the water?

The rules of the sea are a bit different from those on the road - what you do depends on what type of boat you are in and what type of vessel you are approaching. Oh, and you don’t drive on the left when out on the briny! If you’re heading out then, quite simply, you need to know the basics of how to be safe out on the water, and give way rules are a big part of that equation.

Here are some of the areas you should know about when it comes to giving way on the water.

• General give way rule: Keep to starboard: powerboats pass to the right, and you need to turn right if approaching another powerboat head on.
• Giving way under power: Power gives way to non-power: that’s sail or paddle. If you can move faster, move out of the way.
• Giving way under sail: If the wind is on your port side or if you’re upwind to another sailboat, you’re giving way.
• The entering and exiting rule: Just like the passing rule, when you’re entering or exiting a harbour you need to stick to the right, so other vessels can pass on your port side. The easiest way to remember this is to keep the green mark on the same side as your boat’s green navigation light when you’re heading into the harbour.

The Boaties Best Mate website includes illustrations, courtesy of Maritime NZ, to help you with your give-way learnings. These can also be accessed under the Respect the Giveway Rules information here.

An option for getting up to speed with all this and more is by doing the Coastguard Day Skipper course, which is generally considered the best overview of all you are required to know as a first-time skipper.

According to a Bay of Plenty Regional Council Boating in the Bay information document, the following key points are what you need to know:

• All boats (sail or power) overtaking from astern (behind) are responsible for keeping clear until finally past the boat being overtaken. Always assume that the boat in front may not be aware of your presence or intentions
• Powerboats meeting head on must each alter their course to starboard to pass on the port side of each other. Keep right
• When the wind is coming from different sides: the boat with the wind on its port (left) side must give way
• When both vessels have the wind on the same side: the upwind (windward) boat must give way
• Power boats, unless being overtaken, must always give way to sail
• When powerboats meet at an angle, always give way to your right
• Every boat must keep to the starboard side of any channel. Smaller vessels must keep out of the way of larger vessels, which may be restricted by the channel.

See this BOP Regional Council website page for more information, including things to know about boating in shipping channels.

And finally… once you are au fait with what to do, remember to make early and obvious manoeuvres so there is no confusion.

Looking for the right cover on the water in New Zealand in 2022?

No matter what your plans are on the water in 2022, Mariner Insurance is here to support you. We have been offering Kiwis specialist marine insurance in New Zealand for over a decade with cover for all types of boats and watercraft. Just talk to us about what you’re doing on the water, and we can tailor one of our insurance policies to fit.