Navigation Rules Pre-date Road Rules

Did you ever notice the similarity between the Navigation Rules and the rules that we follow when driving on the road? They both have red lights and green lights. In both cases, we generally keep to the right, and yellow lights are related to caution in both lighting schemes.

The Navigation Rules, as we know them today, were not standardized and uniformly accepted around the globe until the middle of the twentieth century. However, for a long time before that, the rules that mariners followed in various parts of the world and on the high seas had many common themes. Just to compare the "water" rules to the "land" rules lets look at today's version of each of them.

Clearly, the Navigation Rules pre-dated the road rules, since the marine industry existed for centuries before the automobile was even a thought in the mind of any inventor. When "horseless carriages" came along, it was a natural step in the progression of things to adapt a body of rules that already existed. Whether the process was a formal and intentional one, is unclear to me. Nevertheless, before we knew it, the rules for driving an automobile became very similar to the Navigation Rules.

One of the clearest examples is Navigation Rule 9 that deals with narrow channels. That Rule advises mariners to "keep as near to the outer limit of the narrow channel or fairway which lies on her starboard side as is safe and practicable." That sounds a lot like the "keep right" rule that we use when we are driving!

Navigation Rule 15 deals with the "crossing situation" between two power-driven vessels. "The vessel which has the other on her starboard (right) side shall keep out of the way and shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel." That reminds me of driver's education class. They told us that at a crossroad intersection, without a signal or stop sign, the vehicle to the right had the "right-of-way."

During a crossing situation between power-driven vessels at night, with navigation lights in view, each vessel operator would see a different color light. The vessel on the right would see a green sidelight on the vessel to port. The vessel on the left would see a red sidelight to starboard. Just as "red" means stop and "green" means go on the road, the vessel observing red would back off and let the vessel observing green proceed.

Navigation Rule 20 requires that navigation lights be exhibited from sunset to sunrise, and during daylight hours in times of restricted visibility. It is no coincidence that we are obliged to have our car headlights on when our windshield wipers are operating. I would call that "restricted visibility" on the road, and the same rule applies.

As far as yellow flashing lights go, we use them on the water, just as we do on land, to indicate an extra measure of caution. Navigation Rules 23 (air-cushioned vessels) and 24 (towing) require flashing yellow lights to be exhibited to draw extra attention to a potentially hazardous situation.

Both the driving rules and the Navigation Rules are mostly common sense. Maybe that's why they are so similar!

Until next time, I wish you clear skies, fair winds, and calm seas!