Part A · General · Rule 1
Application
1(a) These Rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels.
- “These Rules shall apply to all vessels”Every vessel as defined in Rule 3(a), whatever her size or purpose. In the UK, MSN 1781 applies the Regulations to ships and vessels as defined in the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, and Amendment 3 brings in powered watercraft such as jet skis.
- “upon the high seas”The open sea beyond any country’s territorial waters.
- “and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels”The Rules also apply in any water linked to the sea that seagoing ships can reach, such as coastal waters, estuaries, harbours and rivers. An inland lake or canal that seagoing vessels can’t reach is outside the COLREGs, and local rules apply there instead.
If you are at sea, or on any water a seagoing ship could reach from the sea, the COLREGs apply, whatever her size.
1(b) Nothing in these Rules shall interfere with the operation of special rules made by an appropriate authority for roadsteads, harbours, rivers, lakes or inland waterways connected with the high seas and navigable by seagoing vessels. Such special rules shall conform as closely as possible to these Rules.
- “Nothing in these Rules shall interfere with the operation of special rules made by an appropriate authority”Local rules made by a recognised authority, such as a harbour authority or national government, still apply. Where a local rule covers a situation, you follow the local rule.
- “for roadsteads, harbours, rivers, lakes or inland waterways connected with the high seas and navigable by seagoing vessels”Local rules can cover any of these waters, as long as they connect to the sea and seagoing vessels can use them. A roadstead is a sheltered area off the coast where ships can lie at anchor.
- “Such special rules shall conform as closely as possible to these Rules”Local rules should differ from the COLREGs as little as possible, so mariners aren’t caught out.
Before entering a harbour or river, check for local rules such as harbour byelaws and local notices to mariners. Where they cover a situation they apply; for everything else, the COLREGs still do.
1(c) Nothing in these Rules shall interfere with the operation of any special rules made by the Government of any State with respect to additional station or signal lights, shapes or whistle signals for ships of war and vessels proceeding under convoy, or with respect to additional station or signal lights or shapes for fishing vessels engaged in fishing as a fleet. These additional station or signal lights, shapes or whistle signals shall, so far as possible, be such that they cannot be mistaken for any light, shape or signal authorised elsewhere under these Rules.
- “Nothing in these Rules shall interfere with the operation of any special rules made by the Government of any State … for ships of war and vessels proceeding under convoy”A government may give its warships, and vessels sailing in convoy, extra lights, shapes or whistle signals.
- “or … additional station or signal lights or shapes for fishing vessels engaged in fishing as a fleet”It may also give fishing vessels working together as a fleet extra lights or shapes. Fishing fleets are not given extra whistle signals.
- “shall, so far as possible, be such that they cannot be mistaken for any light, shape or signal authorised elsewhere under these Rules”The extra signals must be designed so they can’t be confused with any signal in the COLREGs.
You may see unfamiliar lights on warships, convoys or fishing fleets. They are extra to the normal COLREG signals, not a replacement, so read the standard lights as usual.
1(d) Traffic separation schemes may be adopted by the Organization for the purpose of these Rules.
- “Traffic separation schemes may be adopted”A traffic separation scheme (TSS) is a routing system that splits opposing streams of traffic into separate lanes, like a dual carriageway at sea.
- “by the Organization”“The Organization” means the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
- “for the purpose of these Rules”Once IMO has adopted a TSS, Rule 10 applies to it and sets out how vessels must use it.
IMO adopts traffic separation schemes and Rule 10 says how to navigate in them. The Dover Strait TSS is one of the busiest in the world.
1(e) Whenever the Government concerned shall have determined that a vessel of any special construction or purpose cannot comply with the provisions of any of these Rules with respect to the number, position, range or arc of visibility of lights or shapes, as well as to the disposition and characteristics of sound-signalling appliances, such vessel shall comply with such other provisions in regard to the number, position, range or arc of visibility of lights or shapes, as well as to the disposition and characteristics of sound-signalling appliances, as her Government shall have determined to be the closest possible compliance with these Rules in respect of that vessel.
- “Whenever the Government concerned shall have determined that a vessel of any special construction or purpose cannot comply”If a vessel’s design or role means she can’t meet the Rules exactly, her flag State (the country she is registered in) decides what she must do instead. Aircraft carriers and submarines are typical examples.
- “with respect to the number, position, range or arc of visibility of lights or shapes, as well as to the disposition and characteristics of sound-signalling appliances”This can cover how many lights or shapes she shows, where they go, how far and over what arc they can be seen, and where her whistle or bell is fitted and how it sounds.
- “such vessel shall comply with such other provisions … as her Government shall have determined to be the closest possible compliance”She must then follow the alternative arrangement, which must be as close to the Rules as possible.
Some vessels show lights that don’t look quite standard because their design makes the normal arrangement impossible. An aircraft carrier’s masthead lights, for example, may be offset from her centreline. Their signals will still be as close to the Rules as possible.