Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 27 - LIT-18626-12-88
P. 27

    UF4L12E0.book  Page 21  Thursday, June 4, 2020  2:02 PM

                                                                         Safety information

                            Fishing vessel right-of-way           Many bodies of water used by boaters are
                            All vessels fishing with nets, lines, or trawls  entirely within the boundaries of a particular
                            are considered to be “fishing vessels” under  state. The Uniform State Waterway Marking
                            the International Rules. Vessels with trolling  System has been devised for these waters.
                            lines are not considered fishing vessels. Fish-  This system uses buoys and signs with dis-
                            ing vessels have the right-of-way regardless  tinctive shapes and colors to show regulatory
                            of position. Fishing vessels cannot, however,  or advisory  information. These markers  are
                            impede the passage of other vessels in nar-  white with black letters and orange borders.
                            row channels.
                            Sailing vessel right-of-way
                            Sailing vessels should normally be given the
                            right-of-way. The exceptions to this are:
                            (1) When the sailing vessel is overtaking the
                                power-driven vessel, the power-driven
                                vessel has the right-of-way.
                            (2) Sailing vessels should keep clear of any
                                fishing vessel.
                            (3) In a narrow channel, a sailing vessel
                                should not hamper the safe passage of a
                                power-driven vessel that  can  navigate
                                only in such a channel.
                            Reading buoys and other markers
                            The waters of the United States are marked
                            for safe navigation by the lateral system of
                            buoyage. Simply put, buoys and markers
                            have an arrangement of shapes, colors, num-
                            bers, and lights to show which side  of the
                            buoy a boater should pass on when navigat-
                            ing in a particular direction. The markings on
                            these buoys are oriented from the perspec-
                            tive of being entered from seaward (the boat-
                            er is going towards the harbor). Red buoys
                            are passed on your starboard (right) side
                            when proceeding from open water into the
                            harbor, and black buoys are to your port (left)
                            side. An easy way to remember the meaning
                            of the colors is the phrase “red right return-
                            ing”. When navigating out of the harbor, your
                            position with respect to the buoys should be
                            reversed; red buoys  should  be to port  and
                            black buoys to starboard.

                                                                                                   21

| 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 |