Cult of Sea

Maritime Knowledge base

  • Home
  • Knowledge base
    • Bridge Equipment
    • Cargo Work
    • Deck
    • General
    • Gmdss
    • Maritime Law
    • Marpol
    • MLC 2006
    • Meteorology
    • Navigation
    • Safety
    • Security
    • Ship Construction
    • Ship Handling
    • Ship Stability
    • Shippie’s Escape
    • Surveys
    • Tankers
  • Colreg’s (ROR)
    • Index (Colreg’s)
    • Part A- General
      • Rule 1 – Application
      • Rule 2 – Responsibility
      • Rule 3 – General Definitions
    • Part B- Steering and Sailing
      • Section 1 (Rule 4 -10)
        • Rule 4 – Application
        • Rule 5 – Lookout
        • Rule 6 – Safe Speed
        • Rule 7 – Risk of collision
        • Rule 8 – Action to avoid collision
        • Rule 9 – Narrow Channels
        • Rule 10 – Traffic separation schemes
      • Section 2 (Rule 11 – 18)
        • Rule 11 – Application
        • Rule 12 – Sailing vessels
        • Rule13 – Overtaking
        • Rule 14 – Head on situation
        • Rule 15 – Crossing situation
        • Rule 16 – Action by give-way vessel
        • Rule 17 – Action by stand-on vessel
        • Rule 18 – Responsibilities between vessels
      • Section 3 (Rule 19)
        • Rule 19 – Conduct of vessels in restricted visibility
    • Part C- Lights and Shapes
      • Rule 20 – Application
      • Rule 21- Definitions
      • Rule 22 – Visibility of lights
      • Rule 23 – Power-driven vessels underway
      • Rule 24 – Towing and pushing
      • Rule 25 – Sailing vessels underway and vessels under oars
      • Rule 26 – Fishing vessels
      • Rule 27 – Vessels N.U.C or R.A.M
      • Rule 28 – Vessels constrained by their draught
      • Rule 29 – Pilot vessels
      • Rule 30 – Anchored vessels and vessels aground
      • Rule 31 – Seaplanes
    • Part D- Sound and Light Signals
      • Rule 32 – Definitions
      • Rule 33 – Equipment for sound signals
      • Rule 34 – Manoeuvring and warning signals
      • Rule 35 – Sound signals in restricted visibility
      • Rule 36 : Signals to attract attention
      • Rule 37 – Distress signals
    • Part E- Exemptions (Rule 38)
      • Rule 38 – Exemptions
    • Part F – Verification of compliance with the provisions of the Convention
      • Rule 39 – Definitions
      • Rule 40 – Application
      • Rule 41 – Verification of compliance
    • Annexes
      • Annex 1 – Positioning and technical details of lights and shapes
      • ANNEX II – Additional Signals for Fishing Vessels Fishing in Close Proximity
      • ANNEX III – Technical Details of Sound Signal Appliances
      • ANNEX IV – Distress Signals
  • Glossary
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Colreg's / Part B- Steering and Sailing / Rule 14 – Head on situation
Part B - Section 2

Rule 14 – Head on situation

Section II – Conduct of vessels in sight of one another

Rule 14: Head on situation

a. 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.

Meaning: It is a clear instruction when the vessels are head on perfectly, the thing to remember is that when the vessels are nearly on reciprocal courses, then to the vessels are asked to alter course to starboard.

A nearly reciprocal course would deem that the vessels would be passing very close to each other, and the situation can become a close quarter situation when the ships are quite close.

    

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.

Meaning: The Rule is very clear about the sightings and has explained what is to be termed as Head On, a number of cases have come about when this basic Rule is forgotten and the
watch keeper relies on the ARPA to give him the CPA.
The Radar and the ARPA are assistances for the watch keeper and do not replace the Rule instructions.

    

 

 

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.
Meaning: Again the same word ‘Doubt’. So even if the CPA as per the ARPA is marginal
but a positive figure, the determination of Head On would still be by this Rule of sighting.

Related Article:   Rule 10 - Traffic separation schemes

Related:

  • Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing…
  • Annex I - Positioning and technical details of lights and…
  • Rule 3 - General Definitions
  • Rule 10 - Traffic separation schemes
  • Rule 8 - Action to avoid collision
  • Condition Assessment Scheme (CAS)

By Cult of Sea Filed Under: Part B- Steering and Sailing Tagged With: colregs, headon, rule 14

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Simple Colregs COS Ad

Join Our List

Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.

Powered with ♥ by Cult of Sea

instagram-button

About Us | Terms | Contact Us | Sitemap | Marine Glossary (BETA)

Cult of Sea®™ · Made with ❤ by a small band of sailors