The 5 basic rules of the waterway you need to know

One of the problems with not getting much time on the water is losing familiarity with the rules and regulations that apply once you cast off.

There are some basic rules that everyone should know and follow to ensure they don’t fall foul of either the waterways authorities that police popular waterways, or other boat users who know the rules and, more importantly, that you don’t.

When two boats approach each other going in opposite directions, you need to pass with the other boat to your left.

What’s confusing about this is that it is the complete opposite of driving on the road, where if you were in a car you’d pass on the left. What makes it worse is when one boat doesn’t follow the rules and the other one does, potentially setting both boats up on a collision course.

If you are passing a boat coming in the opposite direction, make it clear to them that you have seen them by deliberately altering course so that you will clearly pass them to the right.

An exception is when you are passing a slower boat that’s ahead of you, where you can choose to go to the right or left.

An easy rule of thumb is if you see a boat on your right-hand side you need to avoid it, while if you see it on your left-hand side it needs to avoid you.

At speed, leave plenty of room when passing another boat, and watch out for crossing wakes. At lower speeds, it is safe to pass close to another boat, as long as you’re both switched on to the other boats around you.

If your boat is fitted with a marine radio, as a courtesy use it to contact the other boat and make your intentions clear.

Negotiating channels is always going to be confusing. Unless you’re a regular visitor to a waterway, you’re not going to be able to tell which way is in and out of where you launched your boat.

This is important because the red and green marks that outline the edges of a channel will mean the complete opposite as you head in or out of a launching ramp.

Going out from a launching ramp, the red channel or “lateral” marks that show where the edge of the channel lies will be to your right, and the green ones – the side of the channel you will stick to – will be to the left. Stray outside these marks, and chances are you could run aground.

That means coming back in, the red marks will need to be on your left. 

If you’re in unfamiliar waters and you come across a red or green channel mark, stop and look for its opposite. If you’re in a river, there may only be one colour, red or green, with the bank of the river forming the other channel boundary. 

Red marks form the left edge of the channel going upriver, and green marks the right edge of the channel, so if you stop to check which way a leaf is carried in the current, you can work out which side is what mark.

Remember to slow right down when coming near the shore, and if you see any swimmers in the water, give them plenty of space.

Life jacket rules vary from state to state, so be sure what rules apply wherever you carry them.

As a rule of thumb, life jackets should always be worn by children, boaters in smaller vessels and on larger boats whenever there is heightened risk. 

What do we mean by heightened risk?

It can be anything from boating after dark to rain, smoke or haze, fog, rough weather, crossing a bar, or experiencing engine problems.

In short, if conditions are less than ideal, think about donning a life jacket.

Be aware that if you’re in a smaller boat where life jacket use is mandatory, the rule kicks in as soon as you start the engine. That means if you’re loading or unloading a boat at the ramp, clip on a life jacket before turning the key or pulling the starter.

One of the more confusing navigation aids out on the water are the ones used to show what is dangerous and what is safe.

Generally speaking, on the water black balls are bad and red balls are good.

A black and red mark with two red balls on top, known as an isolated danger mark, is usually a sign of something bad that needs to be avoided.

In contrast, a red and white mark with a single red ball on top, known as a safe water mark, is a sign that the water around it is safe.

Another set of marks known as cardinal marks uses pairs of black triangles to point boaters away from trouble.

A pair of triangles that point up or down indicate that boaters need to go either north or south. A pair of triangles base-to-base – you can tell because it is easy to draw the letter “e” around it – means boaters need to stay to the east, while a pair of triangles point-to-point – easy to draw a “w” through – indicates boaters must stay west.

If ever you’ve wondered why boats are fitted with compasses, being able to safely read cardinal marks would be the reason.

There is a hierarchy out on the water that boaters need to follow when it comes to which boats have the most right of way.

Starting at the top, avoid big boats such as container ships. These tend to have poor visibility, are difficult to steer and have a lot of trouble stopping, so are best given a wide berth. Remember that anchoring or stopping in a shipping channel is frowned upon, and could earn you a reprimand from the authorities. Don’t ever tie up to a channel mark.

If you’re heading out to the shelf to do a bit of deep-drop fishing, steer well clear of the trawlers working the waters as they face the same steering-and-stopping challenges as big boats.

Be aware of local conditions, too. On Sydney Harbour, working ferries have right of way so you need to keep well clear of them even if under ordinary circumstances they’d need to give way to you.

Always give way to a sailboat with the sails up, as they are restricted in their ability to manoeuvre, particularly if they’re pointed into the wind. If the sails are down and the sailboat is using its motor, then it needs to follow the same rules as everyone else.

Boats that are anchored or not moving become obstacles, so steer around them.

If a watercraft is human-powered, keep away. That includes canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, surfers and whatever else takes to the water with a human-operated paddle.

International rules shaped to avoid collisions at sea say it ultimately comes down to avoiding a collision at all costs, so if push comes to shove, do whatever it takes to avoid one.