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Rules of the Road

Power-driven vessel versus sailing vessel

Technical visualPower-driven and sailing vessel encounter
Power-driven and sailing vessel encounterA power-driven vessel and a sailing vessel approach in unrestricted open water.POWER-DRIVENSAILING
Power-driven and sailing vessel encounterA power-driven vessel and a sailing vessel approach in unrestricted open water.POWER-DRIVENSAILING
Rule 18 encounter view. Narrow-channel, traffic-separation and overtaking rules can change the analysis.

In the normal Rule 18 situation, a power-driven vessel underway keeps out of the way of a sailing vessel.

But this is not absolute.

A sailing vessel may still have to keep clear under:

Rule 9, narrow channels

Rule 10, traffic separation schemes

Rule 13, overtaking

other special circumstances

A vessel using sails while its machinery is also propelling it is treated as a power-driven vessel for the Rules.

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