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Part 2 — When Boats Meet

Section C — At Marks And Obstructions

Section C rules do not apply between boats when the mark or obstruction referred to in those rules is a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or its anchor line, from the time the boats are approaching it to start until they have left it astern.

19.2

Giving Room at an Obstruction

(a) A right-of-way boat may choose to pass an obstruction on her port or starboard side. If a right-of-way boat changes course when choosing on which side to pass the obstruction, she shall give the other boat room to keep clear. (b) When the boats are overlapped, the outside boat shall give the inside boat room between her and the obstruction, unless she has been unable to do so from the time the overlap began. (c) While boats are passing a continuing obstruction, if a boat that was clear astern and required to keep clear becomes overlapped between the other boat and the obstruction and, at the moment the overlap begins, there is not room for her to pass between them, (1) she is not entitled to room under rule 19.2(b), and (2) while the boats remain overlapped, she shall keep clear and rules 10 and 11 do not apply.

Definitions in Context

Keep Clear

A boat keeps clear of a right-of-way boat (a) if the right-of-way boat can sail her course with no need to take avoiding action and, (b) when the boats are overlapped, if the right-of-way boat can also change course in both directions without immediately making contact.

Related Cases

Case 3

A leeward port-tack boat, hailing for room to tack when faced with an oncoming starboard-tack boat, an obstruction, is not required to anticipate that the windward boat will fail to comply with her obligation to tack promptly or otherwise provide room.

Case 11

When boats are overlapped at an obstruction, including an obstruction that is a right-of-way boat, the outside boat must give the inside boat room between her and the obstruction.

Case 29

A leeward boat is an obstruction to an overlapped windward boat and a third boat clear astern. The boat clear astern may sail between the two overlapped boats and be entitled to room from the windward boat between her and the leeward boat, provided that the windward boat has been able to give that room from the time the overlap began.

Case 33

When a boat approaching an obstruction hails ‘Room to tack’, but does so before the time when she needs to begin the process described in rule 20 to avoid the obstruction safely, she breaks rule 20.1(a). However, even if the hail breaks rule 20.1(a), the hailed boat must respond. An inside overlapped boat is entitled to room between the outside boat and an obstruction under rule 19.2(b) even though she has tacked into the inside overlapping position.

Case 41

A discussion of how rule 19.2(b) and the definitions Obstruction, Continuing Obstruction, and Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap apply when two overlapped boats on the same tack overtake and pass to leeward of a boat ahead on the same tack. There is no obligation to hail for room at an obstruction, but it is prudent to do so.

Case 43

A close-hauled port-tack boat that is sailing parallel and close to an obstruction must keep clear of a boat that has completed her tack to starboard and is approaching on a collision course.

Rule 19.1

Rule 19 applies between two boats at an obstruction except when rule 18 applies between them and (a) the obstruction is the mark, or (b) the obstruction is anot...

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