Customer Reviews

Navigation Rules

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The official navigation rules are something that every boater should own. If your vessel is large enough or operating in international waters, you are legally required to have it aboard and understand its contents. Regardless of whether you have to have it aboard, if you go out on the water you have to understand what the rules are and what your obligations are to avoid collisions.

Think you don't need it? Collisions are the most serious boating accident, and virtually every collision is later determined to be avoidable by later investigation, had the operators been closely following the Nav Rules.

Here's the problem, though, if you rely on the Official Navigation Rules as your only reference: this edition of the rules is technical, and illustrated, but is often incomprehensible. The diagrams are schematic by necessity, but they are not useful if you're trying to decide what to do out in the real world. New boaters will be easily confused by the situations, since there's no perspective on what is a typical or atypical scenario. Experienced boaters will be perplexed by the eccentricities of the wording. It is not a tutorial on the rules, and as a reference is decipherable basically if you already know the rules.

So what are you to do, if you have to know the Navigation Rules? You have to own this book. And then you have to learn the rules. There are numerous other sources for the knowledge. You should have a basic seamanship reference, such as Chapman's or the Annapolis Seamanship book. You should probably also take a boating safety class at your local US Coast Guard Auxiliary or US Power Squadron, both of which cover the navigation rules. If you want to be sure about knowing the rules in detail, there are a number of self-study books (such as for Six-Pack exams) that do a much better job at going through a tutorial.

Buy this book; but to understand the basics, and to get to know the details that may save your life and your boat, make sure you extend that knowledge beyond the bare minimum.

Update: I would now recommend Charlie Wing's "One Minute Guide" to the rules of the road in addition to the official Nav Rules (ISBN 0070710945) for recreational boaters.

Being an ex-mariner I was interested in bringing myself up-to-date on the rules. I had a lot of previous experience at reading, understanding, being tested and using the rules - on the high sea and inland. I found this verison to be useful. The publishers have added a few very helpful additions to the standard USCG version. Some of these adds are the index, online links mentioned, hi-lited corrections and list of recent corrections. Unfortunatley there are still typographical errors. I would have thought that the USCG and/or the publisher (whoever is responsible for them) would have had a proof read before publishing in an effort to eliminate these. These small errors might create a doubt in the readers mind regards the correctness of the whole contents. Having said this I can still recommend this book to all those with a need-to know these rules.

Since the USCG last published the Navigation Rules in 1999 there have been a few NTM additions that have been released which affect COLREGS. The Paradise Cay Publications Inc. version does an outstanding job integrating these NTM into the COLREGS with a gray background box which brings the readers attention immediately to the changes. Additionally, they have provided a slightly more useful table of contents which they refer to as an "Annotated Contents". Most importantly, they provide you with their website, which lists all the NTM which affect your navigation rules, so that you can keep your book updated in the decades to come. Their website also lets you put in your e-mail address which then e-mails you if there are any new NTM that affect your navigation rules.

Finally, when comparing the Paradise Cay Publications Inc. version to the Lighthouse Press, ProStar version, there is a clear difference in quality with respect to the diagrams. The Paradise Cay Publications Inc. version has clear diagrams with legible explanations. With the ProStar version it is like you are looking at a blurry copy of a blurry copy; the diagrams are just not as legible, especially the font within the diagrams.

If you want a handy to use, up-to-date (and easy to keep that way), and legible copy of the Navigation Rules, go with the Paradise Cay Publications Inc. version.

My son needed this book for his college class. It came quickly and is just what he needed!

This book satisfies the requirement for Coast Guard Auxiliarists to have a current copy of the Nav rules on their boat. I especially liked the way the changes in the update were identified for easy reference.

Outstanding. A great help when you're returning to the boating world after many years. A good refresher. Would recommend anybody new or old to the world of boats to strongly consider this.

I was looking for the latest copy of the Rules of the Road and I found them; exactly what I wanted. This is a must-have for Navigators, Naval deck watchstanders and 3rd Mates.

This is an excellant dashbord referance book. I keep it next to me all the time and use it to look up reg's if I have a questuion.

This book is a must for every boat owner. I use it all the time and refer to it many times when I forget some of the rules.

Required to be on board for boats over 40 ft. It's a coast guard thing. Also, it would be a good primer for the coast guard license exam.