Customer Reviews

The One-Minute Guide to the Nautical Rules of the Road: A Boating Magazine Book

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

 

 

The Navigation Rules (Inland-International) is the official publication of the United States Coast Guard, under international treaty, that describes in detail the collision (avoidance) regulations (COLREGs) which have evolved over the centuries and which are required knowledge for every mariner out there from the skipper of double-hulled oil tankers in Prince William sound to a dinghy on the lake.

Unfortunately, the official rules read like the international bureaucratic regulations that they are. They make no distinctions, for the most part, between typical and unusual situations, and as a quick reference source -- or even an understandable reference, period -- they leave much to be desired.

I've looked at a lot of supplemental materials for teaching the NAVRULES, due to the deficiencies as a textbook of the official book, and I've settled on this one as being the best primer for the recreational boater. To be sure, anyone trying for a Six-Pack or other commercial license will need a heavy-duty study guide, and this isn't it, but I suspect that about 90% of what needs to be learned for the regular Coast Guard exams can be learned in this book. (I've passed the Nav Rules exam myself, and I can only think of two or three questions that might not have been covered by this book -- which are also not explained well by the official COLREGS, anyway.)

The "One-Minute Guide" is actually a decision-tree chart on the inside of the book, and it's simple and easy to understand. As such, this is a great book to stick in the boat. You may (or may not, depending on vessel length) be required to carry the official COLREGS aboard, but you are required to know them. Having this book around on your boat (and/or in your "reading room" at home) is probably a lot more useful.

Other than the "one-minute guide", the rest of the book is a very well-organized and well-illustrated distillation of the rules and what they mean. For each rule, this book provides a short explanation of the actual rule, and then a sidebar explanation of "what it means". It also has useful sidebars of examples from the history of boating collisions and accidents of how the rules have come into play, and exteremely well-done diagrams for most of the often-confusing situations. There's a handsome four-color section illustrating the required night lights and day shapes. The index is a little brief -- which means you have to read through this book in order to really understand it and use it as a ready reference, since you have to know the types of rule that apply to a given situation -- but then again you should read it all the way through, anyway. At about 100 pages, and with the often entertaining case studies peppering the text, it's a lot less boring to do so than you might think. And for the price, it's well worth it as insurance.

As noted elsewhere, this is not a reference on Navigation AIDS (buoys, etc.) or the art of navigation -- the Navigation Rules are a specific and narrow body of marine law intended to prevent collisions at sea.

The best way to learn the Nav Rules is probably still through experience -- riding along with somebody who will drill you out on the water in a variety of situations -- and short of a multimedia CD, few learning aids will replace experience for a thorough first-hand knowledge of the COLREGS.

All in all, I give it four stars ande a strong recommendation for value for the price for the recreational mariner and a somewhat weaker recommendation for passenger-carrying masters. You may want to buy two copies, one for the boat and one for the home.

This book is strictly what it says it is, a quick reference to the Colregs. Nothing about buoys, channel markings, or charts (except for traffic separation schemes as marked on charts). Handy color tables for required lights on all vessels. Not bad.

It's true, it's a fantastic book for learning the "Rules." But also true to the name, it's a guide, to be used by beginners or those who need to revisit the rules. I read and then bought the book due to it's value, but like any guide... is useful only if you have the actual REGS to refer back to. Enjoy and learn from this book as it's meant, but don't think it's an end all and be all. Be careful! Don't be fooled into thinking you are an expert after reading the book, but use it to solidify your knowledge in a far better way than simply picking up a copy of the actual REGS and reading them. They, like any document, are very very dry. Wing does a great job providing a guide for beginners, but the meat is found elsewhere. Bravo on the attempt!

It seems like a pretty good book for a casual boater but if your interested in getting a USCG license, the information will be covered in the other (more) complete guides.
When I purchased "Get Your Captains License" the "One Minute Guide.." was paired up with it so I purchased both. Getting the One Minute Guide is worthless if you already have the larger book.