Boating Basics: On the Water

Safe navigation on Florida’s waterways is everyone’s responsibility. All operators are equally responsible for taking action necessary to avoid collisions.

Encountering Other Vessels

Even though no vessel has the “right of way” over another vessel, there are some rules that every operator should follow when encountering other vessels. It is the responsibility of both operators to take the action needed to avoid a collision. The navigation rules page shows what to do when encountering another vessel.

Encountering Vessels With Limited Maneuverability

When operating a power-driven vessel, you must give way to:

• Any vessel not under command, such as an anchored or disabled vessel
• Any vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver, such as a vessel towing another or laying cable, or one constrained by its draft, such as a large ship in a channel
• A vessel engaged in commercial fishing
• A sailboat under sail unless it is overtaking

When operating a vessel under sail, you must give way to:

• Any vessel not under command
• Any vessel restricted in its ability to maneuver
• A vessel engaged in commercial fishing