The rules of the road, often called COLREGS, exist so boats can predict what each other will do. When they are understood, situations stay calm and orderly. When they are misunderstood, confusion builds quickly.
This short course exists to strip the rules back to what recreational boaters actually need, and to explain them in a way that makes sense in real time.
Why the rules cause so much confusion
One of the biggest problems with COLREGS is how they are talked about.
There is a lot of misinformation online. Confident answers that are simply wrong. Long arguments where no one can agree, because the basics were never properly understood in the first place.
A common misunderstanding is the idea of “right of way.” In boating, there is no right of way. There are give-way vessels and stand-on vessels, and each has responsibilities. Mixing those up leads to hesitation, poor decisions, and near misses.
This course clears that confusion.
What this course actually teaches
The focus is on the rules you are most likely to use.
You learn:
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Give-way and stand-on vessel responsibilities
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How to make safe decisions when vessels approach
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Navigation marks, buoys, and what they actually mean
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Lights, shapes, and sound signals you need to recognise
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How to apply the rules in real situations, not just on paper
Everything is explained simply, with practical examples and video to reinforce understanding.
Built for real-time decision making
Rules only help if you can apply them quickly.
This course is designed around decision making on the water. Who should alter course. When to hold course. What action is expected and why. Once those patterns are understood, situations that once felt stressful become manageable.
Good judgement comes from understanding responsibility, not memorising text.
What is deliberately not included
This is not a full walk-through of every COLREG rule.
The complete regulations are extensive and difficult to recall unless you use them constantly. Instead, this course focuses on the rules that recreational boaters encounter most often.
Get these right, carry a copy of the COLREGS on board, and you will be well prepared for the vast majority of situations you face.
Who this course is for
This course suits:
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People new to boating who want a solid foundation
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Boaters who feel they have been winging it
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Anyone who has seen something on the water and thought, “I am not sure what that was”
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People who want to trust their judgement rather than guess
Every vessel shares the same waterways. Predictable behaviour keeps everyone safer.
Real experience, not internet opinion
The examples in this course come from real situations.
They include common mistakes, misunderstood encounters, and the kind of disagreements that appear again and again in online discussions. This course gives you something solid to rely on, so you are not guessing or following bad advice.
When you understand the rules properly, confidence follows.
How this fits with other safety skills
This course stands on its own as an essential safety foundation.
It also connects directly with passage planning and navigation. Understanding where you are going is only part of the picture. Understanding how to interact safely with other vessels along the way matters just as much.
Together with basic navigation and electronic chart use, this course completes a very practical safety triangle.
A calmer way to share the water
Boating is far more enjoyable when uncertainty is removed.
By understanding the core rules of the road, you make better decisions, reduce stress, and help keep situations predictable for everyone around you.
This Col Regs Confidence course gives you the clarity most people are missing.
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