Rules of the Road
31%of exam
Navigation General
31%of exam
Deck General & Safety
31%of exam
Chart Plotting
6%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- OUPV Six-Pack
- Credential
- Six-Pack Captain
- Questions
- 160 in 4 modules
- Rules + Chart
- 90% each
- Nav + Deck
- 70% each
- Time
- 3.5 hrs per module
- Min age
- 18
- Sea service
- 360 days
- Fees
- $240 total
Give-Way Pecking Order
New Reels Catch Fish So Purchase Some
New = NUCReels = RAMCatch = CBDFish = FishingSo = SailingPurchase = PowerSome = Seaplane
Stand-On vs Give-Way
Stand-On
- Hold course, speed
- May act in-extremis
- Has right of way
Give-Way
- Act early, boldly
- Keep well clear
- Avoid crossing ahead
Higher privilege stands on
Right-of-Way Picker
- Being overtaken→You stand on(Hold course)
- You are overtaking→You give way(Keep clear)
- Meeting head-on→Both turn starboard(Pass port-to-port)
- Other on starboard→You give way(Crossing)
- Other on port→You stand on(Crossing)
- Power meets sail→Power gives way(Unless overtaking)
- Meet fishing vessel→Power keeps clear(Gear deployed)
- Meet NUC or RAM→Keep well clear(Top of order)
Give-Way Pecking Order
- NUC
- Not under commandTop
- RAM
- Restricted ability to maneuver
- CBD
- Constrained by draft
- Fishing
- Trawls, nets, lines
- Sailing
- Under sail only
- Power-driven
- Gives way to above
- Seaplane
- Keeps clear of all
Inland vs COLREGS
Inland
- Whistle = intent
- Special flashing light
- Great Lakes/rivers
COLREGS
- Whistle = action taken
- No inland-only lights
- International, offshore
Demarcation line divides
Identify the Lights
- Two red vertical→Not under command
- Red-white-red→Restricted maneuvering
- Three red vertical→Constrained by draft
- Red over white→Fishing (not trawling)
- Green over white→Trawling
- White over red→Pilot vessel
Lights: Underway
- Power <50m
- Masthead, sides, stern
- Power <12m
- All-round white, sides
- Sailing
- Sidelights and sternlight
- Sail option
- Red over green top
- Fishing
- Red over white
- Trawling
- Green over white
- Towing astern
- Two masthead, yellow stern
- Head-on view
- Both sidelights showing
Port vs Starboard Tack
Port tack
- Wind over port
- Gives way
- Boom to starboard
Starboard tack
- Wind over starboard
- Stands on
- Has right of way
Starboard tack stands on
Lights: Special Status
- NUC
- Two all-round red
- RAM
- Red-white-red vertical
- CBD
- Three all-round red
- Pilot vessel
- White over red
- At anchor
- All-round white, ball
- Aground
- Two red, anchor lights
Day Shapes
- At anchor
- One black ball
- Aground
- Three black balls
- RAM
- Ball-diamond-ball
- CBD
- Black cylinder
- Fishing
- Two cones, apexes together
- Motorsailing
- Cone, apex down
- Tow over 200m
- Black diamond
Sound Signals
- One short
- Altering to starboard
- Two short
- Altering to port
- Three short
- Operating astern propulsion
- Five+ short
- Danger or doubtDanger
- One prolonged
- Power making way (fog)
- Two prolonged
- Underway, stopped (fog)
- Prolonged + two short
- RAM, tow, sail, fishing
- Rapid bell 5 sec
- At anchor (fog)
Compass to True (TVMDC)
True Virgins Make Dull Companions
Order: T-V-M-D-CAdd East when correctingAdd West when uncorrecting
Variation vs Deviation
Variation
- From chart rose
- Earth's magnetic field
- Same all headings
Deviation
- From deviation card
- Vessel's own metal
- Changes with heading
Earth vs vessel error
Buoyage Returning
Red Right Returning
Red to starboard inboundEven numbers redGreen can to port
Flood vs Ebb
Flood
- Rising tide
- Current comes in
- Toward shore
Ebb
- Falling tide
- Current goes out
- Toward sea
Incoming vs outgoing
Compass & Position
- Variation
- Chart error, Earth field
- Deviation
- Vessel's own magnetism
- Compass error
- Variation plus deviation
- LOP
- Line you are on
- Fix
- Two or more LOPs
- Leeway
- Wind pushes vessel sideways
- COG
- Actual path over ground
Set vs Drift
Set
- Direction current flows
- Compass degrees
- Where it pushes
Drift
- Speed of current
- Measured in knots
- How fast
Direction vs speed
Tides & Currents
- Set
- Direction current flows toward
- Drift
- Current speed, knots
- Flood
- Rising, incoming tide
- Ebb
- Falling, outgoing tide
- Slack
- No current, turning
- Spring tide
- Largest range, new-full
- Neap tide
- Smallest range, quarter moon
- MLLW
- Chart datum for soundings
Publications & Weather
- Coast Pilot
- Harbor, route descriptions
- Light List
- Aid details, characteristics
- Local Notice to Mariners
- District aid changes
- Tide Tables
- Predicted tide heights
- Front
- Boundary between air masses
- Backing wind
- Shifts counter-clockwise
- Veering wind
- Shifts clockwise
- Lee shore
- Downwind, dangerous shore
Cold Water Survival
1-10-1 principle
1 min: control breathing10 min: meaningful movement1 hour: before unconscious
Fire Extinguisher Picker
- Wood, paper, cloth→Class A
- Fuel, oil, grease→Class B
- Energized electrical→Class C
- Combustible metals→Class D
- Galley cooking oils→Class K
- Mixed or unsure→ABC dry chemical
Fire Classes
- Class A
- Wood, paper, cloth
- Class B
- Gasoline, oil, grease
- Class C
- Energized electrical
- Class D
- Combustible metals
- Class K
- Galley cooking oils
Required Safety Gear
- PFD
- One per person aboard
- Type I
- Offshore, best flotation
- Type IV
- Throwable cushion/ring
- Fire extinguisher
- B-rated, by length
- VDS
- Visual distress signals
- Backfire arrestor
- On gasoline carburetor
- Bilge blower
- Vent 4 min before start
- EPIRB
- 406 MHz distress beacon
Distress Signals
- Mayday
- Spoken radio, grave danger
- Red flare
- Handheld or parachute
- Orange smoke
- Daytime distress
- SOS
- Light or sound Morse
- N over C flags
- International code distress
- Square + ball
- Shape distress signal
- Continuous fog signal
- Recognized distress
- Slow arms up/down
- Repeated raising, lowering
Seamanship & Anchoring
- Bowline
- Fixed loop, won't slip
- Cleat hitch
- Secure line to cleat
- Clove hitch
- Line to piling
- Scope
- Rode length to depth
- 7:1 scope
- Recommended anchor ratio
- Sea anchor
- Bow into weather
- Fender
- Protects hull docking
- Spring line
- Controls fore-aft motion
Speed-Time-Distance
60 D = S times T
D = distance (NM)S = speed (kn)T = time (min)
Plotting Basics
- Latitude scale
- Measure distance here
- 1' latitude
- Equals one nautical mile
- Parallel rules
- Transfer course from rose
- Dividers
- Measure distance, spacing
- Compass rose
- True and magnetic north
- DR
- Position from course, time
- EP
- DR plus known set
- Running fix
- Advance single LOP
Common Traps
Set vs drift
Set is direction ≠ Drift is speed
Variation vs deviation
Variation from Earth ≠ Deviation from vessel
Stand-on isn't passive
Must act in-extremis ≠ Cannot turn to port
Nun vs can
Red nun starboard returning ≠ Green can port returning
Gross tonnage
Internal volume, not weight ≠ Not displacement
Overtaking rule
Overtaker always gives way ≠ Even sail over power
Last Minute
- 1.RoR and Chart Plot need 90%
- 2.Nav and Deck need 70%
- 3.Pecking order: New Reels Catch Fish
- 4.Red Right Returning inbound
- 5.Set direction, drift is speed
- 6.NUC = two red vertical
- 7.Danger signal: five short blasts
- 8.Head-on: both turn starboard
- 9.Crossing: give way to starboard
- 10.Fire B = flammable liquids
- 11.Overtaker is always give-way
- 12.One minute latitude = one mile
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