Learn the Nautical Rules of the Road

Collisions are expensive! Learning, understanding and remembering the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) is essential for anyone venturing onto the water. Leisure boaters, as much as professional mariners, need to know the rules, and a firm understanding is required to pass many nautical exams. But with the COLREGs stretching to over 12,000 words, this is no small task.

This is where Paul Boissier's excellent book comes in. Paul knows the COLREGs backwards having used them extensively in his career with the Royal Navy – from the bridges of submarines and warships which he has commanded, with each giving a rather different perspective on other shipping! He also knows the other side well with his extensive cruising experience, from his early years with his father to now, sailing his own yacht. These experiences mean that he knows and understands the COLREGs from both sides and this gives him the ability to take you through the COLREGs from a mariners' and sailors' perspective.

He brings the vital, but dry, document to life, going through it not in order, but by topics which are relevant to the mariner and sailor. Paul explains the intention of each rule and how it should be applied when at sea. He includes personal anecdotes (not all favourable to him!) which make everything real and tells us how he remembers different aspects of the Regulations through mnemonics and other devices. Finally, each chapter ends with a self-test to reinforce what has been learnt – other tests are also available online on the Fernhurst Books' website.

This new edition has been updated with the 2016 changes to the COLREGs. Whether you want to increase your confidence, pass an exam, require an on-board reference, or wish to improve your understanding of the nautical rules of the road, this is the ideal book for you.

Praise for Learn the Nautical Rules of the Road

"To enjoy boating fully you must have confidence in yourself, and I think you will find this book will help you enjoy your time with that greater confidence to fit in with other seafarers on our rivers, estuaries, seas and oceans in safety."
— Robin Knox-Johnston

"Boissier writes with intellect, wit and realism, effortlessly educating the reader to understand the spirit as well as the letter of the law. His tips and anecdotes, gleaned from experience, make this an excellent guide to an essential subject."
— Yachting Monthly

"Anecdotes and detailed explanations throughout this book make the nautical rules very clear, as do the well-conceived diagrams. A timely, readable and absolutely essential guide."
— Julian Stockwin

About the Author

Paul Boissier has spent much of his professional career working on the sea, or in support of the people who go to sea, and in his leisure time he is an avid yachtsman. In the Navy he commanded and navigated warships and submarines in many parts of the world, ending his career as a senior Admiral. He then spent 10 years as Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the charity that saves lives at sea and operates over 340 lifeboats around the UK and Republic of Ireland.

As a cruising yachtsman Paul has sailed his own boat around the UK, northern Europe and in the Mediterranean. He has also spent time afloat in other parts of the world as far apart as western Canada, South America and Australia. This lifetime's experience has given him a unique perspective on navigation, from the bridge of a warship, to the cockpit of a cruising yacht and the control room of a submarine. And, of course, at the RNLI, his work often involved dealing with the consequences of navigational miscalculations by other water users.

About Fernhurst Books

Fernhurst Books was founded in 1979, initially publishing books related to dinghy racing. The list soon expanded to include cruising and other watersports. In 2006 the business was sold to John Wiley, but in 2013 a group of sailing enthusiasts (including the original founder) bought the list and name back, once again creating an independent nautical publisher owned and run by sailors. Fernhurst continues to publish books that instruct, inform and inspire those with a passion on, in or under the water. Their 140+ titles range from how-to guides to narrative to coffee-table books, covering sailing, surfing, canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, swimming, diving and fishing.