Steamers and power boats also have signals which are given by the whistles to show which way they wish to proceed and the steamer which signals first dictates the direction. One blast means the vessel is turning to her starboard or right hand and two blasts signifies she is going to her left or port, and while such signals should be answered by other power or steam boats, sailing craft are not supposed to reply. Unless there is some unusual reason for not following the ordinary rules of the road, a steamer or power boat will never signal to a sailboat and hence, if a steamer is approaching or overtaking you, and whistles, you should look about and be sure she is not signalling some other steamer for all power and steam vessels are supposed to keep clear of sailing craft. Naturally they expect the sailing boats’ helmsmen to know the rules of the road and, therefore, if you think their signals are intended for you and change your course the steamer may not know why you are doing such an unexpected thing and a collision may result. If you adhere strictly to the rules of the road there is no reason why you should ever have an accident through your own fault, but if a power boat or steamer is approaching and does not show signs of giving way to your right of way you should blow a horn, halloo, shout or do something to attract attention and if necessary go about and get out of the way as soon as possible.
During thick weather, in fogs, mists, snow and heavy rain, sailing vessels signal the direction in which they are moving by means of blasts on a foghorn. If they are on the starboard tack, that is, with the wind on the right or starboard side, one blast is blown at intervals of about a minute, if on the port tack, two blasts are blown at intervals, while if running before the wind three blasts are sounded. As you can always tell the direction of the wind by your own sails, you can easily determine the direction in which the other boats are headed by their signals and can thus avoid them.
Always remember that a sailing vessel on the starboard tack has the right of way over a vessel on the port tack, and that a vessel sailing close hauled or against the wind has the right of way over a vessel running free or on the wind regardless of their size, the direction in which they are moving or anything else.
In order to make the primary rules of the road easier to remember they have been made into verse and some of these simple verses, if memorized, will prove a great help.
Rules of the Road and Buoys
1—Meeting head-on, turn to starboard. 2—Crossing, boat to starboard has right of way. 3—Crossing, boat to starboard has right of way. 4—Passing. 5—Meeting, Green to green, hold course. 6—Meeting at angle, boat to starboard has right of way. 7—Meeting at angle, boat to starboard has right of way. 8—Boat on wind has right of way over boat sailing free. 9—Boat on starboard tack has right of way. 10—Red spar buoy, pass on starboard when entering harbor, on port when leaving harbors. 11—Black spar buoy. Leave on port when entering and on starboard when leaving harbors. 12—Horizontal red and black buoy. Danger, keep clear. 13—White and black striped buoy. Midchannel, keep close to it. 14—Anchorage buoy. 15—Nun buoy. 16—Can buoy. 17—Gas buoy. 18—Bell buoy. 19—Whistling buoy. 20—Perch and ball. 21-22—Beacons. 23—Lighthouse. 24—Lightship. 25—Light beacon. 26—Keg beacon. 27—Channel mark. 28—Range marks.
When meeting a vessel head-on you are supposed to turn to the right as the following verse shows:
When two lights you see ahead
Port your helm and show your red,