Navigation Rules
What does the Rules' requirement to keep a 'safe speed' mean?
Answer
Go a speed at which you can stop or take action within a safe distance for the conditions
Safe speed is whatever lets you stop or maneuver in time to avoid a collision, given visibility, traffic, your boat's handling, and the water. In fog or crowded water, safe speed is slower.
Source: U.S. Coast Guard / Office of the Federal Register — 33 CFR Part 83, Inland Navigation Rules, § 83.06 (Rule 6), Safe speed — https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-83.06
Not the answer
- Match the speed of the fastest boat nearby
- Any speed is fine as long as you have a life jacket on
- Never go faster than idle
Practice this
The boater safety certification exam is 50 questions and takes 40 correct — 80% — to pass. The app’s page carries a free ten-question test drawn from the same bank, marked as you go.
Take the free practice test