COLREGs Rule 14: Head-on situation between power-driven vessels

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

Rule 14 covers two power-driven vessels meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses with risk of collision. Each must alter course to starboard and pass port side to port side. The Inland rule adds an "unless otherwise agreed" opening and a right-of-way provision for downbound vessels.

Applies toTwo power-driven vessels meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision.

What it says

  1. International: When two power-driven vessels meet on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses with risk of collision, each must alter her course to starboard and pass on the port side of the other.

    COLREGs Rule 14(a)“each shall alter her course to starboard so that each shall pass on the port side of the other”

  2. Inland: Unless otherwise agreed, two power-driven vessels meeting head-on with risk of collision must each alter course to starboard and pass port side to port side.

    COLREGs Rule 14(a)“Unless otherwise agreed, when two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision”

  3. A head-on situation is deemed to exist when a vessel sees the other ahead or nearly ahead and, by night, could see the masthead lights in a line or nearly in a line and/or both sidelights.

    COLREGs Rule 14(b)“by night she could see the masthead lights of the other in a line or nearly in a line and/or both sidelights”

  4. By day, a head-on situation is deemed to exist when the vessel observes the corresponding aspect of the other vessel.

    COLREGs Rule 14(b)“by day she observes the corresponding aspect of the other vessel”

  5. A vessel in any doubt about whether a head-on situation exists must assume that it does exist and act accordingly.

    COLREGs Rule 14(c)“When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether such a situation exists she shall assume that it does exist and act accordingly.”

  6. Inland: A power-driven vessel on the Great Lakes, Western Rivers, or waters specified by the Secretary, going downbound with a following current, has the right-of-way over an upbound vessel despite paragraph (a).

    COLREGs Rule 14(d)“a power-driven vessel operating on the Great Lakes, Western Rivers, or waters specified by the Secretary ‡, and proceeding downbound with a following current shall have the right-of-way over an upbound vessel”

  7. Inland: That downbound vessel must propose the manner of passage and initiate the maneuvering signals prescribed by Rule 34(a)(i), as appropriate.

    COLREGs Rule 14(d)“shall propose the manner of passage, and shall initiate the maneuvering signals prescribed by Rule 34(a)(i) (§ 83.34(a)(i)), as appropriate”

Common questions

Which way do I turn when meeting another power-driven vessel head-on?

Each vessel must alter her course to starboard so that each passes on the port side of the other. Under the Inland rule, this applies unless otherwise agreed.

“each shall alter her course to starboard so that each shall pass on the port side of the other”

What if I am unsure whether a head-on situation exists?

The vessel must assume that the situation does exist and act accordingly.

“When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether such a situation exists she shall assume that it does exist and act accordingly.”

Who has the right-of-way in a head-on situation on the Western Rivers under the Inland rule?

A power-driven vessel proceeding downbound with a following current has the right-of-way over an upbound vessel. It must propose the manner of passage.

“shall have the right-of-way over an upbound vessel, shall propose the manner of passage, and”

The text of COLREGs Rule 14

U.S. Coast Guard, Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook

Rule 14: Head-on Situation

International (COLREGs)

(a) When two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision each shall alter her course to starboard so that each shall pass on the port side of the other. (b) Such a situation shall be deemed to exist when a vessel sees the other ahead or nearly ahead and by night she could see the masthead lights of the other in a line or nearly in a line and/or both sidelights and by day she observes the corresponding aspect of the other vessel. (c) When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether such a situation exists she shall assume that it does exist and act accordingly.

Inland Rules

Head-on situation (a) Unless otherwise agreed, when two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses so as to involve risk of collision each shall alter her course to starboard so that each shall pass on the port side of the other. (b) Such a situation shall be deemed to exist when a vessel sees the other ahead or nearly ahead and by night she could see the masthead lights of the other in a line or nearly in a line and/or both sidelights and by day she observes the corresponding aspect of the other vessel. (c) When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether such a situation exists she shall assume that it does exist and act accordingly. (d) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this Rule, a power-driven vessel operating on the Great Lakes, Western Rivers, or waters specified by the Secretary ‡, and proceeding downbound with a following current shall have the right-of-way over an upbound vessel, shall propose the manner of passage, and shall initiate the maneuvering signals prescribed by Rule 34(a)(i) (§ 83.34(a)(i)), as appropriate. ‡ See 33 CFR 89.25, provided for reference on page 145 of this handbook.

Sections it refers to

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of August 12, 2024. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.