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COLREGS Rules of the Road

The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) are the highest-tested topic on every USCG deck officer examination — and the most career-critical knowledge a mariner carries at sea. These four games cover all 37 rules across right-of-way scenarios, navigation lights, sound signals, and radar collision avoidance.

⚓ COLREGS Quiz Give-way vs. stand-on: crossing, overtaking, head-on, and restricted visibility encounters in real time. 🚦 Night Lights & Shapes Identify vessels from navigation light configurations and day shapes — with inline SVG arc diagrams. 📯 Sound Signals COLREGS Rules 34–35: count the blasts and call the signal before time expires. 🛳️ Bridge Watch Radar CPA/TCPA watch: apply COLREGS Rules 7, 8, 13–19 in real time on a live contact picture.

Why COLREGS is the most important exam topic

The Rules of the Road (COLREGS) account for the largest single block of questions on the USCG deck officer examination at every grade — from the OUPV (6-Pack) licence to the unlimited Master. The 37 rules cover conduct of vessels in sight of one another (Rules 11–18), restricted visibility (Rule 19), navigation light display (Rules 20–31), and sound/light signals (Rules 34–36).

Beyond the exam, COLREGS are the international legal framework governing every vessel encounter at sea. An officer who cannot apply Rule 15 (crossing) or Rule 16 (give-way obligation) correctly in a 3-minute close-quarters situation faces criminal liability in a collision case. These games build both the exam knowledge and the real-time decision speed.

COLREGS topics covered across these four games

  • Right of way (Rules 11–18): overtaking, head-on, crossing, sail vs. power, fishing, NUC, RAM, constrained by draft
  • Restricted visibility (Rule 19): no reference to the other vessel's side — action based on radar alone
  • Navigation lights (Rules 20–31): masthead (225°), stern (135°), sidelights (112.5°), all-round; arc geometry with SVG diagrams
  • Day shapes: ball, cone, diamond, cylinder — combinations by vessel status
  • Sound signals (Rules 34–35): manoeuvring signals in sight, fog signals in restricted visibility, the five-short doubt signal
  • Radar watch: CPA, TCPA, relative motion vectors, and Rule 7 risk-of-collision criteria

The COLREGS Quiz and Bridge Watch games use timed scenarios to simulate the real-world time pressure of a watchkeeping encounter. The Lights & Shapes game includes inline SVG diagrams showing the actual arc geometry of each light configuration — the visual aid most USCG exam prep materials lack.