Kayaking Right of Way Rule: Beginning Kayaking Lesson

Video Transcript

"Hi welcome to Expert Village. My name is Lloyd Reeves, 7 time national champ and also a US Licensed Coast Guard Captain. The rules of the road are that kayaks and canoes are not even listed but let’s pretend they were. They would be right down there where they may have right a way but the rules of the road state that if you have the right of way you are required to hold your course and speed. As soon as you alter your course or your speed, you have surrendered your right of way. A good example of this is let’s say there is a sail boat coming up a channel and a power boat coming down. When they first make site of each other, the sail boat has the right of way. Once that sail boat tacks it has altered its course. It has surrounded its right of way. Although most sail boat owners don’t know that, they think they still have the right of way. The power boat is actually required by law to stay to the right hand side. So if they both know the rules of the road the power boat would stay the right and the sail boat could continue to short tack along the side of the power boat. Unfortunately there is on licensing for rules so it is mostly a free for all out there. The best rule of all if you are paddling kayak, it is not the written rule but it is the might has right. If the boat is bigger than you, avoid it. "