What to do when another vessel overtakes you on the water: maintain course and speed

Let me set the scene: you’re on a busy waterway, a vessel with a bit more speed starts closing in from behind. The other boat is clearly overtaking you. What should you do?

If you’re thinking about surviving this kind of encounter, you’re already on the right track. The quick answer is simple, but the reasoning behind it is the lifeblood of safe navigation: maintain your course and speed. This is the standard, spelled out in Rule 13 of the COLREGs—the international rules that govern how boats share the water without bumping into each other.

Let’s unpack what that means in real life, because the sea isn’t an exam hall and there aren’t magic checklists hiding in the portholes.

Rule 13: overtaking isn’t a guessing game

When a vessel overtakes another, the overtaken vessel—the one being passed—keeps sailing as it was. It should hold steady course and maintain speed. The overtaking vessel is the one obliged to maneuver to pass safely. In practice, that means the slower or stationary vessel doesn’t do anything dramatic to draw attention to itself; it doesn’t slam the wheel or yank the helm in a new direction. It just keeps going on its present path.

Why this approach? Because predictability is safety’s best friend. If you keep your course and speed, the other boat can calculate where you’ll be a moment from now, and that makes it much easier for the overtaker to slip by without a last-second, heart-stopping move. Picture it like this: in a crowded street, a car behind you doesn’t suddenly zigzag; it passes with a clear, steady lane change. The same calm logic applies on the water.

A quick note on the other side of the coin: what the overtaking vessel should do. The boat coming up from behind should keep well clear and pass to either side as appropriate, giving the overtaken vessel room to maintain its line. Over time, this dance becomes almost automatic on busy routes, but it only works if each boat sticks to its part of the choreography.

What not to do when you’re being overtaken

From a safety standpoint, the temptation to react loudly or abruptly is strong. After all, no one likes feeling pushed around. But here’s the thing: sudden changes can confuse the overtaker and destabilize the situation. Abrupt course changes, sudden speedups, or sharp warnings can lead to misinterpretation and, worse, collision.

Distress signals aren’t the answer here either. If you’re being overtaken, you’re not in distress. You’re in a controlled, orderly maneuver situation. Signaling distress would only clutter the radio chatter and draw attention to something that isn’t an emergency.

And while it might seem helpful to alert every vessel in the area, that’s not typically necessary. The Rules of the Road are designed so each vessel can respond to what’s directly in front of it. If everyone assumes the role assigned by the rules and keeps their own behavior predictable, the waterway becomes a smoother place to navigate for everyone.

A few practical angles to keep in mind

• Keep a steady eye on the horizon. A good lookout helps you anticipate what the overtaking vessel will do next and reduces the chance of a misread.

• Maintain your speed and heading unless you’re required to take action. If you’re steering a sailboat and you know a motor vessel is closing quickly, most of the time your best bet is to stay the course, unless a collision risk becomes obvious.

• Be mindful of wind and current. These can subtly push your vessel off a straight line, which might tempt you to adjust for comfort. However, if you’re the overtaken boat, you want to minimize any unnecessary changes that could complicate the overtaking maneuver.

• Radios and signals aren’t your lifeline here. In busy waterways, radios are important for coordination, but the fundamental rule is to keep your own actions predictable. If you ever do use a signal, keep it clear and simple—don’t rely on it as a substitute for steady behavior.

Let’s connect this with a real-life sense-check

Imagine you’re piloting a small motorboat and a larger vessel approaches from behind on a broad channel. The overtaken vessel’s captain keeps a straight course and a steady speed. The larger boat, recognizing this, chooses to pass to starboard, perhaps giving a light horn signal to acknowledge the safe pass. After the overtaker clears, the two boats resume their earlier speeds. No drama, no last-second swerve. Everybody breathes a little easier.

That calm, predictable rhythm isn’t boring—it’s the living fabric of safe navigation. It’s easy to forget that rules aren’t just dry text; they’re a shared language that keeps people safe on the water. When you follow Rule 13, you’re participating in a global standard that minimizes surprises and reduces the chance of a collision.

A few analogies to keep this idea in mind

• It’s like passing a cyclist on a busy road. If you zoom past with a sudden move, you risk forcing the cyclist to react in a way that could cause a wobble. If you slow or keep a steady pace and pass with space, the maneuver feels safe and natural.

• It’s also like driving on a highway where you’re the car being overtaken. If you stay in your lane and maintain your speed, the other driver can complete the pass smoothly. A sudden lane change or stop would be hazardous for everyone.

Key takeaways you can carry onto the water

• If you’re being overtaken, keep your course and speed. Do not improvise dramatic course changes.

• The overtaking vessel is the one that should take action to pass; you’re just maintaining what you’re doing to give them the space they need.

• Distress signals aren’t appropriate in overtaking scenarios. They’re for true emergencies.

• A calm, predictable approach reduces risk for everyone involved.

A tiny detour that’s worth a moment of reflection

The ocean and rivers aren’t stationary classrooms; they’re dynamic systems with currents, winds, and the ever-shifting traffic of vessels. That’s why the COLREGs put emphasis on predictability as a cornerstone of safety. It’s not about clever tricks to outsmart other boats. It’s about clear intentions, steady movements, and a mutual respect for space.

If you want to visualize this as a daily practice, think of navigating like steering a bicycle through a crowded plaza. You don’t zigzag to signal your presence; you move steadily, give others time to react, and you read the crowd to avoid collisions. That same logic applies on the water. A vessel kept on its course and speed is a steady thread in a weave of moving boats. It’s what lets the overtaking boat pass without surprise and lets everyone else keep their bearings.

A quick recap you can memorize without cracking a textbook

• Overtaken vessel: maintain course and speed.

• Overtaking vessel: keep clear and pass safely; do the maneuver with sufficient space.

• No need for distress signals or area-wide alerts in this context.

• Predictability and steadiness beat sudden changes every time on the water.

If you’re hungry for more than just the rule

Rule 13 is one piece of a bigger map. Other rules cover how to keep clear of head-on situations, how to pass safely in narrow channels, and how to communicate intentions through sound and light signals when visibility is limited. It’s all part of the same conversation: make your intentions transparent, give others room, and stay prepared to react calmly if something doesn’t go as planned.

As you move through more waterways and different traffic densities, you’ll notice the same pattern: clear expectations lead to safer outcomes. The overtaken vessel doesn’t need to shout; it just keeps moving, and the overtaking vessel uses that steady baseline to pass cleanly. That’s not just a rule; it’s a mindset for respectful, competent seamanship.

If you’d like a quick mental checklist for moments like this, here’s a simple cue card:

• Am I the overtaken vessel? Yes → keep course and speed.

• Am I the overtaking vessel? Yes → begin and complete the pass with clear clearance.

• Is there a risk of collision? If yes, reassess your plan with generous spacing and, if needed, alter course safely.

• Are distress signals or broad alerts necessary? No—stick to the basics and communicate by maneuvering clearly.

In the end, the sea rewards patience and precision. By holding your course and speed when overtaken, you’re choosing safety over spectacle and clarity over chaos. That’s how you move from being another boat on the water to being a captain who can read a busy channel with confidence.

So next time you’re on the helm and another vessel starts to close in from behind, take a breath, check your course, and let the quiet rhythm of orderly passage do the work. The water will thank you for it, and so will everyone else sharing the same stretch of sea.