The person in charge of each ship is responsible for avoiding collisions at sea.

Who holds the responsibility for avoiding collisions at sea?

If you’ve ever stood on a ship’s bridge or watched ships slide past one another in a busy harbor, you’ve probably felt how delicate navigation can be. Two vessels, each with its own plan and pace, sharing the same narrow channel or open sea. So, who’s in charge when danger could loom? The quick answer is this: the person in charge of each ship. It’s a simple line, but it carries a lot of weight on the water.

Here’s the thing about COLREGs—the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. They’re not a rules-heavy mystery novel. They’re a practical guidebook for safe passage, written in plain language so the people steering the ships can act decisively. The core idea is that the responsibility for avoiding a collision rests with the person in charge of the vessel. Think captain, master, or the officer who’s legally in charge at the wheel and on the watch. That doesn’t mean a single person is 100 percent immune to input or that others have no role. It means the authority to decide, and the duty to navigate safely, sits with the person who is in charge at that moment.

Captain or Master: Ultimate Authority, Yet Not a Lone Job

Many folks picture a ship’s captain as the lone decision maker, waving a captain’s hat and shouting orders. In truth, the captain does hold ultimate authority and chief responsibility for safe navigation. But the COLREGs emphasize a more practical truth: the person in charge of the ship is the one who must assess the situation, weigh options, and take action to avoid a collision. The captain’s role is to steer, to approve the plan, and to be ready to step in if conditions change.

That said, the wording is deliberate. It’s not “the captain alone” or “the navigator alone.” It’s the person in charge—the human taking responsibility on the bridge at any given time. On large ships, there may be a watch system: a master, an officer of the watch, perhaps a senior mate, who shares the day-to-day decision-making with the captain. The important takeaway is that a ship doesn’t simply drift along because someone framed a good route on a chart. Someone on board has to be actively steering, actively looking out, actively communicating, and ready to adjust.

Lookout and Crew: A Team Effort, Not Simply a Single Mission

If you picture the ship as a small town at sea, the captain might be the mayor, but the crew is the staff and the citizens who keep the town running. The person in charge runs the show, but the safety net is filled by the whole team: lookouts posted on the bow or bridge wings, the radio operator, the engine room crew, the helmsman, the navigator with the chart and the instruments, and the person who coordinates the watch.

COLREGs aren’t a literal “one-person show.” They’re a framework that expects the watch to be organized, communications to be clear, and the decision-making to reflect the ship’s present reality. If a narrow harbor channel narrows into the path of another vessel, the person in charge uses the ship’s rules, the available information, and the crew’s eyes and ears to decide on a safe course and speed. It’s a collaborative sense-making process where everyone has a role.

A quick snapshot of hands-on practice on deck might look like this: the lookout spots a vessel on a collision course; the officer of the watch evaluates the risk of collision under the rules; the navigator checks the vessel’s bearings and the predicted CPA (closest point of approach); the radio operator communicates intentions to other ships if needed; the helmsman translates the plan into a physical turn or speed change. The person in charge coordinates all of this, makes the final call, and then executes it.

Why This Matters on the Water

The sea isn’t a classroom with tidy diagrams and time to think things through. It’s dynamic, noisy, and sometimes unforgiving. Weather shifts, currents push, visibility changes, and traffic density ebbs and flows. The person in charge doesn’t just follow a script; they adapt in real time. They interpret radar returns, AIS data, visual sightings, and the tempo of other vessels. They weigh risk against need—how urgently do you pass a hazard, and is it safer to slow down and let another ship pass first?

Think of driving through a busy city street at dusk. You’re not the only driver, and you’re not the only source of risk. Your responsibility mirrors that everyday duty: keep moving safely, be aware of other road users, and be prepared to slow or stop if a hazard appears. On the water, the same logic applies, with the added layer of less predictability—wind, current, and limited maneuverability in certain boats.

A few practical points to connect the dots:

• The person in charge must continually assess risk. When a situation changes, so does the plan. It’s not a one-and-done decision.

• Decision-making is a blend of formal rules (COLREGs) and practical judgement. The rules guide you; your experience refines how you apply them.

• Good communication is essential. Clear, timely exchanges with the crew and, when appropriate, with other vessels, reduce ambiguity and help everyone act in a coordinated way.

• The crew’s duties aren’t ceremonial. Lookouts, engine checks, and navigational updates are all part of maintaining safe passage.

What If Things Go Wrong? Handling Close Encounters

No one likes thinking about near-misses, but they’re real and they happen. When two ships approach, the person in charge must interpret which vessel has the responsibility to take action under the Rules of the Road. In many cases, the “give-way” and “stand-on” concepts come into play, but the key is not to wait for a rule to tell you what to do—it's to act decisively when risk appears.

A calm, practical approach looks like this:

• Identify the risk early. Don’t wait until the other vessel is almost alongside.

• Decide who will take action. The person in charge must direct the maneuver, then communicate it clearly.

• Execute with precision. A clean course adjustment or speed change at the right moment can prevent a collision.

• Confirm the outcome. After you’ve maneuvered, verify that you’ve cleared the risk and that the new plan is stable.

And yes, it can feel a little like a high-stakes game of chess. The stakes are real, but the rules are designed to keep everyone safe.

Rethinking “Rules” in Real Life

For students and new mariners, the phrase “Rules of the Road” might conjure up long memorization sessions. The reality isn’t about rote recall; it’s about building a mindset. It’s about recognizing that the vessel isn’t a solitary thing you pilot; it’s a moving system with people, instruments, and decisions that must harmonize.

So, who’s responsible again? The person in charge of each ship. It’s a simple sentence with a big responsibility attached. The captain sits at the top of the chain of command, yes, but safety isn’t a solo performance. It’s a chorus of lookout voices, navigational checks, and clear, timely instruction from the bridge.

Now, let’s make this concrete with some everyday reflections you might carry from the deck to the classroom or the pier:

• The brain on the bridge is always scanning. Bearings, CPA, weather, traffic density—all are in constant conversation. The person in charge chairs that conversation and translates it into action.

• The best teams anticipate. They don’t just react when a risk appears; they anticipate potential conflicts and plan ahead, adjusting course before a real problem shows up.

• Communication is currency. If your ship’s crew talks in code or skips steps, the chance for misinterpretation rises. Clarity wins.

• Tools help, but they don’t replace judgment. Radar, AIS, VHF radios, and charts are great, but they’re only as good as the person interpreting them.

Small digressions that actually connect back

If you’ve ever taken a road trip with friends, you know the feeling of having a designated driver. The driver isn’t just someone with a steering wheel; they’re the one who keeps the group moving safely, who negotiates the pace with others’ needs, and who signals when to switch lanes or halt for a moment. On a ship, the person in charge plays a similar role—but with bigger wheels and a lot more weather to wrestle with.

Or imagine a harbor pilot guiding a ship through a congested channel. The pilot isn’t the captain of the ship, but their authority on that stretch is respected because they’re attuned to the local quirks—the currents, the shoals, the other boats’ usual patterns. The bridge team and the pilot work together to protect every person on board and every other vessel nearby.

Practical takeaways for the curious learner

• Remember the core rule: the person in charge of each ship is responsible for avoiding collisions. That’s not a line to memorize in a test; it’s a principle that shapes how decisions get made at sea.

• Expect teamwork. The captain is the ultimate authority, but safe navigation is a team sport. Lookouts, engineers, navigators, and radio personnel all contribute.

• Stay curious about the tools, but trust your judgment. Use radar, AIS, soundings, and charts as guidance, then apply common sense and experience to decide the best action.

• Practice clear communication. Short, precise phrases on the bridge can prevent a dozen potential miscommunications.

Closing thoughts: steer with purpose, stay aware, and act decisively

The sea has its own rhythm, a pulse that’s easy to miss if you’re not listening. The person in charge of the ship carries the moral and practical duty to keep that rhythm in harmony with other vessels. It’s a responsibility that’s as much about listening as it is about steering, as much about teamwork as about authority.

If you’re new to the world of COLREGs, take heart. The rules are there to guide, not to intimidate. They’re a framework for a shared mission: safe passage for everyone on the water. And whether you’re studying for a future career on deck or simply curious about what keeps a ship from becoming a headline, the idea remains the same: safety first, and the person in charge leads the way.

So the next time you imagine two ships tracing the same rectangle of sea, picture a bridge where the person in charge is weaving information from lookout, radar, and charts into a clear course of action. Think of the teamwork, the quick checks, the careful moves. That’s how collisions are avoided, one deliberate decision at a time. And that, in plain language, is the heart of COLREGs on the water.