About the project

Boating rules, made easier to see

Boating rules are easier to learn when you can see them. boatrules.com turns dense rule text into diagrams, interactive examples, and short practice sessions.

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A clearer way to study

The project is built around three simple ideas.

See the rule

Diagrams and interactive examples show lights, shapes, sound patterns, and right-of-way situations in context.

Practice with context

Short quizzes include explanations and link back to the relevant reference material.

Trace the source

Where material is based on an official publication, the relevant rule or source is identified.

What you’ll find here

boatrules.com focuses on the shared visual core of many recreational boating and yachting courses. It brings the subjects below into one place for learning, review, and practice.

Lights & day shapes
Sound signals
Rules of the road
IALA buoyage
Chart symbols
Sailing theory

Where the material comes from

The reference material is tied back to public or standardized sources wherever possible.

01
Rule text is reproduced from the USCG Navigation Rules (International & Inland), a public-domain US government work. Relevant pages cite the rule number.
02
Chart-symbol concepts follow IHO INT 1; Imray's published key is used where it publishes the mark. Each vector represents one mark and is matched to the reference geometry and chart-ink colours, but it is not a licensed production asset. The chart's own legend remains authoritative.
03
IALA buoyage colours, shapes, topmarks, and light rhythms are standardized facts. Buoy artwork and animations are original.
04
Quiz questions, explanations, diagrams, and interactive examples are original.

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