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Here is the COLREG order:

  Not under command
  Restricted maneuverability
  Constrained by draft
  Fishing (actively dragging)
  Under sail
Ignoring not under command; in the open sea only the fishing boat has right of way over a sailing boat because the rest are not restricted by maneuverability or draft when in the middle of the ocean unless the crew is negligent. Fishing vessels in the open ocean tend to give way unless they can raise the boat on the radio and get them to change course because they really do not want the sail boat to foul their lines, especially the long line boats. In restricted waters boats under sail often have the right of way because they have restricted maneuverability (restricted by the wind) and their deep keel means they are restricted by draft but it is not so black and white here; if the sailboat can fire up its engine it is more maneuverable than that tug pulling a bunch of barges so if that sailboat has less draft restriction than the tug and its barges, it has to fire up its engine and get out of the way.

But COLREG is not the rule of the sea, just the rule for countries who are a part of the UN. But the truth is that a collision with such a sailboat will not phase these boats and generally writing a check is an insignificant cost and rare enough that it is what they do.



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