You see a motorboat approaching on your right. What action should you take?

The answer

When you see a motorboat approaching on your right (starboard) side, you must give way. In a crossing situation between two power-driven vessels, the boat on the right is the stand-on vessel and has the right of way. That makes your boat the give-way vessel, so you are required to take early and substantial action to stay clear — typically by slowing down, stopping, or altering course to starboard and passing behind the other boat's stern.

A reliable way to remember it: the vessel on your right is like a car approaching from your right at an intersection — it has priority, and you yield.

The starboard danger zone

Boating rules define a danger zone that stretches from dead ahead of your boat to 112.5 degrees around your starboard (right) side. Any vessel approaching within that arc has the right of way over you. Because the motorboat in this scenario is on your right, it is squarely inside your danger zone. Your job as the give-way vessel is to make your intentions obvious and unmistakable: change course or speed clearly and early, so the stand-on vessel operator can see you are yielding. Small, late adjustments cause confusion and collisions.

Stand-on versus give-way duties

The two vessels have opposite but complementary responsibilities:

• Stand-on vessel (the boat on your right): maintains its course and speed so its movement is predictable. It only takes action if it becomes clear the give-way vessel is not yielding, in which case it must act to avoid collision.
• Give-way vessel (your boat): must keep out of the way, taking early, substantial action — slow, stop, or turn to pass astern of the stand-on vessel. Do not cut across its bow.

Why the other reactions are wrong

• Maintaining course and speed is what the stand-on vessel does, not you. If you hold your course expecting the other boat to move, you invite a collision, because it is expected to hold steady.
• Speeding up to cross ahead of the boat on your right is dangerous — you would be cutting across the bow of the vessel with right of way, exactly the maneuver the rules forbid.
• Turning to port (left) into its path would bring you closer to the stand-on vessel rather than clearing it. The safe move is generally to alter to starboard and pass behind its stern.

The bigger picture

These right-of-way rules exist so that two operators who cannot talk to each other can still predict what the other will do. The stand-on vessel holds steady; the give-way vessel yields. Even when you legally have the right of way, remember the overriding rule of boating: every operator must do whatever is necessary to avoid a collision. But in this specific case — a motorboat approaching on your right — you are the give-way vessel, and the correct action is to slow down and steer clear, passing safely behind it.