That’s Not Starboard! Learning River Right of Way

 

That’s Not Starboard! Learning River Right of Way

(And just when you think you've got it, along comes a tack...)

One of the first things you're told when you start learning to sail is this golden rule: "Starboard has right of way." Simple, right? If your sail is on the port side, you’re on starboard tack. If you're on starboard tack, you have right of way. Easy.

Except... not quite.

Because when you're sailing on a narrow, meandering river, it's less about “rules” and more about creative negotiations, frantic waving, and the occasional cry of “You’re on port!” followed by a muttered, “No I’m not, you are…”

On a breezy day on the Thames, things get spicy. Boats coming upstream, boats coming downstream, tacking left and right (and left again), and at least one crew shouting directions from under the boom because they’ve forgotten to duck. At one point last Wednesday, four dinghies were approaching each other mid-river like some slow-motion square dance — all convinced they had right of way.

The problem is, sailing upriver against the wind usually means tacking from side to side in a beautiful zigzag — unless, like us, your zigzags resemble a drunken wasp. But every time you tack, your right-of-way status flips. Starboard becomes port. Port becomes starboard. Chaos ensues.

Even better: on a river, the banks get in the way. You can’t just maintain a course and expect others to steer clear. You’ll end up in the irises. Or under the willows. Or both. And that’s if you’ve avoided the racing A-Rater bearing down on you like a ghost ship from the age of sail.

A Few Rules That (Sometimes) Help:

• Starboard tack has right of way — unless the other boat’s bigger, scarier, or full of Cadets who haven’t learned the brakes don’t work on water.

• Windward boat keeps clear — until you’re both pinned to the bank and giggling nervously.

• Give way to boats restricted in manoeuvrability — which is most of us, really.

• Don't shout STARBOARD unless you're sure. And even then, maybe say it nicely. Or point. Or smile.

What We Learned:

• River sailing is half seamanship, half charades.

• Tacking in traffic is like threading a needle blindfolded with one hand tied to the mainsheet.

• And yes, that mild panic as another boat heads straight for you? Totally normal.

So next time you’re on the water, confidently shouting “Starboard!” as you accidentally gybe in a puff of wind and steer into a hedge — just remember: we’ve all been there.

And that’s what makes it fun.