Part F — Verification of compliance

COLREGs Rule 39: Definitions (Part F)

Rule 39 defines the terms used in Part F, which covers how the IMO audits governments' compliance with the COLREGs: audit, the audit scheme, the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (III Code) and the audit standard.

What Rule 39 says

  1. Defines 'audit', 'audit scheme', 'Code' (the IMO Instruments Implementation Code, or III Code) and 'audit standard' for the purposes of Part F.

This is a plain-English summary, not the official wording. For the exact text, see the IMO convention. In UK waters the rules are given legal force by the Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations.

What it means on a yacht

Part F, added in 2016, is about governments, not vessels. It does not change how you navigate.

Practise it

Test yourself on who gives way in the free COLREGs trainer, or print the rules of the road cheat sheets for the chart table.

Other rules in Part F