Part F — Verification of compliance
COLREGs Rule 40: Application (Part F)
Rule 40 says contracting governments must use the III Code when carrying out their obligations under the COLREGs.
What Rule 40 says
- Contracting Parties shall use the provisions of the III Code in carrying out their obligations and responsibilities under the convention.
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
No direct effect on a yacht skipper. It is part of how the IMO checks that flag states enforce the rules.
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.