Part F — Verification of compliance
COLREGs Rule 41: Verification of compliance
Rule 41 says every contracting government is subject to periodic IMO audits to check that it complies with and implements the COLREGs.
What Rule 41 says
- Every Contracting Party is subject to periodic audits by the IMO against the audit standard.
- The IMO Secretary-General administers the audit scheme, and audits are carried out according to IMO guidelines.
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 keeps national rule-making, such as the UK's Merchant Shipping regulations, in line with the COLREGs.
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.