§ 290 Vessel Collision Liability Rules

• •You must follow all rules in Article 1 when operating a vessel.
• •If you break a rule and cause a collision, you can't recover damages for your own boat.
• •You can only get compensation if breaking the rule was absolutely necessary in the situation.

A boat driver speeds past a sign that says 'slow speed' and hits another boat.

Because the driver ignored the speed rule, they can't claim repair costs for their own boat unless they can prove they had to speed because of an emergency, like avoiding a sudden obstacle.