🔍 Key Concepts

• Operator in charge of a vessel and their legal responsibilities • Duty to proceed at safe speed and avoid damage from wake or wash • Difference between owner, person steering, and person in command

💭 Think About

• Which person actually has the authority to control the vessel’s speed, course, and how close it passes other boats or structures? • If a wake causes damage, which role is normally held responsible under navigation rules and liability, even if they are not physically at the wheel? • Does anyone get a “free pass” for damage caused by their vessel’s wake, or is there usually a clearly responsible party?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify who is legally in charge of the vessel’s operation at the time of the incident • Distinguish between the owner of the damaged boat and the operator of the passing boat • Confirm whether navigation rules ever say that no one is responsible for damage caused by a vessel’s wake