33 U.S.C. § 2017
Section 2017 · Action by stand-on vessel (Rule 17)
Amended 1 time on record
Applied in 5 court decisions — leading case Morris v. State (2007)
Most recently applied in Youngberg v. McKeough (August 2013)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
(i) Where one of two vessels is to keep out of the way, the other shall keep her course and speed.
(ii) The latter vessel may, however, take action to avoid collision by her maneuver alone, as soon as it becomes apparent to her that the vessel required to keep out of the way is not taking appropriate action in compliance with these Rules.
When, from any cause, the vessel required to keep her course and speed finds herself so close that collision cannot be avoided by the action of the give-way vessel alone, she shall take such action as will best aid to avoid collision.
A power-driven vessel which takes action in a crossing situation in accordance with subparagraph (a)(ii) of this Rule to avoid collision with another power-driven vessel shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, not alter course to port for a vessel on her own port side.
This Rule does not relieve the give-way vessel of her obligation to keep out of the way.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
References in Text
These Rules, referred to in par. (a)(ii), are the Inland Navigational Rules which are classified to this subchapter.
Codification
Section was enacted as part of section 2 of Pub. L. 96–591 which enacted the Inland Navigational Rules which comprise this subchapter.