From Aqua Map Newsletter
APRIL 2026
Article
COLREGs and SOLAS: the two pillars of global maritime safety
For most of maritime history, the sea had no universal rules. Each nation, navy, and port operated according to its own customs, and collisions were disturbingly common.
Today, two landmark international agreements govern every vessel afloat: the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Together, they form the legal backbone of global maritime safety, applicable to everything from supertankers to weekend sailing boats.
This article is for every sailor - recreational or professional - who wants to understand not just what these rules say, but where they come from, why they matter, and how to apply them practically on the water.
