ColRegs in Tall Ships Amsterdam - great video

[john_morris_uk]

Not local convention, but actual law, the 'Binnenvaart Politiereglement' or BPR as it is commonly referred to. Covers all Dutch inland waters, as mentioned in my first post. It is primarily meant to create a clear hierarchy between the very dense commercial traffic (barges, tugs, working craft in general) on some inland waterways and recreational craft, and it achieves that goal remarkably well. A yacht, be it sail or motor, that is used professionally for instruction, remains firmly within the category of recreational craft and will give way to say a tug whose skipper is on a sunday family outing. It is the craft that defines where it comes in the order of things. You can try and findany number of hypothetical borderline cases, but in practice it is quite unambiguous and a case of might is right put into law.

So in practice and fact it's not so much pleasure gives way to professional as 'any craft obviously used as a pleasure craft' must keep clear of 'any barge or craft that is obviously used commercially. I've sailed the Dutch waterways and I agree that it's quite easy to comply with the rule that you don't impede commercial barges.

I was being picky because some people erroneously believe a rule that pleasure gives way to commercial would be possible to implement in open seas. Some even think it already exists. It doesn't; for all the reasons and more that I alluded to in my questions.