Roger Long wrote:
"Capt. JG" wrote
....

Rule 9 (a) is surprisingly limited in regard to the common sense idea that
traffic moving with the current has right of way in a narrow channel. It's
always true on the Great Lake and Western Rivers but otherwise only on
waters specified by the Secretary. Whether that bit of water is "specified
by the secretary" I don't know. Why 9 (a) doesn't apply to all waters, and
what is different about Eastern Rivers is a mystery.

The "with the current" rules are not part of the International Rules
(COLREGS) and I don't think were part of the earlier versions. They
were only used in the special rules covering the Western Rivers, and
thus got merged into the Inland Rules. I don't believe the river rules
apply anywhere on the East Coast. It is a matter of courtesy to allow
the down-current boats to go first, but of course not all boaters
understand this concept.