Underway
Encyclopedia
Underway, or Under Way is a nautical term describing the state of a vessel
. A vessel is said to be underway if it meets the following criteria:
If a vessel is adrift and not being propelled by any instrument or device
, it is said to be underway, not making way. The concept of whether a vessel is or is not underway has important legal ramifications. For example, in many jurisdictions a child
must be wearing a personal flotation device
at the time the vessel is underway.
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
. A vessel is said to be underway if it meets the following criteria:
- It is not aground
- It is not at anchorAnchorAn anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
- It has not been made fast to a dockDock (maritime)A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
, the shore, or other stationary object.
If a vessel is adrift and not being propelled by any instrument or device
Device
-Computing and electronics:* A component of personal computer hardware* Peripheral, any device attached to a computer that expands its functionality* Electronic component-Other uses:* Appliance, a device for a particular task* Device...
, it is said to be underway, not making way. The concept of whether a vessel is or is not underway has important legal ramifications. For example, in many jurisdictions a child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
must be wearing a personal flotation device
Personal flotation device
A personal flotation device is a device designed to assist a wearer, either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat.Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by...
at the time the vessel is underway.