While underway at night, you sight a vessel ahead displaying the lights shown. How should the vessels pass?

While underway at night, you sight a vessel ahead displaying the lights shown. How should the vessels pass?

• A. Both vessels should alter course to starboard and pass port to port
• B. They should pass starboard to starboard
• C. They should pass port to port
• D. One vessel should stop

Answer: (A)

When two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal courses, it’s treated as a head-on situation. The required action under the collision regulations is for both vessels to alter course to the starboard (to the right) so that they pass on each other’s port sides. This ensures a safe pass and keeps a clear space between the hulls, resulting in a port-to-port passing. Stopping or keeping to your original course isn’t the prescribed response in a head-on encounter, and passing starboard to starboard would not follow the standard maneuver for head-on. So the correct approach is that both vessels turn to starboard and pass on the port sides.

When two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal courses, it’s treated as a head-on situation. The required action under the collision regulations is for both vessels to alter course to the starboard (to the right) so that they pass on each other’s port sides. This ensures a safe pass and keeps a clear space between the hulls, resulting in a port-to-port passing.

Stopping or keeping to your original course isn’t the prescribed response in a head-on encounter, and passing starboard to starboard would not follow the standard maneuver for head-on. So the correct approach is that both vessels turn to starboard and pass on the port sides.