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This section contains a number of self-test questions on the material in Chapter 4 COLREGS. For ease of use / reference, the questions are listed under the section heading where you (should have) learned to answer them! Click on the heading to go to that section.
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1 How do you tell if a collision risk with another vessel exists?
2 If you are the give-way vessel, you are required to take action to avoid the potential collision. In the rules, what are the three important qualifiers to the action you take?
3 If you are the stand-on vessel you are required to do what? And if the other vessel is not (for whatever reason) taking any action to avoid the collision, what do you do then?
4 True or false? If you are sailing past a motor boat from behind (i.e. overtaking him) he has to keep out of your way.
5 You are sailing east with a northerly wind. Another vessel is sailing towards you in more or less the oppostie direction. Which is the give-way vessel?
6 You are on a spinnaker run on port tack. You see a sailing vessel beating upwind towards you. Which is the give-way vessel?
7 You are in a sailing boat motoring in open water away from harbour, and a fishing vessel is motoring in; he is on your port bow and appears to be on collision course. What do you do?
8 True or false? If you are in a narrow channel you keep to the right and pass vessels coming in the opposite direction "port to port", and if you are motoring in open water and another boat is motoring head-on to you, you do the same i.e. alter course to starboard and pass port to port.
9 What does "not under command" mean?
10 Name four classes of motor vessel that sailing vessels are required to keep out of their way.
11 You are sailing across a Traffic Separation Scheme which was difficult to avoid when planning your passage. What direction do you cross in? Do motor vessels have to keep out of your way? What do you do if the wind drops?
12 You are sailing in poor visibility, and you see on radar another vessel that must be motoring, on a constant bearing. You cannot see the other vessel but you know it must be a motor boat. Do you hold your course and speed as the stand-on vessel?
1 You charter a 35 ft sailing boat. What lights do you expect to find on it? What shapes might you find?
2 What shape do you display at anchor? What light do you display anchored at night?
3 Can you use a mast-top tri-colour light when motoring?
4 You are out at sea and you see a single white light. What is it likely to be? What rule will apply if you are getting closer to it?
5 You are sailing on a port tack. Fine on your port bow you see a single green light on a constant bearing. What do you do?
6 You are motoring and ahead to port you see the green side light and masthead light of another motor boat, on a constant bearing. What do you do? What do you hope to see?
7 What are the day shapes for:
a) Not under command?
b) Engaged in fishing?
c) Restricted in ability to manoeuvre?
d) At anchor?
8 You see a small inflatable boat ahead of you, stationary in the water, flying a blue and white flag. Despite the fact that you have altered course to avoid a collision, someone is madly waving at you from the inflatable. Why would this be? What should you do?
9 What are the lights for:
a) Restricted in ability to manoeuvre?
b) Not under command?
c) Fishing? (Two types for two types of fishing)
d) Pilot vessel?
10 At night you are approaching what looks like an oil rig, lit up like a christmas tree, where none is charted. Some way off you see a yellow light over a white light. What's going on?
1 You are at the helm sailing in Plymouth Sound, heading in towards the marina for shelter, with almost no sail, a frightened crew and 35 knots of wind behind you. Visibility is poor, and suddenly you see the Santander Ferry coming up behind you. You want to go more to starboard, but he is getting closer and you are keen to keep out of his way. Suddenly he gives two short blasts on the ship's whistle. What does this tell you, and what do you do?
2 Do you think that in the above scenario, it would be a good time to go below and look up sound signals?
3 You are manoeuvring to leave a harbour wall by reversing out, and another yacht is coming in, evidently looking for a berth, and threatening to get in your way. What sound signal could you use if you have your horn handy?
4 What sound signal are you required to make in foggy conditions:
a) motoring?
b) sailing?
5 What do you do if you hear five short blasts from a large vessel?
1 What do you think is the most effective method of issuing a distress signal from a small yacht or motor boat?
2 Is a white flare a distress signal?
3 A large number of small boats and most liferafts carry distress flares. What are the three types of distress flare?
ANSWERS
Rules of the Road: 1 You observe the bearing to the other vessel, and if it is constant a collision risk exists; 2 It must be early, obvious (to the other vessel) and substatial; 3 Hold your course and speed. You are allowed to take action to avoid the collision, but take care in case he, also, takes action. Do something that won't result in a difficult situation if he does, e.g. turn away from him; 4 False. You are the overtaking vessel, even if you are a sailing boat overtaking a motor boat; 5 You are on port tack, and the other must be on starboard, so you are the give-way vessel; 6 You are. Either he is on starboard tack, or else he is on the same tack as you, and you are the windward vessel; 7 Hold your course and speed. He is in your port sector, and you will be in his starboard sector if he is crossing and on a collision course. He is not "engaged in fishing". However, plan the manoeuvre you will make if he fails to take any action. E.g. plan to turn away from him, so that you are not in trouble if he suddenly turns to go behind you; 8 True; 9 Unable to manoeuvre because a fault or problem; 10 1) Engaged in fishing 2) Constrained by draught 3) Restricted in ability to manoeuvre 4) Not under command; 11 As nearly as possible at rightangles to the direction of traffic following the scheme. Only if they are other small vessels not following the scheme (and not engaged in fishing, restricted in ability to manoeuvre, or not under command of course). You must keep out of the way of vessels following the traffic separation scheme. Start your engine; 12 No. See Rule 19, which applies to vessels not in sight of one another. There is no distinction between the actions of different types of vessel.
Lights and Shapes: 1 Side lights (red and green) and stern light (white). A masthead light (forward looking, white) which can be switched on independently when motoring. Ideally an all-round anchoring light and possibly a tri-colour light at the top of the mast. An anchor ball, and a motoring cone (the latter rarely used in the UK!); 2 A black ball (or folding circular shape). An all-round white light; 3 No. Your steaming light needs to be above the red and green sidelights, so the latter need to be at deck level with the steaming light above them on the mast; 4 The stern light of another vessel. You are the overtaking vessel, and must keep out of his way until you are well clear; 5 You alter course to put him on your starboard bow. He must be on starboard tack and he is crossing you, so you are the give-way vessel. In making your manoeuvre it is important to show him your other side light, so that he knows you have altered course to avoid him; 6 You are the stand-on vessel as he is in your port sector. Hold your course and speed, and you hope to see his red side light (or both red and green) when he has altered course to go behind you; 7 a) Two balls in vertical alignment; b) Two cones with apexes towards each other, in vertical alignment; c) Ball - diamond - ball in vertical alignment; d) A ball; 8 The blue and white A flag means "I have a diver down. Keep well clear". This is probably an amateur diving boat and he has divers in the water - they may not be particularly close to the boat, so give him a wide berth (and keep a look-out for divers, surface marker buoys or patches of bubbles); 9 a) All-round red over white over red, aligned vertically; b) Two all-round reds in vertical alignment; c) Two all-round lights in vertical alignment: green over white (trawling) or red over white (fishing other than trawling); d) Two all-round lights in vertical alignment: white over red; 10 It is a rig, being towed by a vessel.
Sound and Light Signals: 1 He is telling you that he is about to turn to port - so if you go to starboard you will be out of his way; 2 This exact situation has happened to me, and I was very thankful that I understood what was intended to be a helpful communication from the larger vessel; 3 You could give three short blasts to tell him you are reversing (and incidentally leaving the space for him). Whether he a) understands, or b) gets out of your way, is another question; 4 a) One prolonged blast at intervals of about 2 minutes; b) One prolonged and two short blasts at intervals of about 2 minutes; 5 Clearly he thinks someone is in his way, so a) check whether it is you, and b) if so, do something about it quickly.
Distress Signals: 1 A MAYDAY call on the VHF. If you don't have a VHF, buy one - even hand-held - and do the one-day course to get an operator's licence; 2 No. It is used to draw attention to a vessel e.g. for collision avoidence; 3 a) Red parachute flare b) Red hand flare c) Orange smoke.