Rule 18 Responsibilities Tips: A Power-Driven Vessel Givesway To 6 Vessels
Rule 18 Responsibilities Tips: A Power-Driven Vessel Givesway To 6 Vessels
Rule 18 Responsibilities Tips: A Power-Driven Vessel Givesway To 6 Vessels
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(Q) Mis-use of not under command lights is a common thing, so why do vessels do it?
(a) To keep other vessels away from them.
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(Q) If you saw a vessel mis-using not under command lights what would you do?
(a) Report the vessel to the coastguard.
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(Q) A vessel constrained by her draught, usually what type of vessel is she?
(a) A Super-tanker.
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(Q) What would happen if you stood on to a vessel constrained by her draught?
(a) Nothing should happen, the captain of the vessel constrained by her draught
should be navigating with particular caution because of his special condition.
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(Q) What would happen to the tanker if he could not stop his vessel quick enough
because you stood on?
(a) He could easily go aground and rip his tanks open.
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(Q) What 2 vessels can stand-on for a vessel constrained by her draught?
(a) A vessel not under command and a vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre.
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(3) You're overtaking another vessel, now your abeam of him, are you a crossing or
overtaking vessel now?
(a) Once you begin to overtake a vessel you remain an overtaking vessel until well
past and clear
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(4) You have passed the vessel your overtaking, your about a mile past him, can you
alter course now?
(a) As a Rule Of Thumb, Make a Close Quarter Situation 4 miles out in the open sea,
so No this is not enough distance clear of the vessel being overtaking
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(5) You're overtaking another vessel, when can you become a crossing vessel?
(a) Once your well passed and clear (at least 4 miles)
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(6) You're coming up on a vessel at 22.5 degrees abaft his beam, are you a crossing or
overtaking vessel now?
(a) Your a crossing vessel, you have to be more than 22.5 degrees abaft his beam to
be overtaking (22.6 degrees is overtaking) (The word MORE is missing)
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(7) You're coming up on another vessel at 22.5 degrees abaft the beam, what light will
you see at night, the sidelight or the sternlight?
(a) The sidelight, you wont see the sternlight till your more than 22.5 degrees abaft
the beam
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(8) Your overtaking another vessel, your vessel is sheering, one minute you see a
sternlight then a sidelight then a sternlight then a sidelight, are you a crossing or
overtaking vessel?
(a) If in doubt you make yourself an overtaking vessel and go around the stern of the
vessel your overtaking
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(9) A vessel Not Under Command is overtaking you, will you stand-on or giveway to
this vessel, he is having major problems steering?
(a) He is duty bound to keep clear of you, so you will stand-on with caution (BE
VERY CAUTIOUS WITH THIS VESSEL OVERTAKING YOU)
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(10) You're in a power-driven vessel in a traffic lane and any vessel is overtaking you,
what are you going to do?
(a) Stand-on with caution, maintaing your course and speed
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(11) You're in a sailing vessel in a traffic lane and any vessel is overtaking you, what
are you going to do?
(a) Stand-on with caution, maintaing your course and speed
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(12) You're in a fishing vessel in a traffic lane and any vessel is overtaking you, what
are you going to do?
(a) Stand-on with caution, maintaing your course and speed
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(13) In restricted visibility, your overtaking another vessel, will you stand-on or
giveway?
(a) There are no stand-on vessels in restricted visibility, any situation in restricted
visibility everyone givesway
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(14) In restricted visibility you're overtaking another vessel, how ill you decide on the
best way to pass him?
(a) Take the quickest way past him so you can get back onto your original course, go
around the vessel being overtaken's stern, (Never pass ahead of him)
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(15) What does it say in Rule 19 Restricted Visibility about overtaking vessels (Rule
19d part (i) ?
(a) Avoid an alteration to port for a vessel forward of the beam, other than for a vessel
being overtaken (in other words - UNLESS YOUR AN OVERTAKING VESSEL)
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Imagine That the image above is your Radar Screen and your vessel is in the middle
of the screen, we then split the radar screen into four quarters
If there is an "S" then you would make an early and bold alteration to Starboard
If there is a "P" then you would make an early and bold alteration to Port
if there is a vessel dead astern of you and he's overtaking you then you can alter either
way
If you're overtaking a vessel "Take the shortest possible route" to get back onto your
original course and go around his stern (Avoid as much as possible crossing ahead of
the vessel your overtaking, this is a very dangerous manoeuvre)
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(Q) What does Rule 19 part (a) say?
(a) This Rule applies to ALL vessels in or near an area of Restricted visibility (so if
you're in a power-driven vessel and the other vessel is "Not Under Command", both
vessels have to use Rule 19 and both have to give way
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(What it means)
(vii) Be ready to switch the autopilot off and go onto manual steering
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(Q) What does Rule 19 (d) part (ii) say?
(a) Avoid an alteration towards a vessel abeam or abaft the beam
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(Q) In restricted visibility - you have detected a vessel, but what does detect mean?
(a) That you can see the target on your radar screen
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(Q) If you plot a vessel on radar and the 3 bearings are steady what does this mean?
(a) That your on a collision course
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(Q) If you plot a vessel on radar and the 3 bearings are nearly steady, what does this
mean?
(a) That you are going into a close quarter situation/collision course
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(Q) You have just one plot of a target on screen, what are you going to do with this?
(a) Keep plotting him, this is scanty radar information and can't be relied upon
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(Q) You have two plot's of a target on screen, what are you going to do with this?
(a) Keep plotting him, this is scanty radar information and can't be relied upon
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(Q) You have 3 plots of a target on your starboard bow bearings steady - what are you
going to do?
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to Starboard - other vessel should do the same
(Rule 19 d part (i) for you)
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(Q) What manoeuvring signal will you make for that manoeuvre?
(a) None, manoeuvring signals are only used when "VESSELS ARE IN SIGHT OF
ONE ANOTHER"
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(Q) You have 3 plots of a target on your port bow - bearings steady - what are you
going to do?
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to Starboard - other vessel should do the same
(Rule 19 d part (i) for you)
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(Q) You have 3 plots of a target on your port beam - bearings steady - what are you
going to do?
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to Starboard - other vessel should do the same
(Rule 19 d part (ii) for you)
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(Q) You have 3 plots of a target on your port quarter - bearings steady - what are you
going to do?
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to Starboard - other vessel can go to
port/starboard if he is overtaking you (Rule 19 d part (ii) for you)
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(Q) You have 3 plots of a target dead astearn - bearings steady - what are you going to
do?
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to Starboard/Port - other vessel can go to
port/starboard if he is overtaking you (Rule 19 d part (ii) for you)
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(Q) You have 3 plots of a target on your Starboard quarter - bearings steady - what are
you going to do?
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to Port - other vessel can go to port/starboard if
he is overtaking you (Rule 19 d part (ii) for you)
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(Q) You have 3 plots of a target on your Starboard beam - bearings steady - what are
you going to do?
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to Port - other vessel should go to starboard
(Rule 19 d part (ii) for you)
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(Q) You have taken 2 plots of a vessel on your starboard bow and about to take a third
plot when you blew a fuse on your radar, the engineer is trying to find a fuse, what are
you going to do?
(a) Stop your vessel and change your fog signal if in a power-driven vessel to 2
prolonged blasts on the ships whistle, if in a hampered vessel then leave the fog signal
as 1 prolonged blast followed by 2 short blasts on the ships whistle
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(Q) Your enginner has fixed the radar but in the time it took him to find a fuse you
have landed in a close quarter situation, what are you going to do?
(a) Come full astern with the vessel and hopefully miss the oncoming vessel, if there
was a collision then you would lessen the damage
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(Q) What is the fog Signal for a fishing vessel - Underway or Making way?
(a) One prolonged blast followed by two short blasts on the ships whistle at intervals
not exceeding two minutes
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(Q) What is the fog signal for a power-driven vessel - Underway or Makingway?
(a) ONE prolonged blast if Makingway and TWO prolonged blasts if Underway on
the ships whistle at intervals not exceeding two minutes
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(vii) A minesweeper
(vii) A dredger
(a) One prolonged blast followed by two short blasts on the ships whistle at intervals
not exceeding two minutes
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(Q) What is the fog signal for the following?
(ii) A supertanker
(iii) A ferry
(v) A hovercraft
(vii) A fishing vessel with his fishing gear still on the vessel
(a) If Makingway - ONE prolonged blast and if Underway TWO prolonged blasts on
the ships whistel at intervals not exceeding 2 minutes
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(Q) What is the fog signal for a vessel towing a manned vessel?
(a) One prolonged blast followed by two short blasts by the towing vessel and the
vessel being towed will sound One prolonged blast followed by three short blasts on
the ships whistle at intervals not exceeding 2 minutes
The towing vessel sound his signal immediaty after the towing vessels signal
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(Q) What is the fog signal of a Pilot vessel underway - then Makingway?
(a) When UNDERWAY - 2 prolonged blasts on the ships whistle followed by 4 short
blasts to indicate he has a pilot onboard
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(Q) A vessel at Anchor under 100 metres - what is his fog signal?
(a) (5) TIPS - remember the number
A rapid ringing on the bell for 5 seconds at intervals not exceeding ONE minute
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(Q) A vessel at anchor over 100 metres - what is his fog signal?
(a) (5 - 5) TIPS - remember the numbers
A rapid ringing on the gong aft for 5 seconds at intervals not exceeding ONE minute
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(Q) What is the warning signal a vessel may sound if he is at anchor to alert others
they are on a collision course or coming to close to him?
(a) Morse "R" which is - One short - One Long - One short blast on the ships whistle
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(Q) A Pilot onboard a vessel at anchor under 100 metres - what is the fog signal?
(a) (5 - 4) TIPS - Remember the numbers
A rapid ringing on the bell for 5 seconds at intervals not exceeding ONE minute
and if he wants he may sound 4 short blast to indicate there is a Pilot onboard
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(Q) A Pilot onboard a vessel at anchor over 100 metres - what is the fog signal?
(a) (5 - 5 - 4) TIPS
A rapid ringing on the gong aft for 5 seconds at intervals not exceeding ONE minute
He may if he wants sound the pilots identity signal of 4 short blasts on the ships
whistle
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(Q) A vessel aground under 100 metres - what is his fog signal?
(a) (3 - 5 - 3) TIPS - remember the numbers
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(Q) A vessel aground over 100 metres - what is his fog signal?
(a) (3 - 5 - 3 - 5) TIPS - remember the numbers
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(Q) You heard a fog signal - can you tell where this fog signal is coming from, you
can't see nothing on radar?
(a) No, the sound in restricted visibility deceives the human ear
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(Q) You heard a fog signal - you're unsure where it's coming from - what are you
going to do with your vessel?
(a) Slow down to a minimum speed and if still unsure - stop your vessel until the
danger is past
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(Q) A small sailing vessel is a very bad radar target, the echo passes over the vessel,
how can he improve his chances of being detected on radar?
(a) By putting up a radar reflector as high up his mast as possible
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(Q) Autopilots - do you use them while in restricted visibility - if so why do you use
them then?
(a) Because using an autopilot in restricted visibility gives you more time to study the
radar and listen out for fog signals, as long as you can switch the autopilot off very
quickly and go onto manual steering
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(Q) Autopilot - what is the maximum time allowed by the rules to switch them off to
go onto manual steering?
(a) Maximum is 30 seconds - I personnely think this is too long
Restricted Visibility
(Q) You're in the Inshore Zone about to cross a Traffic lane in Restricted Visibility
(Target in lane & Bearings are steady)
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to starboard using Rule 19d part 1
(Q) You're in the Separation Zone about to cross a Traffic lane in Restricted Visibility
(Target in lane & Bearings are steady)
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to starboard using Rule 19d part 1
(Q) You're in the Traffic Lane in restricted visibility and there are targets on your port
and starboard bow (bearing steady on both targets)
(a) Make an early and bold alteration to starboard using Rule 19d part 1
Unusual Circumstances
Any vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel being
overtaken
(Q) You're in a traffic lane and in a head-on situation with another vessel who's in the
lane coming the wrong way, what are you going to do?
(a) Sound One short blast and make a bold alteration to starboard and get away from
this vessel
Remember to report this vessel to the port authorities who should be tracking both
your vessel and the other vessel, also make an entry into your offical log book and fill
out an I.R.F. (Incident Report Form) and send this to the M.A.I.B.
If your are going to make an alteration of course make sure its an early and bold
alteration as long as you have plenty sea room
Every alteration must be big enough so the other vessel can see it on his radar
When making an alteration of course, make sure you don't place your vessel into a
close quarter situation/risk of collision with another vessel
After making an alteration of course, take more bearings to make sure the risk of
collision/close quarter situation is past
If in a collision course
If you're the stand-on vessel you may alter course as long as your not in a close
quarters situation, but if in a close quarters situation you shall alter course (Never get
into a close quarter situation if you can help it)
Rule of thumb
From 8 to 12 miles - this is your plotting distance to find out if risk of collision/close
quarters situation exists
From 4 to 8 miles - this is your/other vessels action area
below 4 miles - close quarters situation (out in the open sea, you should have no
vessel within 4 miles)
(1) Take a series of compass, radar and visual bearing to see if a "Risk of
Collision/close quarters situation exists"
(2) Figure out who the giveway/stand-on vessel is
(3) If your the stand-on vessel then use (A) below
(4) If your the giveway vessel then use (B) below
(5) If the giveway vessel is standing on then sound 5 or more short and rapid blasts on
the ships whistle or flash your masthead light rapidly 5 or more times, if you get no
response then use (C) below
(A) Stand-on with caution, maintaining your course and speed, keep taking bearings
to make sure the giveway vessel givesway
(B) As long as there is pleanty sea-room, make an early and bold alteration towards
the giveway vessel, give him plenty sea-room, if not a lot of sea-room stop your
vessel and let him pass
(C) Make an bold alteration away from this vessel (he could be a pirate vessel)
!!! Never alter towards the giveway vessel !!!
This should not have happened if you had been watching and keeping a safewatch
If you get into a close quarter situation with another vessel and your the stand-on
vessel, you have to get away from him at all costs
Make a very large alteration away from the other vessel as long as your not putting
yourself into a close quarter situation with another vessel (maybe another vessel
overtaking you at the same time)
The way I see it Rule 8 has to be the most important Rule of the Road, by Using it and
taking action to avoid collision you can save life, this Rule is vital to learn, using Rule
8 "Action to Avoid collision" means you can break any Rule of the Road to avoid
collision, Break a rule to save a life (You and your Crews as well as the other vessels
crew)
Get hold of this vessel on the VHF or take the vessels name and number and port and
report him to the coastguard
It's your responsibility to make sure you get your crew home safely
(Q) You're in a Power-driven vessel doing 5 knots and ahead of you is a vessel
doing 3 knots, what will you do?
(Q) What is the sound signal you would make if you want to pass his port-side
and what is the sound signal to port pass his starboard side?
(a) Make the sound signal for overtaking the vessel ahead of you (a) To pass his port-
side you would sound Morse "Z" which is 2 prolonged blasts followed by 2 short
blasts on the ships whistle
To pass his starboard-side you would sound Morse "G" which is 2 prolonged blasts
followed by one short blast on the ships whistle
(Q) What would you expect the overtaking vessel to sound after you gave him
your overtaking signal? (Q) He has not given you the sound signal that he agrees
to be overtaken; what will you do now?
(a) He should sound Morse "C" which is 1 prolonged blast followed by 1 short blast
followed by 1 prolonged blast followed by 1 short blast on the ships whistle; this
means he agrees to be overtaken (a) Slow your vessel down to the same speed that his
is doing and give him the overtaking sound signal again
(Q) The vessel your about to overtake still has not gave you his sound signal to
agree to be overtaken - is there any other signal he can give you? (Q) The vessel
being overtaken has given you permission to overtake him and now your abeam
of him - are you an overtaking vessel or a crossing vessel?
(a) Yes he can give you the International code of signals - flag "Charlie" - which
means - I agree (a) Once you make yourself an overtaking vessel you remain an
overtaking vessel until well ast and clear of the vessel being overtaken
(Q) What's deemed/classed as an overtaking vessel? (Q) You have passed the
vessel your overtaking, your about a mile past him, can you alter course now?
(a) Coming up on another vessel MORE than 22.5o abaft the beam of the vessel being
overtaken (a) As a Rule Of Thumb, Make a Close Quarter Situation 4 miles out in the
open sea, so No this is not enough distance clear of the vessel being overtaking
(Q) What light will you see at night-time if your overtaking another vessel? (Q)
You're coming up on a vessel at 22.5o abaft the beam - are you a crossing vessel
or an overtaking vessel?
(a) The sternlight of the vessel being overtaken and no sidelights (a) You'd be a
crossing vesel - the word "MORE" is missing
(Q) Coming up on a vessel at 22.5o abaft the beam - what light will you see at
night? (Q) Your overtaking another vessel, your vessel is sheering, one minute
you see a sternlight then a sidelight then a sternlight then a sidelight, are you a
crossing or overtaking vessel?
(a) One of the sidelights - you will not see a sternlight - you have to be MORE than
22.50 abaft the beam to see a sternlight (a) If in doubt you make yourself an
overtaking vessel and go around the stern of the vessel your overtaking
(Q) You're overtaking another vessel, when can you become a crossing vessel?
(Q) A vessel Not Under Command is overtaking you, will you stand-on or
giveway to this vessel, he is having major problems steering?
(a) Once your well passed and clear (at least 4 miles) (a) He is duty bound to keep
clear of you, so you will stand-on with caution (BE VERY CAUTIOUS WITH THIS
VESSEL OVERTAKING YOU) keep taking compass/radar and visual bearings of
him constantly
(Q) You're in a power-driven vessel in a traffic lane and any vessel is overtaking
you, what are you going to do? (Q) You're in a sailing vessel in a traffic lane and
any vessel is overtaking you, what are you going to do?
(a) Stand-on with caution, maintaining your course and speed - the above vessel is
constrained by her draught and she should be going at a speed that she can stop and
stay in the deepest water available (a) Stand-on with caution, maintaining your course
and speed - any vessel overtaking any other shall keep well clear of the vessel being
overtaken
(Q) You're in a fishing vessel in a traffic lane and any vessel is overtaking you,
what are you going to do? (Q) In restricted visibility, your overtaking another
vessel, will you stand-on or giveway?
(a) Stand-on with Caution maintaining your course and speed (You're using Rule 13
Overtaking just now - Rules 10 does not exist whilst being overtaken - when the
vessel overtaking you is well past and clear then you go back to Rule 10 Traffic
Separation Scheme) (a) There are no Stand-on Vessels in Restricted visibility - Rule
19 part (a) says
"This Rule applies to vessels not in sight of one another when navigating in or near an
area of restricted visibility"
In other words "No Stand-on Vessels"
Authors tips;
If overtaking a vessel in clear or restricted visibility - take the shortest possible route
and go around the vessel being overtaken stern so you can get back onto your original
course quicker as long as you have plenty of searoom
You're a crossing vessel when coming up on a vessel at 22.5o abaft the beam
You need to be MORE than 22.5o abaft the beam to be overtaking
The situation above with the International code of signals Code flag "C" has caught a
lot of personnel out as it is not in Rule 9 or Rule 34
The Captains love the overtaking situations as it has caught a lot of personnel out and
they have failed because of it, all the above situations came out of the M.C.A. Oral
exam and now you have the Knowledge