Question 25 TV02 - Towing Vessels - Great Lakes and Inland

The Correct Answer is B **Explanation of Option B (less than 12 meters in length):** The placement requirements for the masthead light (or the all-round white light serving as the masthead light on smaller vessels) are governed by the COLREGs (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea) or equivalent national inland rules. Rule 23(a)(i) requires the masthead light to be placed "forward" of the vessel, and Rule 21(a) defines the masthead light as being placed over the "fore and aft centerline" of the vessel. However, Rule 23(d) provides specific relief for smaller vessels. For a power-driven vessel **less than 12 meters in length**, the masthead light (or the all-round white light) need **not** be placed on the fore and aft centerline if it is impracticable to do so, provided that the light is positioned as nearly as possible to the fore and aft centerline. Therefore, vessels less than 12 meters in length are the class of power-driven vessels specifically exempted from the strict requirement of centerline placement of the masthead light. **Explanation of Incorrect Options:** **A) which has separate sidelights carried on the outboard extremes of the vessel's breadth:** This is a condition usually associated with meeting horizontal separation requirements for lights, not justification for moving the masthead light off the fore and aft centerline. The sidelight placement does not modify the rule requiring the masthead light to be on the centerline. **C) engaged in fishing:** Vessels engaged in fishing must display specific fishing lights (green over white or red over white all-round lights, depending on the gear). While these additional lights might displace other lights, the primary masthead light (if required to be shown alongside the fishing lights) or the requirement for lights in general is not automatically moved off the centerline simply because the vessel is fishing. The exemption is size-based (less than 12m), not operation-based. **D) less than 20 meters in length:** While vessels less than 20 meters receive some special considerations (e.g., regarding light arcs and vertical separation), the primary exemption allowing the masthead light to be located off the fore and aft centerline due to impracticability is restricted specifically to vessels **less than 12 meters** in length (Rule 23(d)). Vessels between 12 and 20 meters must adhere to the centerline requirement unless otherwise noted in specific rules, which is not the case here.