Question 40 TV03 - Towing Vessels - Western Rivers

The Correct Answer is D 1. **Why option D ("The vessel moving downstream with a following current") is correct:** This scenario takes place on the Western Rivers, which are governed by specific Inland Navigation Rules (Rules 14 and 18, and associated Annex V for the Western Rivers). On the Western Rivers, when two power-driven vessels are meeting head-on or nearly head-on in a narrow channel, the vessel proceeding *downstream* (with the following current) is considered the "privileged" vessel. This is due to the practical limitations of controlling a vessel driven by a heavy current. The downstream vessel is harder to maneuver, stop, or hold stationary against the current, and therefore has the right of way. The downstream vessel is responsible for initiating the passing agreement and proposing the side of the pass. 2. **Why the other options are incorrect:** * **A) The vessel located more towards the channel centerline:** Navigational priority is determined by the direction of travel relative to the current (downstream/upstream), not by the precise lateral position within the channel, especially since vessels generally navigate toward the outside of bends or in the deepest part of the channel, which may not be the exact centerline. * **B) The vessel sounding the first whistle signal:** While whistle signals are mandatory for proposing and agreeing to a passing arrangement, sounding the first signal does not grant the right of way. The right of way is predetermined by the direction of the current (downstream vessel is privileged). The downstream vessel is required to initiate the signal, but this is a consequence of having the right of way, not the cause of it. * **C) The vessel moving upstream against the current:** This vessel is the "burdened" or "stand-on" vessel (though "stand-on" is less applicable to meeting situations). Because the upstream vessel has greater steerage control and can hold position more easily against the current, it must defer to the vessel moving downstream, making this option incorrect.