Question 24 UFV02 - Mate - Uninspected Fishing Vessels

The Correct Answer is A Option A is correct because this specific exemption for Wing-in-Ground (WIG) craft is explicitly addressed in the **International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) Annex I, Section 9 (a)**. This section deals with the "Horizontal Sector and Spacing of Lights" and states that a WIG craft: > **"(i) shall comply with the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section as closely as possible; and (ii) shall not carry a masthead light aft."** Furthermore, **COLREGs Rule 1 (e)** grants specific exemptions for specialized vessels, including WIG craft, regarding the placement of lights where full compliance is impossible due to the vessel's structure or function. Therefore, the WIG craft must comply with the light spacing requirements as closely as possible, and the precise arrangement is determined by the governing administration (her government). **Why the other options are incorrect:** B) **An all-round light should be substituted for the after-masthead light and the stern light.** This is incorrect. While COLREGs Annex I, Section 9 (a) does require a WIG craft not to carry a masthead light aft, it does not mandate the substitution of the stern light and the (now omitted) after masthead light with a single all-round light. The required lighting configuration for a WIG craft is distinct and focuses on partial compliance and the omission of the aft masthead light. C) **The WIG must carry only the lights that comply with the rules; the others may be omitted.** This is incorrect and dangerous. The WIG craft must carry all required lights, even if their positioning has to be modified (as closely as possible) due to structural limitations. Completely omitting essential navigation lights would violate the fundamental purpose of the COLREGs (preventing collisions) and is not permitted by Rule 1(e) or Annex I. D) **The WIG must be altered to permit full compliance with the rules.** This is incorrect. The entire purpose of the exemptions provided in COLREGs Rule 1(e) and Annex I, Section 9, is to acknowledge that certain specialized vessels (like WIG craft) cannot physically achieve full compliance due to their unique design necessary for their operation. Requiring the craft to be altered defeats the purpose of the exemption.