Question 371 Rules of the Road

The correct answer is C) not overtake the other vessel until both vessels exchange the same passing signal. The reasoning is that the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) require that when two power-driven vessels are meeting in an overtaking situation, they must agree on the passing arrangement by exchanging the same passing signal. The five short and rapid blasts from the other vessel indicates that they do not agree with your intended passing arrangement, so you should not overtake until you have exchanged the same passing signal. The other options are incorrect because A) you should not pass without agreement, B) you do not need to wait for another signal from the other vessel, and D) you should not pass without exchanging the same signal.