Question 531 Rules of the Road

The correct answer is C) three black shapes in a vertical line; the highest and lowest shall be balls and the middle one a diamond. This is correct based on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), which stipulate the shapes a vessel must display when transferring provisions or cargo at sea during the day. COLREGS Rule 27(b)(ii) states that a vessel engaged in such an operation must exhibit "three black shapes in a vertical line; the highest and lowest of these shapes shall be balls, and the middle one a diamond." The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not accurately reflect the COLREGS requirements for the specific shapes and their arrangement in a vertical line.