Question 808 Rules of the Road

The correct answer is B) towing astern. The presence of a yellow light above the stern light of the overtaken vessel indicates that the vessel is towing another vessel astern. According to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), a vessel towing another vessel shall exhibit two all-round lights in a vertical line, where the upper light is yellow and the lower light is white. This configuration of lights helps to identify the vessel as one that is towing another vessel astern. The other options are incorrect because a vessel dredging would not display a yellow light above the stern light (option A), a pilot vessel would display different lights (option C), and a vessel pushing ahead or towing alongside would not display the vertical yellow and white lights (option D).