🔍 Key Concepts

• Rule 14 – Head-on situation in the Navigation Rules • Required lights for power-driven vessels underway at night • The difference between what you see in a crossing situation vs a head-on situation

💭 Think About

• If two power-driven vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses, what combination of sidelights would each expect to see on the other? • Which arrangement of lights would tell you that the other vessel is more off to one side (crossing) rather than directly ahead (head-on)? • Think about how many sidelights and how many masthead lights are visible when you are lined up nearly bow-to-bow.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in Rule 14 how a head-on situation is defined by the lights observed at night • Review the basic requirement: a power-driven vessel underway must show masthead light(s), sidelights, and a sternlight • Check which option shows both sidelights versus only one sidelight, and consider which better matches meeting nearly end-on.