🔍 Key Concepts
• Rule 18 – Responsibilities Between Vessels (Hierarchy of which vessels keep out of the way of others)
• The special status of vessels not under command, restricted in ability to maneuver, engaged in fishing, and constrained by draft
• Difference between a vessel’s type of propulsion (power vs sail) and its special operation (pilotage, buoy tending, anchored, etc.)
đź’ Think About
• First, recall the order of priority in Rule 18: in general, which vessels must keep out of the way of which others? Where does a sailing vessel sit in that order?
• For each answer choice, ask: does this vessel have a higher, equal, or lower priority than a sailing vessel under Rule 18?
• Which one of these choices is not given any special “higher priority” status in Rule 18 compared with a sailing vessel, and is simply treated by its basic propulsion type or condition?
âś… Before You Answer
• Verify Rule 18 language carefully: list the categories from highest priority (most “privileged”) down to lowest, and find where sailing vessels and vessels engaged in fishing appear.
• Check whether a pilot vessel on station is given any special right-of-way in Rule 18, beyond being a power-driven vessel.
• Confirm that a vessel at anchor is generally avoided for safety, but consider whether Rule 18 explicitly makes a sailing vessel the one required to keep out of its way under steering and sailing rules.