🔍 Key Concepts

• Rule 24 – Towing and Pushing in the Navigation Rules • Difference between the lights shown by the towing vessel and the vessel being towed • Purpose and placement of a stern light versus masthead light

💭 Think About

• First, think about which vessel in a towing arrangement displays masthead (towing) lights and which one is simply being towed. • Ask yourself: does the vessel being towed astern act more like the stern of the towing vessel, or like a separate power-driven vessel underway on her own? • Consider what light is needed so that another vessel approaching from astern of the tow can correctly see and interpret the end of the tow.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in Rule 24 what lights are required for the vessel being towed, not the tug. • Check where a stern light is located and what sector it covers compared to a masthead light. • Confirm that Not Under Command (NUC) lights are only used when a vessel cannot maneuver as required by the Rules, not just because it is being towed.