INTERNATIONAL ONLY Two power-driven vessels are crossing within one half mile of each other as shown in illustration D042RR below. Vessel "A" sounds one short blast of the whistle. What action should vessel "B" take?
• Rule 15 – Crossing Situations (International Rules): Which vessel has the other on her starboard side, and therefore must keep out of the way? • Rule 17 – Action of the Stand‑On Vessel: What is the primary duty of the stand‑on vessel in a normal crossing situation? • Rule 34 – Maneuvering and Warning Signals (International vs. Inland): In INTERNATIONAL Rules, does a short blast mean a proposal or a statement of what I am doing? And is a reply required?
• From the diagram, decide which vessel is the give‑way vessel and which is the stand‑on vessel in this crossing situation. • Ask yourself: Under the INTERNATIONAL Rules, when the give‑way vessel sounds one short blast to indicate an alteration to starboard, what does the stand‑on vessel normally do? • Compare how the stand‑on vessel responds under Inland Rules versus International Rules when it hears one short blast in a crossing situation.
• Be sure you have correctly identified the stand‑on vessel by seeing which vessel has the other on her starboard side (Rule 15). • Confirm under Rule 17 that, in the absence of immediate danger, the stand‑on vessel’s main responsibility is to maintain course and speed. • Verify in Rule 34 (International) whether the stand‑on vessel is required to answer the one‑short‑blast signal, or whether only the vessel altering course must signal its own maneuver.
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