INTERNATIONAL ONLY Two power-driven vessels are meeting in the situation as shown in illustration D037RR below. What does two short blasts from either vessel mean?
• Rule 34 – Maneuvering and Warning Signals (International Rules) • Difference between International and Inland meanings of one and two short blasts • The situation shown is a head‑on / meeting situation between two power‑driven vessels
• First, recall under the International Rules, what does one short blast mean, and what does two short blasts mean? Focus on the exact wording used in Rule 34. • Ask yourself whether, under International Rules, whistle signals state your intended course alteration or which side you intend to leave the other vessel on. • Look at the illustration: since they are meeting almost head‑on, what basic maneuver is normally used to pass safely, and how would two blasts fit into that plan?
• Verify you are using International (COLREGS) meanings, not the Inland Rules meanings. • Check which option mentions a course alteration versus which mentions leaving the other vessel on a particular side—only one of those aligns with International Rule 34. • Confirm that three short blasts, not two, is the signal for operating astern propulsion under Rule 34.
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