🔍 Key Concepts

• Navigation Rules – Rule 5 (Look-out): a proper look-out by sight, hearing, and all available means • The look-out’s primary duty is collision avoidance and must not be distracted • Tasks that divert eyes, ears, or attention away from observing and listening are generally not allowed

💭 Think About

• For each choice, ask: Would doing this interrupt continuous watching and listening for other vessels, sounds, and dangers? • Does the task require you to look away, bend down, focus on tools, or make noise, instead of scanning the horizon? • On a real bridge or bow lookout, what does the officer expect you to be doing 100% of the time in poor visibility or traffic?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify that a proper look-out must give full, undivided attention to watching and listening for hazards (Navigation Rules, Rule 5). • Check whether any of the listed tasks would take your eyes off the horizon or your mind off the traffic situation, even briefly. • Confirm that the only acceptable “other duty” during lookout is one that does not interfere at all with continuous observation and hearing.