You are entering port and have been instructed to anchor, as your berth is not yet available. You are on a SW'ly heading, preparing to drop anchor, when you observe the range lights as shown in illustration D047NG below, on your starboard beam. What action should you take?
• Range (leading) lights show the centerline of a channel or track, not an anchorage • Anchoring rules near channels: avoid blocking traffic and obstructing navigation aids • Your vessel’s heading (SW’ly) and the lights on your starboard beam tell you where the channel line is relative to your ship
• What is the primary purpose of a pair of range lights—do they normally mark a safe place to stop, or a line to follow? • If you anchored directly on or close to the range line, how might that affect other vessels using that range to enter/leave port? • Would a navigator ever intentionally use the range line itself as an anchorage just because the area is free of obstructions?
• On the chart, confirm what the range line represents (center of channel vs anchorage) • Think about the rule that you must not obstruct a navigational aid or block a fairway when at anchor • Ask yourself whether the question is about when to drop the anchor, or where you are allowed to be relative to the range line and channel
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