Question 1

At night, steering 090° (east), you detect a Q(9) white light bearing 095° at 1nm. What is this mark, and what does the bearing tell you about your situation? What immediate action do you take?

Accepted Answer

Q(9) white — WEST CARDINAL MARK (9 = 9 o'clock = west). Safe water is to the WEST of this mark. The hazard is to the EAST. You are on course 090° (heading east) toward a mark with hazard to the east — YOU ARE HEADING INTO THE DANGER. The mark is 1nm ahead to the east of you — the hazard lies somewhere east of the buoy. IMMEDIATE ACTION: (1) Alter course NOW — turn away from the mark to the north or south to open the distance; do NOT continue east; (2) Reduce speed; (3) Check the chart urgently — what is the charted hazard? shoal? rock? wreck?; (4) Alert the master if you are on a small vessel without a separate master/OOW arrangement; (5) Do not pass to the east of this mark without chart confirmation of safe water beyond the marked hazard. The Q(9) at 1nm means you have very little time if proceeding at even moderate speed — at 6 knots, 1nm = 10 minutes. This scenario is deliberately constructed to test whether the candidate immediately recognises they are in a dangerous situation — not just identifying the mark type but understanding its spatial implications relative to their course. Q(9) = WEST cardinal = safe water to the WEST. Heading EAST toward a west cardinal means approaching the hazard from the safe side, about to enter the danger zone. The confusion in option B (calling it east cardinal) is a common mistake — candidates memorise "9 = east because E looks like a 9" rather than the clock-face system (9 o'clock = west). The clock system: if you map the cardinals onto a clock face, 3 o'clock = east (E cardinal Q(3)); 6 o'clock = south (S cardinal Q(6)+LFl); 9 o'clock = west (W cardinal Q(9)); 12 o'clock = north (N cardinal Q or VQ continuous). Reaction time at 1nm: at 6 knots (low speed for many vessels), 1nm takes 10 minutes. At 12 knots (common coastal speed), 1nm takes 5 minutes. The OOW must act immediately on identifying the mark and its implication — not after confirming on the chart.

Question 2

You are OOW on a 180 GT coastal supply vessel. At night you observe a small sailing vessel showing only a combined red and green lantern at the bow — no white lights visible anywhere. What is this vessel legally showing and are you required to give way?

Accepted Answer

Combined bow lantern (bicolour lantern) — red (port) and green (starboard) sectors combined in one fitting at the bow — is permitted for sailing vessels under 20m in length under Rule 25(b) and (c): Rule 25(b) permits a combined lantern (red/green/white all in one unit at the masthead); Rule 25(c) permits an all-round white light plus the sidelights. For very small vessels under 7m: Rule 25(d) — if not reasonably practicable to show the prescribed lights, show an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light in sufficient time to prevent collision. The vessel showing only the bicolour bow lantern without any white sternlight is technically non-compliant unless it is under 7m using the Rule 25(d) exemption. However: it IS a sailing vessel regardless — you must give way under Rule 18(a)(v). Monitor carefully — the lack of sternlight makes aspect determination difficult. Use radar to determine course and speed. Small sailing vessel lighting arrangements are tested at near-coastal level because coastal waters in the UK contain large numbers of recreational sailing vessels, yachts, and small craft. Rule 25 permits multiple lighting options for sailing vessels, and the variety means the OOW must be able to identify sailing vessel status from whatever lights are shown. Key Rule 25 variants: (a) standard (any size): separate sidelights + sternlight; (b) under 20m: optional combined tricolour at masthead instead; (c) additional option: all-round red over green lights at the top of the mast to be more visible; (d) under 7m or rowing boats: white torch/lantern when in danger of collision. The COLREGs obligation to give way to sailing vessels (Rule 18(a)(v)) applies regardless of whether the sailing vessel is showing its lights perfectly. Non-compliance with light rules by the sailing vessel does not remove the power vessel's give-way obligation — Rule 2(a) requires taking all precautions required by ordinary seamanship.

Question 3

Approaching a harbour entrance, you see (from seaward): a red can buoy to the north of the channel, a green conical buoy to the south of the channel, then a port-hand mark showing Fl.R every 4 seconds. You are heading west (270°) into the harbour. Describe how you navigate through these marks.

Accepted Answer

IALA System A — entering harbour heading west: "Red to Port Returning." (1) Red can buoy to the NORTH of the channel: it is on the port side of the channel (keep it to port) — it marks the northern edge of safe water; your channel track runs to the south of it; (2) Green conical buoy to the SOUTH: it is on the starboard side — keep it to starboard; your channel track runs to the north of it; (3) Fl.R every 4 seconds port lateral mark ahead: red light, any rhythm = port hand mark — keep this to PORT as you pass through the entrance. Navigation: steer a course keeping the red buoy to your port (north of track), green buoy to your starboard (south of track), and the Fl.R to your port as you enter. The area of safe navigation is between the red (port) and green (starboard) lateral marks. Lateral mark navigation is the most practical buoyage skill for coastal and near-coastal OOWs. The key principle: "conventional direction of buoyage" defines port and starboard — in harbour approaches it is from seaward into the harbour. The OOW heading west into a harbour is heading IN the conventional direction (from sea to harbour) — so IALA A port/starboard conventions apply directly: RED = PORT side of safe water (keep to port), GREEN = STARBOARD side (keep to starboard). The phrase "Red to Port Returning" summarises this for IALA A. The Fl.R light characteristic: in IALA A, port lateral marks use RED lights; starboard lateral marks use GREEN lights. Any rhythm of red flashing = port hand mark; any rhythm of green flashing = starboard hand mark. The light rhythm (4 second period in this case) does not change the colour convention — only cardinal marks have specific group-count requirements. At near-coastal OOW level, the examiner expects instant confident application of IALA A conventions in realistic harbour approach scenarios.