Why might SUNBEAM have been harder for the ferry crew to spot than a similarly sized fishing boat or larger yacht?

A. Visibility from a ferry bridge is not affected by the size or colour of other vessels at all

B. A small sailing boat, especially with white sails against a hazy sky or low against waves, can be genuinely difficult to spot from the high bridge of a large vessel — things like a brightly coloured sail, a radar reflector, or AIS can all help make a small boat more visible to others

C. All boats are equally easy to see from a ferry's bridge, regardless of size or colour

D. Only boats with engines can ever be detected by a ferry's crew

A. Speed up directly across its path to "beat it" to the other side

B. Keep a close, continuous watch on the ferry's bearing (the direction it appears from) to judge whether it is getting closer in a way that suggests risk of collision, and be ready to take early action — large fast vessels can close distance far quicker than they appear to from a small boat

C. Assume the ferry will always see and avoid a small sailing boat automatically

D. Stop watching the ferry once it has been seen and focus on something else

A. Size alone always decides who must give way, with no other rules applying

B. Right of way rules do not apply at all inside a harbour entrance

C. Not automatically by size alone, but in practice large vessels in a narrow or marked channel often cannot manoeuvre quickly or safely, and many channels have specific local rules requiring small craft to keep clear of larger commercial traffic — a small boat should always act early to stay well clear regardless of the strict right of way rule

D. A small sailing boat always automatically has right of way over any powered vessel in any situation