Marine exam pt. 2

Question 1

Sound signals

Answer 1

Sound signals are sometimes used by ships and ferries to indicate an action they are about to take:
– One short blast: I am altering course to starboard.
– Two short blasts: I am altering course to port.
– Three short blasts: My engines are going astern.
– Five short blasts: (officially) I am unsure of your intentions; (practically) you are not following the rules get out of the way.

Question 2

The Rules of the Road

Answer 2

look to the right, give way to the right, turn to the right; and stay to the right.

Question 3

Operating rule- Port

Answer 3

If a power driven vessel approaches within this sector maintain your course and speed with caution.

Question 4

operating rules Starboard

Answer 4

If any vessel approaches within this sector, keep out of its way. (Note: This rule may not always apply if one or both vessels are sailboats.)

Question 5

Opperating rules stern

Answer 5

If any vessel approaches this sector, maintain your course and speed with caution.

Question 6

Opperating rules channels

Answer 6

In narrow channels, all vessels should keep to the starboard side of the channel.

Question 7

operating rules in power met sail

Answer 7

In general, power vessels have to keep out of the way of sailing and fishing vessels, and vessels that are hampered by such tasks as dredging, cable laying and so on. However, a sailing vessel must give way to a powered vessel if it is overtaking it.

Question 8

operating rules for overtaking

Answer 8

This rule overrides all the other give-way rules. The overtaking vessel must keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken. You can pass on either side of the vessel, but keep well clear – the other skipper may not have seen you. If you are being overtaken, hold your course and speed until the other vessel is past and well clear.

Question 9

opperating rules for crossing

Answer 9

If the other vessel is on your right (starboard) side it has right of way and you must keep clear: you must either turn right, slow down to let the other vessel pass ahead of you – or do both. If the other vessel is on your port side, you have right of way andshould hold your course and speed. However, if you think the other vessel is leaving it too late, you have to take action yourself. The“right rule” still applies: if you alter course, alter to the right (starboard). Or you can slow down or do both.

Question 10

Sailing Vessels

Answer 10

Wind on different sides- When sailing vessels have the wind on different sides, the vessel that has the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the other. If a sailing vessel with the wind on the port side sees a sailing vessel to windward and cannot determine with certainty whether the other sailing vessel has the wind on the port or starboard side, it shall keep out of the way.
Wind on the same sides- When both sailing vessels have the wind on the same side, the vessel which is the closest to the wind (windward) shall keep out of the way of the vessel which is to leeward.

Question 11

Range of lights

Answer 11

Vessels 12 metres to 20 metres
– Masthead light – 3 miles.
– Sidelight and stern light – 2 miles.
– All round lights – 2 miles.

Vessels under 12 metres
– Masthead light – 2 miles.
– Sidelight – 1 mile.
– Stern light – 2 miles.
– All round lights – 2 miles.

Question 12

Required Lights

Answer 12

Vessels under 12 metres- Power vessels of less than 12 metres in length shall exhibit:
– Separate or combined sidelights, a masthead light and a stern light; or
– Separate or combined sidelights and an all round white light.
* Masthead or white all round light shall be carried at least one metre above the sidelights.

Vessels 12 metres to 20 metres- Power vessels of more than 12 metres in length but less than 20 metres in length shall exhibit:
– A masthead light, separate sidelights and stern light; or
– A masthead light, combined sidelights and stern light.
* The masthead light shall be carried at least 2.5 metres above the gunwhale. Combined sidelights shall be carried at least one metre below the masthead light.

Question 13

Power/sailing vessels at anchor

Answer 13

Vessels less than 50 metres in length at anchor, shall exhibit an all-round white light placed where it may best be seen. Anchor lights must always be shown from sunset to sunrise.

Question 14

Lateral marks

Answer 14

The marks indicating the port and starboard hand sides of channels are called lateral marks. When lit, port hand marks have red lights, starboard hand marks have green lights. These are the only marks to use these colours; the light can use any rhythm. Those topped by a red can shape are called port hand marks Those topped by a green triangle shape are called starboard hand marks.

Question 15

Direction of Buoyage

Answer 15

When entering harbours or travelling upstream in a river, leave port hand marks on your port side and starboard hand marks on your starboard side. When leaving harbours or travelling downstream, leave port hand marks on your starboard side and starboard hand marks on your port side. One way to remember this is the saying, “there’s some red, port, left in the bottle” when travelling upstream. Lateral marks are not always placed in pairs where you simply have to pass between them. When you see just one, you will need to bear in mind the upstream downstream principle.

Question 16

Safe Water

Answer 16

There is safe water all around this mark. Most commonly, it used to mark the seaward end of channels into ports. They are sometimes used to mark the centre of a channel; occasionally they are used in a series down the middle of a channel instead of lateral marks on the edges of the channel. If lit, it will have a white light, whose rhythm always has a long period of light in the sequence.

Question 17

Special Marks

Answer 17

This is used for such things as traffic separation schemes, spoil ground, aquaculture areas, cables and pipelines, or to temporarily replace a missing mark. Special marks can have a can, cone or sphere as the body if they are being used in the same sense as lateral or safe water marks. If lit, a special mark will have a yellow light using any patter that will not confuse them with other navigation marks.

Question 18

Cardinal Marks

Answer 18

These are used where lateral marks would be inappropriate or confusing. They indicate the compass direction of the safest water. You should pass to the east of an East Cardinal mark, to the south of a South Cardinal, to the west of a West Cardinal and to the north of a North Cardinal. The lights, topmarks and colour schemes have a logic to help you memorise them: The cones on top point in the direction of the black segment of the pillar: North East South West
North – both cones top point up, black at the top of the pillar.
East – the cones point up and down, black at top and bottom.
South – both cones point down, black at the bottom.
West – the cones point inwards, black in the middle.

Question 19

Lights- The lights patterns almost follow the clock face:

Answer 19

North Cardinal = 12 o’clock = continuous flashing.
East Cardinal = 3 o’clock = 3 flashes
South Cardinal = 6 o’clock = 6 flashes + 1 long
West Cardinal = 9 o’clock = 9 flashes
The long extra flash for south, and the continuous flash for north are to avoid confusion if you lose track with your counting.