As a public vessel, which type of vessel is listed as one you must keep out of the way of when operating a power-driven vessel underway?

• A. A sail boat.
• B. A vessel towing another.
• C. A boat moored while fishing.
• D. A submarine.

Answer: (A)

The key rule being tested is that sailing vessels normally have the right of way over power-driven vessels. When you’re operating a power-driven vessel underway, you must keep clear of a sailboat. Sailboats rely on wind for maneuvering and can’t accelerate or steer as quickly as a powered vessel, so giving them wide berth helps prevent collisions.

The other options aren’t the primary case for this rule: a vessel towing another is still a power-driven vessel and must follow crossing/stand-on rules; a moored boat isn’t moving, so standard collision avoidance applies but it isn’t the class that has priority; a submarine isn’t typically encountered in everyday traffic and isn’t the vessel type that dictates this particular right-of-way rule.