INLAND ONLY. A power-driven vessel crossing a river on the Great Lakes or Western Rivers must keep out of the way of a power-driven vessel

INLAND ONLY. A power-driven vessel crossing a river on the Great Lakes or Western Rivers must keep out of the way of a power-driven vessel

• A. Descending the river with a tow
• B. Ascending the river with a tow
• C. Ascending the river without a tow
• D. Descending the river without a tow

Answer: (B)

On inland waterways, towing arrangements change who must yield in crossing situations. A power-driven vessel that is ascending the river while towing is harder to maneuver and needs more space to passage, so vessels crossing the river must keep out of the way of that upstream towing vessel. This is why the correct choice describes a vessel ascending the river with a tow as the one that must be kept clear of by the crossing vessel. If the ascending vessel weren’t towing, or if the other vessel were descending, the specifics of who must yield would be different, but the key point here is that a towing vessel moving upstream has priority in this crossing scenario.

On inland waterways, towing arrangements change who must yield in crossing situations. A power-driven vessel that is ascending the river while towing is harder to maneuver and needs more space to passage, so vessels crossing the river must keep out of the way of that upstream towing vessel. This is why the correct choice describes a vessel ascending the river with a tow as the one that must be kept clear of by the crossing vessel. If the ascending vessel weren’t towing, or if the other vessel were descending, the specifics of who must yield would be different, but the key point here is that a towing vessel moving upstream has priority in this crossing scenario.