INLAND ONLY. A power-driven vessel operating in a narrow channel with a following current on the Great Lakes or Western Rivers is meeting an upbound vessel. Which statement is TRUE?

INLAND ONLY. A power-driven vessel operating in a narrow channel with a following current on the Great Lakes or Western Rivers is meeting an upbound vessel. Which statement is TRUE?

• A. The downbound vessel has the right-of-way.
• B. The downbound vessel must initiate the required maneuvering signals.
• C. The downbound vessel must propose the manner and place of passage.
• D. The upbound vessel has the right-of-way.

Answer: (A)

In inland rules, when two power-driven vessels meet in a narrow channel with a following current, the vessel moving downstream has the right of way. The downstream vessel can hold its course with more predictable steering and speed, while the upstream vessel is working against the current and has less maneuverability. So, the upbound vessel must take early and substantial action to avoid, and the downbound vessel should continue on its course without needing to alter its path. This is why stating that the downbound vessel has the right of way is the correct choice. The other statements imply actions (initiating signals or proposing passage) that aren’t required by the rule in this scenario, or assign the right of way to the upbound vessel, which isn’t correct here.

In inland rules, when two power-driven vessels meet in a narrow channel with a following current, the vessel moving downstream has the right of way. The downstream vessel can hold its course with more predictable steering and speed, while the upstream vessel is working against the current and has less maneuverability. So, the upbound vessel must take early and substantial action to avoid, and the downbound vessel should continue on its course without needing to alter its path. This is why stating that the downbound vessel has the right of way is the correct choice. The other statements imply actions (initiating signals or proposing passage) that aren’t required by the rule in this scenario, or assign the right of way to the upbound vessel, which isn’t correct here.