Under the Rules of the Road, which vessel is underway?

Under the Rules of the Road, which vessel is underway?

• A. A purse seiner hauling her nets
• B. A vessel drifting with the engine off
• C. A vessel moored at a pier
• D. A sailing vessel under full sail

Answer: (B)

Underway means a vessel is not at anchor and not made fast to the shore. It can be moving or simply adrift as long as it isn’t tied to the shore or anchored. A vessel drifting with the engine off fits this definition clearly: it isn’t anchored, isn’t moored to the shore, and isn’t aground, so it remains underway even though it has no propulsion at the moment. The other scenarios are not underway because one vessel is moored to a pier (made fast to shore), and the others would require knowing whether they’re actually moving or anchored, which isn’t specified.

Underway means a vessel is not at anchor and not made fast to the shore. It can be moving or simply adrift as long as it isn’t tied to the shore or anchored.

A vessel drifting with the engine off fits this definition clearly: it isn’t anchored, isn’t moored to the shore, and isn’t aground, so it remains underway even though it has no propulsion at the moment. The other scenarios are not underway because one vessel is moored to a pier (made fast to shore), and the others would require knowing whether they’re actually moving or anchored, which isn’t specified.