When a tug is pushing a barge ahead at night and the units are not a composite, which lights must appear aft on the tug?

When a tug is pushing a barge ahead at night and the units are not a composite, which lights must appear aft on the tug?

• A. Two Towing Lights
• B. One Stern Light
• C. Two White Stern Lights
• D. All-Round White Light

Answer: (A)

When a vessel is towing another vessel and they are not a composite unit, the towing vessel must display two towing lights at the stern to indicate the tow. These lights are typically yellow and are arranged in a vertical line, one above the other, to signal to other vessels that the tug is pushing a tow ahead. This setup helps other mariners recognize the towing configuration at night, which affects risk of collision and how other vessels should navigate around the tow. The other options don’t fit because they don’t convey the towing status: a single stern light is only the basic stern light, two white stern lights don’t indicate towing, and an all-round white light is not the signaling used to denote a tow. Therefore, two towing lights are the correct requirement.

When a vessel is towing another vessel and they are not a composite unit, the towing vessel must display two towing lights at the stern to indicate the tow. These lights are typically yellow and are arranged in a vertical line, one above the other, to signal to other vessels that the tug is pushing a tow ahead.

This setup helps other mariners recognize the towing configuration at night, which affects risk of collision and how other vessels should navigate around the tow. The other options don’t fit because they don’t convey the towing status: a single stern light is only the basic stern light, two white stern lights don’t indicate towing, and an all-round white light is not the signaling used to denote a tow. Therefore, two towing lights are the correct requirement.