VTS Core Nautical Knowledge 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a VTS 'traffic image'?
- To photograph vessels for port records
- To maintain a comprehensive picture of all vessel movements in the VTS area (Correct answer)
- To monitor weather conditions in the port
- To track cargo manifests of arriving vessels
Correct answer: To maintain a comprehensive picture of all vessel movements in the VTS area
The traffic image is the VTS operator's continuously updated mental and electronic picture of all vessel traffic within the VTS area, used to identify conflicts and provide information.
Question 2: What does 'draft' refer to when describing a vessel?
- The speed of the vessel through the water
- The vertical distance from the waterline to the lowest point of the keel (Correct answer)
- The weight of cargo the vessel is carrying
- The direction the vessel is heading
Correct answer: The vertical distance from the waterline to the lowest point of the keel
Draft (or draught) is the vertical measurement from the waterline to the deepest point of the vessel's keel, indicating how deep the vessel sits in the water.
Question 3: Under COLREGS, Rule 8 addresses 'action to avoid collision.' Which of the following best describes this rule?
- Action must be taken only when vessels are within 1 nautical mile
- Any action taken must be large enough to be readily apparent to the other vessel (Correct answer)
- Only the stand-on vessel is required to take action
- Action must always consist of a course change, never a speed reduction
Correct answer: Any action taken must be large enough to be readily apparent to the other vessel
COLREGS Rule 8 requires that any action taken to avoid collision must be large and bold enough to be readily apparent to the other vessel, and must be taken in ample time.
Question 4: What is a 'Notice to Mariners' (NtM)?
- A VHF broadcast warning of immediate navigational hazards
- An official publication informing mariners of important matters affecting navigation (Correct answer)
- A vessel's notice to port authority of intended arrival
- A Customs form required for international arrivals
Correct answer: An official publication informing mariners of important matters affecting navigation
A Notice to Mariners is a periodic official publication that notifies mariners of corrections to nautical charts, publications, and other information affecting navigation safety.
Question 5: When two power-driven vessels are on crossing courses, which vessel is the give-way vessel?
- The vessel with the other on its port side
- The vessel with the other on its starboard side (Correct answer)
- The slower vessel
- The larger vessel
Correct answer: The vessel with the other on its starboard side
COLREGS Rule 15 states that when two power-driven vessels are crossing, the vessel which has the other on its own starboard side shall keep out of the way.
Question 6: In maritime communications, what does 'SECURITE' indicate?
- A distress call requiring immediate assistance
- A navigational or meteorological safety announcement (Correct answer)
- A vessel requesting port entry clearance
- An urgency message about a person overboard
Correct answer: A navigational or meteorological safety announcement
SECURITE is one of the three international radio-telephone urgency prefixes, used to announce navigational or meteorological warnings and important safety information.
Question 7: What is 'way' as it pertains to vessel movement?
- The vessel's heading relative to true north
- The movement of a vessel through the water (Correct answer)
- The distance a vessel travels in one watch
- The channel or fairway a vessel is navigating
Correct answer: The movement of a vessel through the water
A vessel is said to have 'way' when it is moving through the water, whether moving ahead (headway), astern (sternway), or sideways (leeway).
VTS Core Nautical Knowledge 4
What is the primary purpose of a VTS 'traffic image'?