Navigation Rules Flashcards
7 cards from real ALABAMA BOATERS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Navigation Rules flashcards as text
On Alabama waters, when two vessels are approaching head-on at night, a boater sees both a red and a green light ahead. This means:
Answer: The vessels are in a head-on situation
Seeing both sidelights (red and green) of an approaching vessel means you are directly in front of it — a head-on meeting situation.
Which factor does NOT affect a vessel operator's determination of safe speed?
Answer: The color of the vessel's hull
Hull color has no bearing on safe speed; operators must consider visibility, traffic, maneuverability, background lights, and vessel draft.
A vessel aground in restricted visibility sounds which fog signal?
Answer: Three distinct strokes of the bell before and after rapidly ringing the bell
A vessel aground sounds a bell signal — three distinct strokes, rapid ringing for five seconds, then three distinct strokes — to alert nearby vessels.
Under Navigation Rules, 'underway' means a vessel:
Answer: Is not at anchor, made fast to the shore, or aground
Underway means the vessel is not anchored, not moored, and not aground — it may or may not be making way through the water.
When must a vessel operator take action to avoid a collision under Rule 8?
Answer: In ample time, with large enough alteration to be readily apparent to the other vessel
Rule 8 requires action to be taken in ample time and be large enough that the other vessel can clearly see the maneuver being made.
What does a vessel constrained by its draft have priority over?
Answer: Power-driven vessels, sailing vessels, and fishing vessels in narrow channels
A vessel constrained by its draft ranks below vessels not under command and restricted in ability to maneuver, but has priority over power-driven, sailing, and fishing vessels.
Which statement about the 'danger zone' for a power-driven vessel is correct?
Answer: It extends from dead ahead to 112.5 degrees on the starboard side
The danger zone is the arc from dead ahead to 112.5° on the starboard side — any vessel approaching within this arc has the right of way over your vessel.