USCG Exam Rules of the Road Trick Questions

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

OK, got me there. That's the only assumption you can make, if they don't give a vessel type, it's a PDV.

You know what they say about assumptions?

Originally Posted by capt jgw

In the real world, yes. On the exam, no. The exam is NOT real world.

The real world IS the exam.

Originally Posted by capt jgw

Who said A? WRONG

Answer is D. None of the above
There's no such thing as a PDV, Sailing vessel, or NUC at anchor. Your power is not driving, you are not sailing, and if you were NUC, you aren't anymore. You put down the anchor and it worked.
However, you can be fishing or conducting your work at anchor so those vessels sound the same signal at anchor as underway... One prolonged followed by two short blasts.

That's about as tricky as our questions get.

You created this exam question? You should be flogged.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Pandor

If two vessels engaged in fishing are in a crossing situation, rule 15 would apply to them as long as both were PDVs.

No, it doesn't. Back to your studies.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Montanan

in Rules 15 and Rules 17, both of which Rules specifically only apply between meetings of two power driven vessels, which power driven vessels can be of any type or purpose, or status [NUC, RAM, etc.], yes including fishing vessels.

OMG, so many errors. Rule 17 applies to all stand-on vessels (pdv, sail, fishing, nuc, ram). One sub-para (c) gives specific direction to PDVs only.

NUC, RAM and fishing vessels are distinct from PDVs in the rules - there are specific definitions, and the "pecking order" described in rule 18. A sailing vessel can become NUC too, so it's not just a "status" for PDVs.

[oslokid]

Please...you don't have to be USCG 100 ton Master Certified to drive your boat. I have spent thirty years on SF from Bethel Island to the Farallons. Simple.

You see tug with barge...stay away.

You see freighter bearing down on you... get away.

No Colregs required. Just common sense.

Oh...if it's grey... then stay away.

Unless it's the USS Iowa. Anchored about 500 ft. away. What a beatiful boat.

[BigBoater917]

Okay, I've seen it worded 2 different ways but you're saying the sailboat is under power because it is a crossing situation and not a keep out of the way correct?

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by StuM

So it's not a bad question from the USCG, it was just a flawed qustion you dreamed up. Thanks for wasting everyone's time

No, it's a pretty typical question, if quoted correctly as "sailing vessel". I don't remember seeing a real question that used "sailboat." But that was several years ago and I know they've revamped the questions so there might be some there now. He said tricky question, and if you use "sailboat" it sure is tricky.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by BigBoater917

Okay, I've seen it worded 2 different ways but you're saying the sailboat is under power because it is a crossing situation and not a keep out of the way correct?

Nope, there's no such thing as a "sailboat" in the Rules. The word does not appear anywhere in the book. It has to be power driven. If the question says "sailing vessel" the wording is correct and the SV is stand on. It's all about the words, not the actions.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by oslokid

Please...you don't have to be USCG 100 ton Master Certified to drive your boat. I have spent thirty years on SF from Bethel Island to the Farallons. Simple.

You see tug with barge...stay away.

You see freighter bearing down on you... get away.

No Colregs required. Just common sense.

Oh...if it's grey... then stay away.

Unless it's the USS Iowa. Anchored about 500 ft. away. What a beatiful boat.

But...
The whole point of a license exam is you are one of those vessels that pleasure boats want to stay away from and you have to know where the vessel you are running fits in the hierarchy. Most of what you learned running a pleasure boat in that situation is wrong, you can't just stay away. The Rules section would actually be a lot easier to teach to students who had never seen a boat, nothing to unlearn. The other sections, the more experience the better, mostly.

The first thing I do in the Rules section is show the cover of the Rules book and tell them they are now the captain of the 200 meter PDV shown. Then periodically during the section I ask one of the students what kind of boat he has. If he says anything but "200 meter PDV", he gets a big "Wrong!"

[Pelagic]

Definitions are important!.
It is how we communicate with each other so as to avoid misunderstandings at the most basic level .

COLREG's Rule 3 gives us the basic building block of definitions..... but as you can imagine, the various IMO Safety Conventions, developed those to a far more precise level to assist the Courts.

Philisophically,
Those who try to "dumb down" the wording, will forever remain unable to communicate

Philosophy*is the*study*of*underlying*things. This means philosophy tries to understand the reasons or*basis*for things. It also tries to understand how things should be. "Philosophia" is the*Ancient Greek*word for the "love of*wisdom".[1]*A person who does philosophy is called a*philosopher. A philosopher is a kind of*thinker*or*researcher. A "philosophy" can also mean a group of ideas by philosophers, or by a philosopher.[2]*Philosophy is a way of thinking about the*world, the*universe, and*society. In the past,*sciences*were part of philosophy as well.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

Nope, there's no such thing as a "sailboat" in the Rules. The word does not appear anywhere in the book. It has to be power driven. If the question says "sailing vessel" the wording is correct and the SV is stand on. It's all about the words, not the actions.

So you're saying that if the question uses the term "sailboat" you should assume it's a power-driven vessel, because the term "sailing vessel" was not used? Well the term "power-driven vessel" wasn't used either - so you can't assume it's that either.

[Captain Graham]

Another one
You are towing an inconspicuous, partly submerged vessel or object that is less than 25 meters in breadth.
What lights must you display on the object.
a. 2 all rounds yellow lights one in the front and one in the back.
b. 1 all-round white light at or near the forward end and one at or near the after end
c. 4 all round white lights at the 4 corners of the object.
d. direct a searchlight in the direction of the tow.

[Captain Graham]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

But...
The whole point of a license exam is you are one of those vessels that pleasure boats want to stay away from and you have to know where the vessel you are running fits in the hierarchy. Most of what you learned running a pleasure boat in that situation is wrong, you can't just stay away. The Rules section would actually be a lot easier to teach to students who had never seen a boat, nothing to unlearn. The other sections, the more experience the better, mostly.

The first thing I do in the Rules section is show the cover of the Rules book and tell them they are now the captain of the 200 meter PDV shown. Then periodically during the section I ask one of the students what kind of boat he has. If he says anything but "200 meter PDV", he gets a big "Wrong!"

Yes getting people who have been boating for a long time (most of my students) to unlearn is a problem.

I tell my students that we are going to stay focused and not share stupid what if stories. The stories will just confuse everyone.

When a student is confused about a rule I say "What would a freighter do?" and they then understand.

If you answer the question thinking you are a Freighter you will have a much better chance of getting the right answer.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

You know what they say about assumptions?

The real world IS the exam.

You created this exam question? You should be flogged.

What's not real world about the exam is the need to explain an action using the correct words. In the real world if you take a correct action, it doesn't matter how you would explain it. You're not explaining it to anyone, you just do it. On the exam, all you have is the words. That's not real world. Example: In a narrow channel you wish to overtake another vessel. In the real world it doesn't matter if the sound signal you give means " I intend to overtake you on your starboard side" or "I intend to leave you on my port side." The signal, intent, and action are exactly the same regardless of which words you use. On the exam you have to pick the right words, the "overtake" answer. The "leave" answer will be there, and it's wrong. Real world is taking the correct actions. Exam world is describing the actions per the language used in the book. Two completely different things.

[BigBoater917]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

Nope, there's no such thing as a "sailboat" in the Rules. The word does not appear anywhere in the book. It has to be power driven. If the question says "sailing vessel" the wording is correct and the SV is stand on. It's all about the words, not the actions.

I'm not trying to be rude, but that wasn't what I asked.

I was going off the question that it was a crossing situation between 2 PDVs because it was stated in the question that it was a crossing situation. I'm not sure I'm explaining myself well.

[Captain Graham]

Originally Posted by Captain Graham

Another one
You are towing an inconspicuous, partly submerged vessel or object that is less than 25 meters in breadth.
What lights must you display on the object.
a. 2 all rounds yellow lights one in the front and one in the back.
b. 1 all-round white light at or near the forward end and one at or near the after end
c. 4 all round white lights at the 4 corners of the object.
d. direct a searchlight in the direction of the tow.

This question shows now important it is to read the entire answer.
The correct answer is you need to have 2 all round lights one in the front and one in the back of the object.
So answer b is correct.
But if you just skim the answers you my think answer b is saying only 1 light.
Most students get this question wrong the first time.