Module 5 - COLREGs
Advanced Scenario Check
Decision pressure: A small course alteration may look neat on paper but be invisible to the other vessel.
Advanced trap: Quoting a stand-on/give-way rule while ignoring continuing responsibility and restricted evidence.
A strong Yachtmaster answer says what you would do now, what you would monitor next, and what would make you change the plan. It should sound like an instruction a crew could follow, not a paragraph copied from a textbook.
The screen says so.
Yachtmaster answer: Cross-check independent sources and name any conflict.
It should be fine.
Yachtmaster answer: State depth, time, sea room, weather, crew, or traffic margin.
I will see later.
Yachtmaster answer: Name a trigger: time, position, visibility, crew state, or equipment failure.
Everyone knows.
Yachtmaster answer: Give short crew instructions and confirm understanding.
| Examiner prompt | Weak answer | Yachtmaster answer |
|---|---|---|
| What is your evidence? | The screen says so. | Cross-check independent sources and name any conflict. |
| What is your margin? | It should be fine. | State depth, time, sea room, weather, crew, or traffic margin. |
| What changes the plan? | I will see later. | Name a trigger: time, position, visibility, crew state, or equipment failure. |
| What do you brief? | Everyone knows. | Give short crew instructions and confirm understanding. |
Key points
- Apply Steering and sailing rules (Rules 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12–19) to a changed real-world situation.
- Separate fact, estimate, and assumption.
- Show what you would brief to helm, navigator, lookout, or deck crew.
- Make the conservative option visible before defending any higher-risk choice.
Continue studying COLREGs
This topic is part of Module 5. Open the full module for lessons, quizzes, flashcards, and revision tools.