In a narrow channel where safe passing is difficult, what is the recommended action?

• A. Maintain speed and insist on passage
• B. Slow down and be prepared to alter course to make safe passage for the other vessel
• C. Stop and wait
• D. Veer to port and demand passage

Answer: (B)

In a narrow channel, the priority is to ensure safe passage for the other vessel and keep the channel clear. If passing safely isn’t assured, you should slow down and be prepared to alter your course to allow the other vessel to pass safely. This proactive action reduces stopping distance and gives you time to judge the other vessel’s actions, preventing a hazardous situation. Maintaining speed and insisting on passage can block the channel or force a risky maneuver, stopping in the channel can trap both vessels, and trying to demand passage contradicts the necessary give-way behavior in confined waters. So the best approach is to reduce speed and be ready to steer to let the other vessel pass safely.