Nothing happens and the range decreases; what may you do to avoid collision?

• A. May take action as will best aid to avoid collision.
• B. Do nothing.
• C. Increase speed to pass ahead.
• D. Stop and reverse.

Answer: (A)

When the range to another vessel is closing and nothing is taking effect yet, there is a real risk of collision and you must act to avoid it. The best approach is to take action as will best aid to avoid collision, meaning you should execute a safe, timely maneuver that creates separation or reduces speed so that you no longer share a collision course.

Relying on the other vessel to move first is not appropriate when the risk is increasing; doing nothing would likely lead to a collision. Conversely, increasing speed to try to pass ahead or stopping and reversing are not universally safe or practical maneuvers in every situation and can complicate the path of the other vessel or create new hazards. The emphasized idea is to take decisive, appropriate action to avoid collision based on the situation, such as altering course, reducing speed, or otherwise maneuvering to increase clearance.