You are unsure whether you are crossing or overtaking. What is the recommended action?

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In a situation where you’re not sure whether you’re crossing or overtaking, the safe move is to take early action to avoid collision. This lines up with the rule that the vessel which has another vessel on its starboard side must give way, and the standard way to do that is to alter course to port (to the left). By turning to port, you reduce the chance of a close-quarters encounter and create a clear separation from the other vessel, regardless of whether your relative position is actually crossing or overtaking. If you were to maintain course, there’s a higher risk that you could drift into the other vessel’s path. Stopping or merely signaling does not reliably prevent a collision in a traffic lane or mixing zone. So, choosing to alter course to port is the prudent, rule-based action when the situation isn’t clearly defined.