Towing & Ship-Assist · Operations — Night and Restricted Visibility Tow Watch
While towing at night or in restricted visibility, the towing vessel should:
- AReduce the lookout to save crew rest
- BSecure the radar to save power
- CKeep a proper lookout, monitor the tow and towline, and verify the tow's lights/shapes are working✓ Correct
- DTurn off the tow's lights to avoid confusing others
Explanation
Rule 5 requires a proper lookout at all times. On a tow that means watching the tow's behavior and the towline, confirming the tow's required lights and shapes are displayed and functioning, and using radar and bridge-to-bridge radio — especially in darkness or reduced visibility.
Authority: Navigation Rules, Rule 5; 33 CFR 164
Practice the full Towing & Ship-Assist bank
Free spaced-repetition quizzing across 2190 USCG exam questions — it schedules your reviews so the ones you miss come back until they stick.
Related Towing & Ship-Assist questions
- Towing Lights
For the purpose of the towing light rules, the 'length of the tow' is measured from the:
- Towing Lights
A power-driven vessel towing astern, with a tow 200 meters or less in length, exhibits which lights in addition to sidelights and a sternlight?
- Towing Lights
When the length of the tow astern exceeds 200 meters, the towing vessel displays:
- Towing Lights
By day, when the length of a tow exceeds 200 meters, the towing vessel and the vessel being towed must each exhibit:
- Towing Lights
The yellow towing light required of a vessel towing astern is located:
- Towing Lights
A vessel or object being towed astern (and not a composite or pushed unit) normally exhibits: