PER (Patrón de Embarcaciones de Recreo) — Spain

Practice questions (with answers)

1. Safe water marks have:

   1. Red and white vertical stripes
   2. Black and yellow horizontal bands
   3. All yellow colour
   4. Blue and yellow vertical stripes
   Show answer

   Correct answer: A. Red and white vertical stripes

   Safe water marks are red and white vertical stripes, indicating navigable water all around.

2. Special marks are coloured:

   1. Red
   2. Green
   3. Yellow
   4. Blue and yellow
   Show answer

   Correct answer: C. Yellow

   Special marks are yellow, indicating special areas like military zones, cables, or pipelines.

3. In a Rule 15 crossing encounter, the give-way vessel shall, if circumstances admit:

   1. Alter course to port to pass ahead
   2. Stop engines and wait
   3. Keep well clear and avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel
   4. Increase speed to cross ahead
   Show answer

   Correct answer: C. Keep well clear and avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel

   Rule 15 requires the give-way vessel to keep out of the way and, if circumstances admit, avoid crossing ahead. Rules 8 and 16 require early, substantial and effective action; the safe choice of course or speed depends on the whole situation.

4. The stand-on vessel MUST take action to help avoid collision when:

   1. The give-way vessel sounds one short blast
   2. Collision cannot be avoided by the give-way vessel acting alone
   3. A third vessel enters the area
   4. Visibility becomes restricted
   Show answer

   Correct answer: B. Collision cannot be avoided by the give-way vessel acting alone

   Rule 17(b): once so close that the give-way vessel alone cannot avoid collision, the stand-on vessel shall take action that best helps avoid it. Rule 17(a)(ii) separately permits earlier action when the give-way vessel is not taking appropriate action.

5. Except where Rules 9, 10 or 13 otherwise require, a power-driven vessel underway shall keep out of the way of all these EXCEPT:

   1. A sailing vessel
   2. A vessel not under command
   3. Another power-driven vessel of larger size
   4. A vessel engaged in fishing
   Show answer

   Correct answer: C. Another power-driven vessel of larger size

   Rule 18(a): power-driven vessels give way to NUC, RAM, fishing, and sailing vessels — but size alone does not determine priority.

6. In restricted visibility, your vessel detects another by radar alone forward of the beam and needs to alter course to avoid collision. The target is not being overtaken. So far as possible, avoid:

   1. Reduce speed
   2. Alter course to starboard
   3. Alter course to port
   4. Use sound signals
   Show answer

   Correct answer: C. Alter course to port

   Rule 19(d)(i): when course alteration is chosen for a radar-only contact, avoid a port alteration for a vessel forward of the beam, other than a vessel being overtaken.

7. How does IALA Region B differ from Region A?

   1. It uses different shapes only
   2. The colours are reversed — red to starboard
   3. It only uses cardinal marks
   4. There is no difference
   Show answer

   Correct answer: B. The colours are reversed — red to starboard

   Region A: port-hand red, starboard-hand green. Region B: port-hand green, starboard-hand red. Interpret both in the charted conventional direction of buoyage.

8. An East Cardinal mark shows how many quick flashes?

   1. 1 flash
   2. 3 flashes
   3. 6 flashes + long flash
   4. 9 flashes
   Show answer

   Correct answer: B. 3 flashes

   White lights, when fitted: North Q or VQ; East VQ(3) 5 s or Q(3) 10 s; South VQ(6)+LFl 10 s or Q(6)+LFl 15 s; West VQ(9) 10 s or Q(9) 15 s. The long flash lasts at least 2 s.

Practise more questions in the free test →