COLREGs Distress Signals Practice Test 2025 – Complete Exam Prep

The correct answer is based on the regulations regarding the visibility and signaling of vessels under the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs). According to these regulations, vessels are required to display specific day shapes only under certain circumstances, such as when they are at anchor or engaged in specific operations like fishing. When a vessel is not anchored and is in motion, there is no requirement to display day shapes. Instead, vessels must adhere to the required navigation lights and shapes when appropriate to indicate their status or activity.

Displaying day shapes serves a vital role in enhancing safety by allowing other vessels to recognize the specific operations a vessel is conducting, but this requirement does not extend to vessels that are underway unless specific conditions, such as being constrained by draft or restricted in their ability to maneuver, apply. Hence, when vessels are not anchored, they do not need to display day shapes, affirming that the answer is indeed false.