In inland overtaking, which signal indicates you intend to overtake on your port side?

• A. One short blast
• B. Two short blasts
• C. Three short blasts
• D. Four short blasts

Answer: (B)

The signal to indicate overtaking on inland waters is given with short blasts, and the number of blasts tells which side you intend to pass on. Two short blasts specifically mean you plan to overtake the vessel on your port (left) side. This establishes a clear, simple cue for both vessels: the overtaking boat will move to pass on the left, and the vessel being overtaken should keep its course and speed to allow the pass. If you intended to pass on the starboard (right) side, a different short-blast count would be used, so two short blasts is the indicator for port-side overtaking. One short blast isn’t the overtaking signal, and counts like three or four short blasts correspond to the other side or different maneuvers. So, two short blasts is the best match for indicating an intended port-side overtaking.