Question 1863Navigation General

The correct answer is B) Both towheads will tend to drift apart, and the overtaken vessel will be slowed down. The reasoning behind this is that when an upbound vessel is overtaking another vessel, both of which are pushing a tow ahead, the interaction between the vessel wakes and the tows will cause the towheads to drift apart. This increased separation between the towheads will create additional drag on the overtaken vessel, effectively slowing it down. The overtaking vessel, on the other hand, will be less affected by this interaction, allowing it to maintain its speed and overtake the other vessel. The other options are incorrect because they do not accurately describe the expected reaction in this scenario. For example, option A is incorrect because the towheads will not drift together, and option C is incorrect because the overtaken vessel, not the overtaking vessel, will be slowed down.