If a vessel cannot avoid close-quarter situations, what should she do?

When a vessel cannot avoid close-quarter situations, it is important to reduce her speed to the minimum at which she can still maintain course. This action serves several critical purposes in navigating safely in congested waters. Reducing speed provides the vessel with more time to react to the actions of others and the surrounding environment, improving overall situational awareness. A slower speed also enhances maneuverability, making it easier to avoid any unforeseen obstacles or collisions that may arise due to another vessel's actions or changes in the traffic pattern.

By maintaining her speed or changing course without reducing speed, a vessel risks increasing the severity of a potential encounter, as higher speeds can exacerbate the consequences of any collision and limit the options for evasive action. Sounding a continuous signal, while important for communicating intentions in certain situations, does not directly address the immediate need to reduce the risk associated with close-quarter scenarios. Thus, caution and operational safety are prioritized by decreasing speed while maintaining the ability to control the vessel's course.