In the Navigation rules, the term "right of way" specifically applies to which type of vessel?

The term "right of way" in the context of navigation rules, particularly concerning vessels in a narrow channel and dealing with the dynamics of current, can be understood by recognizing that downbound vessels have specific considerations. When a vessel is traveling downbound with a following current, it experiences momentum and potentially has less maneuverability compared to an uphill vessel. According to navigation rules, vessels that are downbound generally hold the right of way in these situations as they are often constrained by the current and their need to maintain speed and control.

This principle is essential in ensuring safe navigation and preventing collisions in narrow channels where visibility and maneuvering space may be limited. Uphill vessels are traditionally required to give way to the vessels that are downbound and moving with the current, thus maintaining a safer flow of traffic.

The other options do not specifically address the rules governing right of way in the same focused context. For example, vessels in open water do not have the same constraints and can typically maneuver freely without the primary considerations of current and narrow passage dynamics at play with right of way situations. Similarly, vessels anchored in a harbor and uphill vessels in a channel are also subject to different rules that do not grant them the same prioritization as downbound vessels in a narrow channel