Consider which vessel in this line of vessels this question is referring to. The "first vessel of the tow" is not referring to the tug. It is referring to the first barge in the line of towed vessels. Tricky tricky.
Deck
Rules of the Road: BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND A tug is towing three manned barges in line in fog....
Discussing this exam question.
not 34 - which I thought - agree tricky
Just RTFQ
Manned barges would sound one prolonged and three short, how is the answer not C?