Final answer:
When your vessel is being passed (overtaken) by another vessel, it means that another boat is coming up from behind and moving past your boat.
Step-by-step explanation:
When your vessel is being passed (overtaken) by another vessel, it means that another boat is coming up from behind and moving past your boat.
For example, in the given passages, the captain and other crew members of the boat are being passed by another vessel. In the first passage, the boat passes to the left of the correspondent with the captain holding onto the keel. In the second passage, the cook paddles with an oar and goes ahead of the boat that is being passed.
Overall, when a vessel is being passed by another, it signifies the overtaking and movement of one boat past another.