Picture this, you are on a boat at sunset, the water is still, and you are taking the perfect picture for Instagram. If you are a boater you should be thinking about turning on your navigation lights, not your followers, as the sun sets or rises.
Navigation lights tell other boaters where you are, where you are going, and what you are doing. If you are on the water, lights are not only a safety requirement but a legal one as well.
Read on to learn about red, white, green, and yellow lights; what they mean and how to use them to see what other boaters are doing at night.
Let’s Talk Boats
In general, all boats under 65.6 feet are required to have the same light pattern on at night. The number of lights in each location will be different based on boat length. A boat that is less than 39.5 feet needs fewer lights in the same location. Sailboats and powerboats will have the same lights based on length but may be in different locations due to boat design. A mast headlight will be much higher up on a sailboat.
The U.S. Coast Guard dictates the light patterns required on your boat. Make sure you are familiar with their regulations before you take your boat out at night.
In addition, if you are new to boating, mariners talk in a specific language.
Here is a primer. The right side of a boat is the starboard side. The left side of the boat is the port side. The bow of the boat is the front. The stern is the back. The mast is the tall thing sticking out of the middle of a sailboat.
Now you can talk like a pirate, or a mariner, depending on your goal. Read on to learn about navigation lights.
Navigations Lights
Navigation lights are required by law for all boats operating at sunrise, sunset, and at night. Failing to have the right navigation lights will result in a fine from the Coast Guard and could result in serious injury to passengers and boats.
Sidelights
Mounted on the side of the boat, these lights are red and green. Remember, red is on the starboard side and green is port side. Also called combination lights, they are visible to other vessels and indicate the direction a boat is going based on which light you can see.
If you can see both the red and green light you are following or on a collision course with another boat. If you are following their light pattern will match yours, if you are on a collision course the light pattern will be the opposite. Be sure to act accordingly, depending on the situation.
Sternlight
This white light is seen only from behind. It has a 135-degree arc and two are required on every boat under 65.6 feet.
Masthead Light
This white light shines forward 225 degrees and is required on all power-driven vessels. Depending on your boat length you need 2 or 3.
All boats under engine power at night must have a masthead light, even sailboats.
The absence of this light indicates a sailboat is sailing. Sailboats under sail display only sidelights and a stern light. This gives them the right of way over power boats in most situations.
All-Round White Light
On power-driven vessels less than 39.4 feet in length, this light can be the combination of a masthead light and stern light. Vessels can see this light from all directions.
An all-round white light is also an anchor light. This means the boat is not moving, and you should give it the right away. Boats typically anchor near each other and closer to shore. Use this as an indication to slow down and watch for other navigation signs like channel markers and buoys.
Rules of the Road and Other Lighting Situations
Now that you know the lights you can understand your relationship to other boats while in motion.
A red light is always on the port side of a boat. If you see a red light coming at you, with two white lights it means the approaching boat is on your right. They have the right of way and you should alter your course.
If you see green from an oncoming boat, you know it’s on your left and you have the right of way.
Diver Down
The U.S. Dive Flag is red and white. At night, a dive boat with divers in the water will have a red-white-red vertical sequence on a masthead. Give this boat a wide berth to avoid hitting a diver as they surface.
Night Fishing
A fishing boat that is trawling has a net out for fish. It will have a green over white light, be sure to give it a wide berth so you don’t get tangled in a net.
Yellow Light
A yellow light means one boat is towing another. Don’t go in between the boats and they also have the right of way, so stay clear.
Boat Trailer Lights
If you trailer your boat, i.e. pull it behind a car or truck. The trailer will need lights when it is moved in the daylight and at night. Ensure your boat trailer has the right lighting set up and it works properly before you head out for your boating adventure.
Where to Buy Navigation Lights
Now that you understand the basics of navigation lights it is time to purchase them to make sure your boat is up to Coast Guard standards. Click here for all your marine lighting needs.
Also, be sure to take a nighttime navigation course before you move your boat at night.
