Vessel night navigation lights

NIGHT NAVIGATION LIGHTS
WWW.MARINE-EDUCATION.CO.UK

WHY NAV LIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT?
▸ So another vessel can see if a risk of danger or collision exists
▸ In order to take the appropriate action to avoid collision
▸ The direction the boat is travelling
▸ To help determine the size of the boat
▸ To help understand ‘what’ the vessel is doing i.e. at anchor,
underway, ﬁshing etc

BASIC RUNNING LIGHTS:
▸ Side Lights = These red and green lights are
called sidelights (also called combination
lights) because they are visible to another
vessel approaching from the side or head-on.
The red light indicates a vessel's port /left
side; the green indicates a vessel's
starboard /right side.
▸ All - Around White = On power-driven
vessels less than 12m in length, this light may
be used to combine a masthead light and
sternlight into a single white light, visible
360° that can be seen by other vessels from
any direction. This light also operates as an
anchor light when sidelights are turned off.

BASIC RUNNING LIGHTS:
▸ Masthead Light = This white light shines
forward and to both sides and is required on
all power-driven vessels. (On smaller boats
the masthead light and sternlight can be
combined into an all-round white light;
larger boats must have a separate masthead
light.) A masthead light must be displayed
by all vessels when under engine power.
The absence of this light indicates a sailing
vessel because when under sail they only
need display sidelights and a sternlight.
▸ Stern Light = This white light is seen only
from behind or nearly behind the vessel.
Visible 135° (67.5° on each side from astern)

WHEN TO USE NAV LIGHTS?
▸ Between sunset & sunrise
▸ Restricted visibility

UNDER 7M & UNDER 7 KNOTS
▸ A vessel under 7 metres in
length and travelling under 7
knots.
Light:
▸ All around white

POWER VESSEL - UNDER 50M
▸ Under way & making way
Lights:
▸ Port + Starboard + All around
white

SAILING YACHT
Lights:
▸ Tri-Colour OR
▸ Port + Starboard + White
Stern light
▸ When under power, the
Sailing vessel may not use a
tri-colour.

POWER VESSEL - OVER 50M
Lights:
▸ Port + Starboard + 2 x White
Masthead lights + White stern
light

AT ANCHOR - UNDER 50M
Lights:
▸ 1 x All round white light
AT ANCHOR - OVER 50M
Lights:
▸ 2 x white lights, one higher
than the other.

FISHING VESSEL
Lights:
▸ When underway, Running
Lights (vessel size speciﬁc) +
Activity Identiﬁcation:
▸ Red Over White Light

TRAWLING VESSEL
Lights:
▸ Running Lights (vessel size
speciﬁc) +
▸ Green over White Light

TOWING - UNDER 200M
Lights:
▸ Yellow stern light +
▸ Two masthead white lights

TOWING - OVER 200M
Lights:
▸ Yellow stern light +
▸ 3 x masthead white lights

PILOT VESSEL
Lights:
▸ White over Red Light

CONSTRAINED BY DRAUGHT
Lights:
▸ Running Lights (vessel size
speciﬁc) +
▸ 3 x Red vertically stacked
lights

NOT UNDER COMMAND
Lights:
▸ 2 x Red Lights vertically
stacked

RESTRICTED IN ABILITY TO MANOEUVRE
Lights:
‣ When underway, Running
▸ Red / White / Red Lights
vertically stacked

RESTRICTED IN ABILITY TO MANOEUVRE
Lights:
▸ White Masthead Light +
▸ 2 x Red Lights vertically
stacked

DREDGING
Lights:
▸ Restricted in Ability to
Manoeuvre lights (red/white/
red) +
▸ 2 x red lights on side of
obstruction +
▸ 2 x green lights on the side
that vessels may pass

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Vessel night navigation lights

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