When you take a boat out over the water, knowing how to use the navigation lights should be a must. It is your responsibility as a boat owner to ensure that the proper lights are installed, colored, and calibrated on your vessel. The safety of everyone else on the sea is maintained when all boaters use their lights appropriately and comprehend the lights of many other vessels they see. Go for a yacht rental to see these kinds of lights.
What color is the stern light on a boat?
White is the color of the stern light. A stern light is a white-colored light that shines continuously from the stern of a pleasure vessel, mounted in such a way that the light shines out at an angle of 135 degrees from the rear of the boat and affixed to display the light at aft on each side.
You can tell which way a vessel is traveling by looking at the arc of the lights and the color. What kind of lighting do you have? You should try them out at night to see how noticeable you are. Switch on your lights, whether you’re on a trailer or even at the marina and check how visible they are. If you’re at anchor or moored, walk or row away from the boat to check how apparent the lights were as you go farther away. Against the backdrop of lights on the beach, how visible are they?
What do the various colors mean?
- White colored lights
Because white lights either are all round and stern, or mast, they provide a good overview of the vessel. All-around lights, as the name indicates, cast a complete 360o circle of light. They’d be thrown from the boat’s center and would have to be seen for two kilometers.
Lights on the masthead shine from 112.5o on the starboard side of the boat to 112.5o on the starboard side, passing through dead ahead. As a result, the lighting arc is 225o. Side lights must always be placed above masthead lights. Visibility distance is 2 miles for boats under 39.4 feet and 3 miles for vessels beyond 39.4 feet. Lights from the Stern. These lights beam at an angle of 135 degrees. The light should have a visible distance of 2 miles.
- Red, green, or bicolor lights
Colored lights are usually sidelights, and the color difference shows which side they are on. The red lights are on the port side, while the green lights are on the starboard side. On each side of the ship, the lights shine approximately dead ahead to 112.5o aft. Sidelights on certain boats may be integrated into a single bicolor light. The observable range ought to be 1 mile for vessels under 39.4 feet and 2 miles for boats beyond 39.4 feet.
Lights on sailboats
The common boat navaids apply to sailboats and are less than 7 meters long. If ordinary maritime lights, on the other hand, cannot be utilized or fitted in a practical manner, there is another choice. Your yacht must be equipped with an electric torch or lamp that provides a bright white light that can be deployed quickly to avoid collisions.
Lights on powerboats
Powerboats must have a front masthead light, sidelights, and a stern light. Sidelights and an all-around white light are permitted on vessels under 12 meters in length. Instead of a secondary masthead light as well as stern light, powerboats in the Great Lakes may have an all-around white light. Sidelights may be integrated into a single two-color light that is mounted to the boat’s centerline.
Final words
Between sunset and dawn, as well as during any other time when visibility is decreased, boat navigation lights seem to be essential. These lights can tell you how big the boat is, what it’s doing, and where it’s heading. The use of boat lights is a must for boats to communicate with others.
