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 Red
Light, Green Light
by Mark King
Navigating at night
and in periods of reduced visibility presents its own peculiar circumstances.
Fortunately, there are established rules to follow to ensure we
are recognized by our fellow boaters.
By the time steam-powered vessels were roaming the
globe replacing sailing ships by delivering cargo faster and more
efficiently, the major shipping countries had arrived at a number
of international conventions. Those conventions were designed to
save lives at sea and provide seamen with a set of standard rules
of conduct.
Among them were lighting conventions that established
what lights ships display in periods of reduced visibility, mainly
at night and in poor weather conditions. Lights could easily be
seen by ships in close proximity of each other and every person
underway and making way at sea understood what the lights meant.
Understanding them sometimes is a different story,
especially for recreational boaters who hit the water for only about
four months of the year. But, despite their apparent confusion,
they must be understood, especially if you are on the water in the
dark. (Top)
The rules, which were designed for large ships,
are actually simple. And, they have been made simpler for smaller,
recreational, or pleasure craft.
On larger vessels, the international convention
established “Steaming Lights.” Under 150 feet in length, a ship
had to display a white light that was visible in front of the ship.
It was to be placed on a mast above the deck and was to be visible
from dead ahead to two points of the compass abaft the beam on each
side.
The light covered a total of 225 degrees, 112.5
degrees on each side of the ship, measured from the bow. This has
become known as the Masthead Light. Ships over 150 feet were to
carry another similar light, higher up on the ship and well aft
of the first light.
Facing the ship from anywhere forward, you could
easily tell, by how the lights line up, in which direction the ship
is heading. For further clarity and in cases where the ship only
carried one white light, the convention also established red lights
and green lights for side lights. The red light was to shine off
the port bow, covering half the arc of the forward steaming, or
masthead light.
The green light covers the same arc on the starboard
side. When mariners saw the lights they could easily figure out
the direction the ship was travelling. This worked well unless you
were overtaking a ship so the convention also set a rule for stern
lights, originally called “Overtaking Lights.” It is a white light
shining behind the ship over an arc of 135 degrees, 67.5 degrees
from dead astern to each side. Mariners ap-proaching another vessel
from astern will only see this light until they begin to pass the
other vessel.
As recreational boats began plying the waterways,
the international convention had to be applied and in nations like
Canada and the United States, “Inland, or Great Lakes Rules” were
developed. (Top)
Collision Regulations now permit variations of the
light pattern for vessels under 20 metres and under 12 metres, primarily
recreational vessels. Sailboats and vessels under oar-power also
have options.
Pleasure craft under 50 metres must still carry
a forward masthead light, the red light to port and the green light
to starboard, placed well up on the cabin, as well as the overtaking,
or stern light.
Under 20 metres, the red port light and green starboard
light can be combined as one unit on the bow. Under 12 metres, the
masthead light and the stern light can be combined as one all-round
light, visible all-round by being higher than the boat’s structures.
If you are out in your dinghy under oar power and
need lights, you can use the under 12 metre option or, you can raise
an all-round white light in sufficient time to prevent a collision.
So how do we remember all of this information? Simply,
the red light is on the port from the bow to 112.5 degrees along
the side. Think of red as the color of the alcoholic beverage, Port,
(red-Port) and you shouldn’t have a problem. The green light, is
on the other side of the bow from the red light. (Top)
The masthead light covers the same area as both
red and green lights, only it is white and usually placed higher
than the red and green, although on some older cruisers, it may
be lower than the red and green. The stern light covers the rest
of the circle around the boat.
Of course, these are only “Steaming Lights.” There
are others used by mariners to indicate information such as towing.
If you plan to be on the water at night, especially on the Great
Lakes, the St. Lawrence River or along either coast, you should
also learn these lights.
To qualify for your Operator Competency Card however,
you only need to recognize the masthead, side and stern lights.
These lights are also used to indicate right-of-way. (Top)
(Lifeline is produced through the Safe Boater Training Program,
a certification program for recreational boaters.)
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