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Let
There Be Light (21-3)
By Mark King
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 There’s
nothing more relaxing than a summer evening cruise with
your family. The water is calm, the air is a little
cooler and it’s a pastime enjoyed by countless
boaters throughout the season. But while dusk quickly
turns into night, it’s vital to understand the
proper regulations of navigation lights to ensure the
utmost safety for you and other vessels on the water.
The Collision Regulations state there should be a masthead
light, port and starboard lights as well as a stern
light. The masthead light is white and covers an unbroken
arc across the center of the bow, 112.5 degrees along
each side for a total of 225 degrees. The port sidelight
is red and covers an arc of 112.5 degrees from dead
ahead along the port side, while the starboard light
is green and covers the same degrees to starboard side.
The stern light is a white light along the centerline
and covers an arc of 135 degrees. How navigation lights
are displayed may vary from vessel to vessel, depending
on hull size, model style, etc. but this is the general
rule.
While navigation lights clearly indicate there’s
another boat on the water and the direction it’s
heading, there are important points to remember when
you encounter another vessel at night. If you see a
red and green light in front of your boat and the red
light is on your starboard and the green is on your
port, the boat is heading straight for you. If you see
a red light dead ahead you are looking at the port side
of a boat and if the red light is moving from your right
to left, it’s passing from your starboard to port.
While in theory this is simple enough, there are many
factors that hinder the visibility of navigation lights,
which is when problems can potentially arise.
To ensure your navigation lights are visible, start
by a simple inspection of your boat’s exterior
at dock level, then at water level and a little higher
up above the deck line. Remove any equipment that interferes
with the visibility of the lights. Gear such as fender
holders, dinghies, life rings, bowlines, etc. can easily
obstruct lights. If equipment is blocking the light(s),
adjust the item or move it to another on board location.
Sometimes there’s a problem with the way the lights
are installed, especially on older, smaller boats. If
your lights have fogged lenses, you may want to replace
them. They can be an extreme hazard since they may be
hard to see while cruising along a shoreline of a city
or a marina.
Also, during your inspection look at your lights at
night up close and from a distance. Determine if they
are clearly visible and bright enough. If they aren’t,
consider installing stronger bulbs if the circuit can
handle it. Or perhaps, just install better, larger lights.
Navigation lights should be tested regularly throughout
the season. If you don’t regularly cruise at night,
frequently turn them on for at least half an hour. Corrosion
and lack of use are two of the most common causes of
light failures. A 30-minute test once a month will clearly
indicate any problems.
After checking the visibility of your lights while the
boat is at the dock, try the same tests during operation.
The running angle of your boat may also completely block
your lights. One of the largest problems is the stern
light, which can often be hidden by the stern wake.
The port and starboard lights can also be hidden by
the hull when the boat is running at its true operating
angle.
It’s a fun experience to cruise at night, but
precautions must be taken. Also remember, night vision
can be illusory and depth perception usually altered
significantly. It’s hard enough to see what else
is out there, don’t make it difficult for everyone
else to see you.
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