With Shrimping season in full swing many of us will find ourselves out on the water under the cover of darkness. What most folks do no realize is that 70% of the shipping traffic in and out of the harbor also occurs after dark. Proper interpretation of navigational lights provides details as to a vessels direction, size, type and activity and are essential to safe travel around the harbor.
I will be the first to admit my knowledge of navigation lights was rather limited prior to attending sea school. I knew the basics such as the direction a boat was traveling, some of the boat types, or if the boat was anchored or underway, but beyond that I could not tell you anything more about the vessel. I attended sea school over 8-years ago and some of the knowledge I gained has faded due to lack of use, however due to the catchy phrases we learned with most of the light patterns and my constant use of this knowledge my retention of the basic light patterns has been strong. There are a multitude of light patterns and an even greater number of regulations that cover these patterns for navigation. Furthermore these patterns and regulations may vary according to inland and international usage. The purpose of this article is to cover some of the most basic light patterns that are often encountered in our local waters.
Vessels Direction: Obviously knowledge of a vessels direction is essential for nighttime navigation. All vessels, with the exception of a rowboat, while underway are required to display red (port side) and green (starboard side) sidelights. These lights must be visible from the centerline of the bow and extend to 112.5 degrees towards the stern. These sidelights will also be accompanied by at least one white all around light. Note: Location and numbers of white all around lights will be dependent upon the vessels size. Also sailboats under 20 meters and underway are not required to display a white all around light, but must display a 67.5 degree white light from the center line of the stern forward or a com