06/29/2024
Stay safe this weekend and all week. This is important information.
With the 4th of July holiday right around the corner, I thought I would post about boat navigation lighting again. As of right now, you have time to check and make sure your navigation lights are working properly and not obscured by things like a bimini top, trolling motor or anything else in the way of them being able to be seen in the arc they are require to be visible in.
One of the quickest ways to get pulled over and ticketed/inspected by law enforcement on the water is to not have proper lighting, or to be operating with improper or illegal lighting after dark.
So, all navigation lighting on your boat is required to be US Coast Guard approved, meaning it is the correct color, is visible over the required arc over the horizon and is the correct intensity to be seen the required distance for the size of boat. All of these requirements are in place so that other vessels near you can interpret what type of boat you are and what your heading is at night.
The Navigation Rules Of The Road specify which vessel is to be the "Stand On Vessel" and which one is to be the "Give Way" vessel, when vessels are in sight of each other and close enough to need to know how to react. At night, these Rules are spelled out by the lighting on your boat.
As you all know (LOL), a vessel in a crossing situation coming from your starboard side (right side) is the Stand On Vessel and is required to maintain course and speed until the threat of collision no longer exists. This makes you the Give Way Vessel, requiring you to make adjustments to your course and speed to allow the boat on your starboard to pass.
This Rule is spelled out quite clearly at night by your navigation lights. A boat approaching you from your starboard side is shown your GREEN navigation light, indicating they are the Stand On Vessel and should proceed cautiously on their current track. Conversely, a boat approaching you from your port side (left side), sees your red navigation light and knows they are the Give Way vessel and are require to alter their course and speed to avoid collision. Not much different than a stoplight on the road.
The arc of visible light is also important because it shows you where you are in relation to the vessel you are approaching. The visible arc of the red and green side navigation lights are required to be visible over an arc of 112.5 degrees from vessel centerline. The reason for this is because if you only see the white overhead navigation light, you are behind the vessel you are seeing. AS your path becomes more of a crossing situation, you begin to see the red or green light, depending on which side you are approaching from and then that dictates what you responsibility is going forward.
So now, let me talk a little about improper lighting.
1) LED lights
2) Docking lights
3) Head lights
4) underwater lights
5) Porch lights
6) Improperly used spot lights
7) ANY red or green light that is not an approved Navigation light
8) Flood lights on a wakeboat arch or similar
Basically ANY - ANY light that can obscure, overpower or cause confusion in the interpretation of a vessel's required navigation light is considered illegal and carries with it the liability of causing a collision.
If you are uncomfortable navigating at night and feel you cannot do it without the use of illegal lighting, you need to stay on land or at the dock. By using improper, illegal lighting, you are making it difficult, if not impossible, for other boaters to navigate safely and are a danger to others around you.
So, no lights on at night except the legal required navigation lights in proper working order. If you are moored at the dock, light it up like the 4th of July and have a blast, but keep it correct when heading up the lake, for your sake and everyone around you.
