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By Dick Blackman Do you operate your boat at night? Is there a chance you might be caught on the water in fog, or in a sudden thunder shower? Is your boat equipped with navigation lights? If the answer to any one of these questions is “yes”, read on. You need a basic understanding of navigation lights in order to safely operate your boat. (The terms “navigation lights” and “running lights” are often used interchangeably.) When you are on the water operating your boat “You’re in Command,” and are legally responsible for the proper operation of your boat, and the safety of all aboard. Each year, navigation lights are an issue in numerous cases of recreational and commercial boat collisions. Were the proper lights turned on? Were the lights installed to show the correct arcs of visibility? Were the lights obscured by boat structure, canvas enclosures, or passengers standing on deck? Were inappropriate lights such as searchlights or dock lights (sometimes called headlights) that can temporarily blind another operator turned on? Did other onboard deck and interior lights interfere with visibility of the navigation lights? Answers to these questions can often determine which operator is legally and financially responsible for a collision. In fact, one of the fundamental skills taught to marine accident investigators is how to determine after an accident whether or not the navigation lights were turned on. Since most boats are equipped with navigation lights, and most operators are at risk of being caught on the water by a sudden weather change that results in reduced visibility, your understanding of the lights on your boat, and your ability to interpret the movements of other vessels by their lights is critically important. The importance of navigation lights is often overlooked by recreational boaters, dealers, and manufacturers. A boat operated during the hours from sunset to sunrise, or during other times of reduced visibility, is required to show properly configured navigation lights to provide other boats with an indication of direction of travel, and status; e.g. anchored, aground, etc. Most boats on the water are power boats less than 39.4 feet (12 meters) in length. The term power boat also includes sailboats using engines. In “navlight speak” length is defined as length overall which generally includes permanently attached fixtures such as swim platforms and bow/anchor pulpits. These boats require, when underway (not connected to dock or ground) may display a white light visible all around the boat to a distance of two miles, and sidelights (red to port and green to starboard) visible from straight ahead to 22.5 degrees behind (abaft) the beam on the respective side visible to a distance of one mile. These boats may also display, instead of the all around white light, a white masthead light visible from 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on one side around the bow to 22.5 degrees abaft the opposite beam, together with a stern light that shows from 22.5 degrees abaft the beam around the stern on both sides. The required range of visibility for the masthead and stern lights are the same as for the all around light – two miles. And, the masthead or all around light must be located at least 3.2 feet one meter) above the sidelights. See the following illustration for some examples.
The discussion above talked about arcs of visibility around the boat, or horizontal sectors of visibility. Another important factor required by the law is vertical sectors of visibility or a specified arc above and below the horizontal. The basic rule hare is that the lights must be visible to 7.5 degrees above and below horizontal for powerboats, and 25 degrees for sailboats. This is to be sure the lights can be seen when a boat is rocking, or heeled over.
You should check you boat to be sure the lights are properly installed. This means the arcs discussed above are not blocked by any structure. Very often we find lights that are installed in molded recesses in the hull have arcs that are restricted by the edges of the recess. The lights must have sufficient power to ensure they are bright enough to be seen for the required distance. When you replace a bulb in your navigation lights it is critical that the correct bulb be used to ensure proper performance. Read the light manufacturers materials or contact your boat dealer to find the correct bulb. To check if your bimini top, canvas enclosure or arch interferes with the arc of visibility, you can use the following quick check: Apply a bit of high school trigonometry should prove useful in this case. Or if you didn’t like Trigonometry in school, maybe you remember the “Rise Over Run” rules from carpentry shop classes. First measure the horizontal distance from the light to the suspected obstruction. Then measure the vertical height from the obstruction to the horizontal line. Divide the height measurement by the distance measurement and refer to the table in the following diagram. If your result is greater than that shown in the table for the required sector of visibility you’re good to go. If not the required sector is blocked.
Give your boat a good visual “eyeball” check to be sure that your normal seating/standing positions and those of your passengers do not block any of the navigation lights. Pay attention to the interior and exterior lighting you use when navigation lights are also being used. It is very common to see a boat with so many lights showing that the navigation lights cannot be seen. Also remember that docking lights (which are sometimes incorrectly labeled as headlights) are NOT part of the authorized navigation lights. These should not be used when underway because they interfere with visibility of your navigation lights, AND they can temporarily blind another operator, causing an accident. The same comment applies to searchlights that should only be used for very brief “spots”, and only when there is no chance they will blind anyone nearby. One final note, if your boat was manufactured after November 1, 2003 any navigation lights installed on your boat when it was delivered were required to meet certification requirements in Title 33, Part 183, Subpart M. This requirement included some specific labeling. Most light manufacturers are meeting the labeling requirement by stamping a label on the base of the light, where it can be seen without taking the light apart. This label will show U.S. Coast Guard, followed by the range of visibility; e.g. USCG 2nm. It is also acceptable for the light to show is meets requirements of Underwriter’s Laboratory standard UL 1104, the commercial boat lighting standard, because it is more stringent than the recreational boat standard. In addition to these markings, you may also see others such as A-16, indicating the light also meets other standards. If your boat was manufactured after November 1, 2003 and does not meet these requirements, consult with your dealer. For more information on navigation lights and other important topics to make your boating experience safer, and to avoid being found in violation during a check by law enforcement personnel, refer to www.uscgboating.org, or call 1-800-368-5647. |
