What do green and white lights on a boat mean?

If a green and a white light are visible, then another craft is approaching you from the port (left) side. In this situation, you are the stand-on craft and should maintain your speed and course. The other craft should take early and substantial action to steer well clear of your craft.

What do visible white and green lights indicate?

Give way to your starboard side. Powerboat B: When only white and green lights are visible, you are approaching the starboard side of a powerboat. Stand on. Powerboat A: When white, red and green lights are visible, you are approaching a powerboat head-on.

What side does green light go on a boat?

The red light designates the vessel's left, or port, side, while the green light designates the right, or starboard, side. A sternlight is a white light that is located at the stern of the boat and is only visible from behind the vessel. A masthead light is required on all power-driven vehicles.

What color lights are on boats?

Red/Green/Bicolor

Colored lights are always sidelights and the different color indicates the side. Red lights are located portside, and green are starboard. The lights shine from dead ahead to 112.5º aft on either side of the vessel.

What does a flashing green light on a boat mean?

Starboard marks are green and come with a cone that points to the top or a triangle top. It flashes green at night. When your boat is going in (away from the sea), the port mark will always be on the left side and the starboard mark on the right.

Navigation lights on a boat

What lights should be on a boat at night?

The required lights are: Red and green sidelights visible from a distance of at least one mile away on a dark, clear night. An all-round white light or both a masthead light and a sternlight. These lights must be visible from a distance of at least two miles away on a dark, clear night.

Is green port or starboard?

Red is the international convention for the port side, while green is the colour for the starboard side. This is common on aircraft and helicopter vessels.

What is a blue light on a boat?

A vessel's navigation lights and shapes may be lowered if necessary to pass under a bridge. 88.11 Law enforcement vessels. (a) Law enforcement vessels may display a flashing blue light when engaged in direct law enforcement or public safety activities.

What color light is port?

Sidelights - Colored lights - red on port and green on starboard - showing an unbroken arc of the horizon of 112.5 degrees, from dead ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on each side. Combination lights - Sidelights may be combined in a single fixture carried at the centerline of the vessel.

Which side of the boat do you pass on?

1. If another vessel is approaching you from the port — or left — side of your boat, you have the right of way and should maintain your speed and direction. 2. If a vessel is aiming to cross your path and they're on your starboard — or right — side, they have the right of way.

What is the white light on a boat called?

A masthead light is a white light at the front of the boat. The masthead light needs to be visible across 225 degrees and from two miles away.

When boating at night what does a single white light on a boat tell you?

All-Round White Light: On power-driven vessels less than 39.4 feet in length, this light may be used to combine a masthead light and sternlight into a single white light that can be seen by other vessels from any direction. This light serves as an anchor light when sidelights are extinguished.

What action should you take if you are approaching another boat at night and see a white light?

What does a White Light Indicate? If only a white light is visible, you may be approaching another craft from behind. You are the give-way-craft and must take early and substantial action to steer well clear by altering your course and passing at a safe distance on the starboard (right) or port (left) side.

What are navigation lights on a boat?

Navigation Lights “A set of lights shown by a ship or aircraft between sunset and sunrise, and in rain and fog, to indicate its position and orientation.” Something any skipper needs to know is what Navigation lights are required at night.

What are anchor lights on a boat?

Anchor lights, the lights that are visible when a boat is anchored at night, are a key factor in making nighttime boating both easier and safer. If you only take your boat to a designated mooring and never plan on anchoring, then it is not necessary for you to use an anchor light.

What does a yellow light on a boat mean?

When commercial vessels are towing or pushing a barge, they display one or more yellow lights in place of a sternlight. There may be an unlit space of several hundred yards between the lights displayed on the bow and stern of the composite formed by the commercial vessel and its barge(s).

What color are police boat lights?

Search and rescue vessels, police boats, and government vessels will display blue flashing lights when they're responding to an emergency situation. Always slow down, keep well clear, and allow boats displaying flashing blue lights to pass you.

What does a flashing yellow light on a boat mean?

(1) An individual who is on a vessel engaged in a government sanctioned public safety activity or a commercial vessel performing a public safety activity may display an alternately flashing red and yellow light signal.

Do ships always dock on the port side?

Ships can dock on either port or starboard side, depending on the layout of the port itself, the direction you are sailing in, and individual government regulations about how cruise ships can be arranged on a pier. It's also often at the discretion of the captain to choose how to position the ship in port.

What are the 4 sides of a ship called?

Now let's learn the words for the front, rear, left and right sides of the boat. The front of a boat is called the bow, while the rear of a boat is called the stern. When looking towards the bow, the left-hand side of the boat is the port side. And starboard is the corresponding word for the right side of a boat.

Why is red left green right?

Most commercial airplanes have a green light on one of their wings and a red light on the opposite wing. The red light is located on the airplane's left wing, whereas the green light is located on the airplane's right wing. They two lights will flash simultaneously to increase the airplane's visibility.

What was the poop deck on a ship?

The poop deck is basically used by the vessel's commanding superiors to observe the work and navigational proceedings. Technically, it is the deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the aft part of the superstructure of the ship. 2. Main Deck: As the name suggests, the main deck is the primary deck in any vessel.

Why is the toilet called the head?

Since the wind was blowing from the rear to the front, the “head” (or front) of the ship was the best place for sailors to relieve themselves. So, when the shipmates went to the toilet, they went to the head.

What should be avoided when anchoring?

Never tie the line to the stern: the additional weight could bring on water. Slowly lower the anchor from the bow, rather than the stern, to avoid capsizing or swamping. When the anchor has hit bottom—and sufficient rode is given out—give a solid pull to set the anchor. Secure and adjust the line.