sailboat mast head light

Mast head light confusion

Here is a question from a Student who posted it on Disqus. I felt it was important enough to post out here for public. Displaying correct lights on boats is important.

Could you please provide more of an explanation for the following: Although ‘steaming light’ is used extensively, this does not have a definition within the IRPCS [International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea], the correct definition being a masthead light.

If the tri-colour light can replace the stern and red/green pulpit light on a sailboat how can it be unacceptable to use the tri-colour light with mast head light? If you are under power you of course need your steaming light/ mast head light illuminated. So if you don’t have pulpit or stern lights aboard as you are using a tri colour light how can you do this?

Agreed – lights can be confusing at the onset. In this particular topic, sailors tend to get confused because they think a mast is only on a sailboat. But, a mast head light is also used (and defined for use) on power boats. Take a look at this image shown in the rules. It shows a power driven vessel longer than 50 meters using two mast head lights.

A large Power vessel displaying two mast head lights.

Here is the definition of a mast head light in the rules:

(a) “Masthead light” means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.

Note also that is does not say the light must be at the top of the mast.

For sailboats, a tricolored light is a light described by rule 25(b) in USCG Nav Rules. It is at or near the top of the mast and is for sailing vessels less than 20 meters in length. It is an optional alternative to having the lights down on the hull or pulpits. It faces a white light to the aft 135 degrees plus red from directly forward around to port 112.5 degrees and a green light directly forward and around to starboard 112.5 degrees. This makes up 360 degrees and meets the requirement for a sailboat sailing. When the sailboat turns on it’s engines it must also in addition to the white, red and green above, display a white light 225 degrees facing forward. You can name this light what ever you like but it must exist. These white “mast head” lights are also defined by the distance they must be seen by – it does not mean they have to be at the top of the mast. On power vessels they are typically at the top of the mast because that is what the mast is for.

Here is a sailing vessel under sail only with a tricolored light

Tri-colored lights on a sailboat

On a sailboat less than 50 meters in length, a mast head light (white under power light) can be just “up the mast” anywhere. It’s not part of the tri color. It is white and faces forward 225 degrees and is to be used when the sailboat is under power. You also might be confusing the term mast head light with the two all around red and green lights at the top of the mast. These are not mast head lights. They can be used in addition to the hull or pulpit mounted red green and white. The rules prevent a top of the mast tricolored light AND the two all around red and green at the top of the mast. This would create confusion and may be your source of confusion. i.e it is unacceptable to use the tricolored and two all around red and green lights. Again the mast head is white 225 deg forward facing to be used under power only.

Here is a vessel with the two all around red and green lights.

The Vessel sailing “on starboard” is utilizing the optional two all around red and green lights.

Here are the rules as stated: Rule 25 – Sailing Vessels Underway and Vessels Under Oars

(a) A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit:

(i) sidelights; (ii) a stern light

(b) In a sailing vessel of less than 20 meters in length, the lights prescribed in Rule 25(a) may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen. [note this is the tricolored light]

(c) A sailing vessel underway may, in addition to the lights prescribed in Rule 25(a), exhibit at or near the top of the mast, where they can best be seen, two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower green, but these lights shall not be exhibited in conjunction with the combined lantern permitted by Rule 25(b).

I hope that helps.

I highly recommend that you complete our Navigation Rules Course . It is free for everyone.

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We also have a Paper Book that you should order and keep on your boat for reference.

The book is a stand alone excellent explanation of the Rules of the Nautical road and is a good and quick easy read. It has additional really cool features. Through out the book you will see QR Codes. When you scan any QR code with your mobile device, the book element comes alive and shows you animations and videos.

To get a QR Reader –

For Android

Order the International Rules of Prevention of Collision at Sea Book from Amazon.

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Navigation Lights for Sailboats (And How To Read Them)

Last Updated by

Capt Chris German

June 15, 2022

Navigation lights on a sailboat can be confusing. If you understand the reason behind why they are the way they are however, they can make a lot more sense.

At their heart, sailboats are really just a power boat and as such must adhere to all power boat rules such as navigation lights. Other times however, a sailboat is classified in a special category. They have a set of additional lights they CAN show as an option, but are not always required to do so.

That’s about as clear as mud if you ask me and I contend that that is where the confusion about lighting a sailboat begins.

Just because you can show a light to identify yourself in times of low visibility, does not mean you have to and then we add in a little sibling rivalry between power and sail and things get downright adversarial when it comes to navigation and the night.

Table of contents

The USCG says You’re a Power Boat Whether You Like It or Not

Much to the consternation of many a sailor who has earned a commercial license to drive their sailboat, when you received your credential from the USCG it says you are a master of steam and power across the top with no mention of wind as a source of propulsion.

It is not until you read the back pages of your little red book that feels like a passport and looks like a US Sailing credential, that you will see the term “sail auxiliary”. That is because most of the time the U.S. Coast Guard knows that you are primarily reliant on your mechanical power to propel your vessel.

It's a sad thing, but the days of commercially viable sail boats are done and all but the most select few even have sails let alone use them as their primary power source. All sail boats by law are powerboats, but not all powerboats are sailboats.

Navigation Lights for a Power Boat

As a power boat, you are required to show certain lights and have been required to do so before power was even invented.

In the days of man powered vessels like the viking ships who relied on oars while in close quarters to power their vessels, they needed to show other boats, friend or foe, where they were by showing lanterns in the dark to identify themselves. As you know, it is a time honored rule among all the nations of the world both past and present, that you must avoid a collision at all costs while at sea and even the viking knew that you should not run into things.

By lighting the front and back of your boat, you could warn other boats of your presence as well as identify which way you were heading. As such there is a very specific rule in the Code of Federal Regulations Number 46 (CFR46 by common name) that spells out with detail how many, the color, the luminosity or brightness, the angle of visibility and the location of all of the lights required for navigation on every single boat, seaplane, submarine and other nondescript vessel conceived by man to date that they must show while underway in reduced visibility.

And there is no flexibility in the rules.

As such a power boat, and by extension all sailboats, MUST, without question show one green light on the starboard bow and one red light on the port bow and one all around white light or lights while operating in reduced visibility. These lights should shine at all 360 degrees of visibility with the bow lights shining at an angle of dead ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam and the stern lights shining 225 degrees dead aft. A forward facing masthead light that is white in color shall shine forward to comply with the directive that all vessels must carry an all around white light. For more read here .

As you can see, there isn’t much wiggle room when it comes to lights that must be shown.

Sailboats get a little flexibility with lights

Sailboats however, are a little different when they are in fact sailboats, which is only when you are entirely reliant on the wind for power and in no way reliant on any mechanical or manual means of propulsion. And for good reason.

Back in the day when men were men and sailboats were wooden, fire was a major concern. Sails were coated with wax and other flammable substances and the wood on boats was saturated with oils and grease. Even the ropes were plant materials saturated with oils to keep them pliable and strong.

Add those highly flammable substances to a parching environment like the sea and you had what was essentially a giant floating tinderbox.

Then tell that giant floating tinderbox that they need to identify themselves to the world at large at night using oil lamps with flames because batteries and lights were not invented yet. It didn't take very long or very many ships burning to the water line for the Governments to say to the sailboats, you get to do things a little different.

As such, sailboats are given special dispensation when it comes to lights aloft. They don't have to show an all around white light in their rigging because no one wanted to set their rig on fire with oil lamps 60 feet up in their rig.

However, when a sailboat takes their sails down such as when they are powered or at anchor, they must resume the display of an all around white light or lights aloft. That became a real challenge with aluminum masts and the disappearance of rat lines on the shrouds because there was no easy way to climb the rig and check the bulbs up the mast on a regular basis.

Red over Green Sailing Machine

I have no idea where the history of this particular light comes from, but if you ever take a deck exam with the USCG, you better remember this mnemonic. An all around red light over an all around green may be displayed on a vessel during times of reduced visibility to indicate that a vessel is operating under sail power alone.

I won’t even speculate on how or why they came up with this particular light configuration, but if you want to use these lights as a sailing vessel, you can do so, but that means that you will need three all round lights at the top of your mast, an all around white, an all around red and an all around green, just in that order.

The red over green is to be displayed in addition to the running lights or the red and green bow lights with the 225 degree stern light. As always, when the motor comes on, so does the steaming light or the forward facing white light that is also usually about ¾ of the way up on your mast to complete the requirement of an all around white light that indicates a power vessel.

What is a “steaming light” and why are you mentioning it now?

Most sailboat electrical panels will have a switch that is labelled “steaming light” and it will only come on when your anchor light is off. This is probably the most confusing part of sailboat navigation lights so if you are confused about this, you're in good company as most people are.

A “steaming” light is named thusly, going back to the days of steam powered sailboats where when they fired up their boilers and doused the sails, they became a power boat once again. There aren’t too many steam powered boats, let alone steam powered sailboats, but the name stuck and it is a vestige of a bygone era.

Either way, when you fire up your motor, you turn on your “steaming light” and that locks out the all around white light which is used for anchoring to minimize the number of switches on your panel and reduce the number of wires in your mast. The fewer wires, the less chance of something not working or becoming disconnected.

The steaming light and the anchor light both go up the mast, but you can’t use an all around white light while using the 225 degree stern light at the deck level because to other boaters you would look like you have two white lights from the stern and that would be confusing.

The anchor light is used exclusively for anchoring while the steaming light is used to indicate you are a power vessel while underway.

As to why I am mentioning it now in the article, is because this would have blown your mind if I started with this subject cause it can be really confusing stuff.

Aspect Recognition with Lights

Remember when I said earlier that lights can help you tell others which way you are heading as well as tell you which way other boats are heading? That is called the aspect of the vessel and the USCG tests you on this for your deck exam as well.

Knowing that the bow lights go 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on both sides or 112.5 degrees on each side, and the stern light faces 225 degrees aft for a total of 360 degrees of visibility, you can tell a lot about where a boat is heading and who has the right of way.

One thing that's easy to remember is red means stop and if you see a vessel's red light, it means stop as you are the give way vessel and approaching the other vessel from his port side. Conversely it works with green as well as that means you are approaching from the other vessel's starboard side and you are the standon vessel.

If you see a red and green light equally low on the horizon, that means your heading dead on into another vessel's path and conversely if all you see is a white light low on the horizon, it means you are overtaking another vessel power or sail, we don’t care because it is an overtaking situation. However, any time you do see a white light aloft in addition to the red and green bow lights, you know you are encountering a power boat.

Then there are angular approaches as well, where you see white and red or white and green light low on the horizon. You know in that case you are seeing a portion of the bow lights and stern lights from the side approaches of a vessel. Based on which direction those lights are heading, you can deduce which way that boat is going in relation to your boat.

So put it all together and you see a green light and a white light low on the horizon with a red over green light aloft, you know that you are approaching a sailboat that is traveling to your port and that might make you the standon vessel. That is of course, if we didn’t concern ourselves with windward and leeward and port tacks and starboard tacks, but that is a discussion for another article. So stay tuned when we talk about sailing rules and the right of way. But for now, do good, have fun and sail far.

Capt Chris German is a life long sailor and licensed captain who has taught thousands to sail over the last 20 years. In 2007, he founded a US Sailing-based community sailing school in Bridgeport, CT for inner city youth and families. When Hurricane Sandy forced him to abandon those efforts, he moved to North Carolina where he set out to share this love for broadcasting and sailing with a growing web-based television audience through The Charted Life Television Network.

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Navigation Lights for Sailboats (And How To Read Them)

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Sailboat Lights

Sailboat Lights can be confusing and usually need some explanation.

Common Questions:

Is the tri-color light all I need when under power? Are the red and green lights at the top of the mast all I need? Am I supposed to turn any of these off? How then do I let others know I am under power? If you are under power, you of course need your mast head light illuminated, correct? (As seen here on the left). What if there are no pulpit or stern lights on your vessel? Shouldn’t you always use your mast lights? This is confusing!

Let’s talk it through:

Mast head lights can also be seen on power boats. Take a look at this image shown in the rules. It shows a power-driven vessel longer than 50 meters using two mast head lights.

Here is the definition of a mast head light in the rules:

A “Masthead light” means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.

Note: It does not say the light must be at the top of the mast.

What is the tricolored light for?

Well, it is at or near the top of the mast and is for sailing vessels less than 20 meters or 65.5 feet in length. It is an optional alternative to having the lights down on the hull or pulpits. The tri-color light at the top of the mast faces a white light to the aft 135 degrees plus red from directly forward around to port 112.5 degrees and a green light directly forward and around to starboard 112.5 degrees.

This makes up 360 degrees and meets the requirement for a sailboat sailing .

So, when the sailboat turns on its engines it must also, in addition to the tri-color light at the top of the mast , display a white light 225 degrees facing forward. You can call this light whatever you’d like but it must exist. Now these particular white lights that we preferably call mast head lights , shall be visible from 6 miles. Note: It does not mean they have to be at the top of the mast. On power vessels they are typically at the top of the mast because that is what the mast is for.

Here is a sailing vessel under sail using a tricolored light. There is no forward-facing white light, like in the upper picture, so we know it is under sail.

To clarify, on a sailboat less than 50 meters in length, a white under power mast head light can be just up the mast anywhere. That is to say that it’s not part of the tri color. It is white and faces forward 225 degrees and indicates a sailboat is under power.

Where the confusion lies:

You also might be confusing the term mast head light with the two all-around red and green lights at the top of the mast. These are not mast head lights. They can be used in addition to the hull or pulpit mounted red, green, and white. A sailing vessel cannot display a top of the mast tricolored light AND the two all-around red and green at the top of the mast. Above all, the mast head is white 225 deg forward facing to be used under power only.

Pictured, the Vessel on the left is utilizing the optional two all-around red and green lights. Subsequently, this states that it is under sail or underway and not under engine power.

To further understand this picture, here are the rules as stated:

Rule 25 – Sailing Vessels Underway and Vessels Under Oars

(a) A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit:

(i) sidelights; (ii) a stern light

In Conclusion:

You can further investigate using the United States Coast Guards book on Navigation Rules… NavRulesAmalgamatedwAnnexes.pdf (uscg.gov)

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Boat Masthead Lights

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Whether you use your craft for water sports, fishing, or leisure cruising, it should be equipped with proper navigation lights to make sure it is safe and legal. Even if taking a boat out on the water after the dark is not your cup of tea, sometimes your afternoon water trip may turn into a night adventure. Besides, if you are a regular boater you will inevitably get caught in a rain or fog at some point. Obviously, inclement weather reduces visibility putting you at risk of having an accident with another vessel. That is why every craft is required to have navigation lights. The size of a boat determines what type of them should be used. To wit, masthead lights are required by all motorized boats that are longer than 39.4 feet.

They are white and installed at the front of a vessel. The arc of illumination is 225 degrees. They are combined with stern lights which are visible across 135 degrees to provide 360 degrees of visibility. When it comes to boats that are greater than 39.4 feet but less than 65.6 feet, they should be visible from at least three nautical miles away. For vessels which are less than 39.4 feet, the visibility range is two nautical miles. Keep in mind that they can be also equipped with an all-round light instead of a set of stern and masthead lights. Whatever size of your vessel, we have the right product for it in our selection. Our offerings are made by reliable brands including Sea Dog , Attwood , and many others.

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Ultimate Guide To Marine Navigation Lighting

Ultimate Guide To Marine Lighting: marine navigation lighting

If you drive a car or even ride a bicycle, you might be well aware of the necessity of lighting systems (though in the second case the word ‘system’ doesn’t quite apply) for the safety of you and the people around you. The thing applies just as well for ships. But since they are much larger than a car, the lighting system or navigation lights on ships is a little bit more complicated as well. Marine navigation lighting is also one of the most critical aspects of nautical studies.

It is mandatory for boats of all sizes to have a navigation system . This is to make sure that the chances of any significant accident are minimized. The United States introduced the system in 1838, and the United Kingdom followed suit. Before being internationally adopted in 1897 suitable guidelines were established by the International Maritime Conference which was established in 1889. Three colors were chosen that were to be used for the light colors. They were red, green and white. This was based on a set of rules specified by the US and are followed around the world to this date.

This article discusses the different rules and regulations of using navigation lights, their importance, and also some basic marine navigation lighting systems along with their positions and ranges.

Marine Navigational Lights, Rules and Regulations

A standard pattern of marine navigation lighting is followed for the identification of both the vessel as well as the IALA buoyage system at night. If you are required to move from sea to a channel you need to have a list of all the IALA as well as the other fixed navigational lights that are visible on entering the channel. This includes distant lighthouses as well.

If you also make a note of the inland features like the radio and television transmitter masts it will benefit you because they act as good navigational aids due to their height and warning lights.

The helmsman should not be using any bright light source in the cockpit area and should rather take the aid of red lights and very dim white lights in the galley and navigation area. This is because he needs to preserve his night vision so that he can accurately interpret both the buoyage marine navigation lights as well as the boat navigation lights of other vessels.

The nautical almanacs contain the details of each and every visible maritime light signal coming from navigational markers that are both inside and outside the channel.

All the details about any particular light can be found in a published list or on a marine navigational lights chart: its color, period, and in some cases even the elevation and range of the beacon. Use the chart to keep a tag on the lights you are passing by putting a tick mark on the lights that you are about to pass and as the boat sails past, the tick is checked.

You will get two visual clues to figure out how far you are away from a buoy. The light will elevate from the horizon at 0.5 nm and at about 200m, the light will reflect on the surface.

Position of Boat Navigation Lights

Most of the variations that can be found in the different vessels can be read about in most almanacs. At the very basic level, a vessel needs to show a red light to port and green light to starboard. Depending on the size of the vessel, one or more colored or white lights are used as well.

For vessels that are 12 ft in length or shorter, the navigation lights must be visible from a range of one nautical mile and for the ones that are longer than 12 meters the required visibility range is 2 nautical miles. From 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below the horizontal happens to be the required minimum intensity in a vertical sector.

International Navigation Rules state that the boat navigation lights should be placed above the uppermost continuous deck. In case separate fixtures are used for the red and green sidelights, the masthead or all-round white light is placed as close as possible to the vessel’s fore and aft centerline. The masthead or all-around light needs to be positioned at least 1 m or 3.3 ft above the sidelights.

Following are the basic positions of navigational lights. We will discuss the same in greater detail ahead.

Ultimate Guide To Marine Navigation Lighting 1

Boat Navigation Light Regulations

Several rules and specifications are related to the type, size, layout, arc, and distance of visibility of boat navigation lights used by all vessel types which are collectively known as the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea or COLREGs . The navigational lights used are known as ‘COLREG lights and shapes. A boat might be anchored or underway, under sail or power, or fishing or trawling. These various situations can be communicated through multiple combinations of boat navigational lights.

In addition to the primary navigation lights, vessels may also display one or more steaming lights. These lights are very useful for it gives details about the various aspects of the ship like whether it is in the sail or under power, the direction in which it is going and, in some cases, even the size of the vessel. If a ship is engaged in a specific task that might involve certain restrictions, that too can be indicated with some extra boat lights.

Always maintain the lighting system and display the correct navigation light combination to make other vessels in the vicinity aware of your course and state as to whether your vessel is under power or not. If you follow this a considerable amount lowers the chances of a collision. Here is a list that you might use to familiarise yourself with the basics of the lighting system.

Basic Navigation Light White Light : Small dinghies that are 7m or less in size are required to carry a torch having a white light that can be flashed when needed.
All-Round White Light: An all-round white light is expected to be displayed by a small boat, up to 7ft long that is under power and can go beyond 7 knots of speed. This light must be visible at an angle of 360 degrees and from two miles away. An all-around white light is also used when the boat or vessel is at anchor but not at a designated anchoring area. This is to make sure that the ship is visible to all the nearby ships to avoid any accidents.
Stern and Combined Side Lights : A stern light is a white light that is installed at the end of a boat. A vessel that is over 7 m or 23 ft in length is expected to show red and green sidelights when sailing. Each of these lights needs to cover an arc of 112.5°. The sidelights may be combined in one lantern at the bow when below 25 m or 65 ft. The white stern light can be seen over an arc of 135°. These lights need to be visible from a distance of a mile and need to be placed 39 inches below all white lights for boats of lengths equal to or less than 12 ft.
Masthead Light : A combination of sidelight and stern light in a tricolor combination may be used sailing yachts of heights 20 m or lower. A masthead light is required by vessels of lengths between 39.4 ft and 65.6 ft. It is placed in the masthead whose height provides excellent visibility. Still, stern lights and sidelights should be fitted separately in case of or use under power along with steaming light. This kind of light needs to be visible across an angle of 225 degrees and from a minimum distance of 2 miles.
Separate Lights : The displaying of the tricolor masthead light is not allowed in the case of yachts that are longer than 20 m or 65 ft. Instead, they use them separately. Often on large sailing vessels, these all-around, red over green lights are present. These red and green sidelights need to be visible from a distance of one mile and across an angle of 112.5 degrees.
Steaming Lights Combined Lights : A combination of the masthead and stern light are used in the case of power crafts that are less than 20 m or 65 ft in length. The arrangement is present at the bow.
Single Steaming Light : Visible over a 225 degrees arc, a masthead steaming light is used by power-driven vessels that are up to 50 m or 160 ft long. Separate stern lights and sidelights are used in case of a length exceeding 20 m or 65 ft.
Two Steaming Lights: Power-driven vessels that span over 50 m or 160 ft in length display two masthead steaming lights. The forward light placed lower than the aft light with both of them being visible over an arc of 225° with the sidelights and separate stern light.

The area of the nautical lighting system is a precise business and requires some amount of study and a good deal of responsibility. It is because its application forms a core element in safe marine navigation.

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When navigating at night, the lights on other boats are your first clue about the moving dangers around you. And your navigation lights are your first line of safety in avoiding collisions in the dark, and they tell others vessels what you are and what you are doing. The rules sound complex, but with a little understanding you can get the basics for any situation.

So what are the basic navigation light rules? For most small vessels, motoring requires red and green (port and starboard) lights, and a white light visible in all directions around the boat. This is almost always a stern light and a masthead light on sailboats. Boats under sail require port and starboard lights, and a white stern light. Sailboats below sixty-five feet may show a tricolor light at the masthead instead of side and stern lights when sailing.

That's it, in a nutshell. There's a little more to it, as the rules change with different sizes and there are some specifics about angles of display for the colors. Identifying other ships at sea requires more study, but the basics are the same. And it's not much trouble to make sure you've always got the proper lights on your vessel.

Infographic for Marine Navigation Lights Rules based on sailboat size

Masthead Light - a white light placed centerline on the boat showing an arc of 225 degrees with 112.5 degrees either side of the front of the vessel.
Sidelights - A red light on the port side and a green light on the starboard. They must show an arc of 112.5 degrees from centerline of the bow.
Stern light - A white light on the stern of the boat showing an unbroken arc of 135 degrees from centerline of the vessel.
All-round light - A light showing in an unbroken arc of 360 degrees.

The good news is you need not measure these angles. Any properly installed USCG or COLREGS approved light which will cover the correct arcs. If you have to replace the original light from your boat, make sure it's with an approved replacement.

Lights When Sailing

The specific rules for a sailboat under sail are in COLREGS Rule 25 and vary slightly with the size of the boat. A sailboat powering is considered a power boat and falls under in Rule 23.

Under 23 feet (7 meters) - side lights and a stern light, possible. If these lights can not be displayed a light must be kept at hand to help avoid a collision. This can be a bright flashlight.
Over 23 feet - Side lights visible to one nautical mile and stern light visible for two.
Vessels under 65 feet may combine both sidelights into a single lantern on the bow.
May show a tricolor light on the masthead instead of sidelights and a stern light. It's one or the other though, do not show these lights at the same time .
Masthead light must be visible for three nautical miles, all other lights must have a two nautical mile visibility.
Side lights must be separated.
May not show a masthead tricolor light.
Masthead light must have five nautical mile visibility, all other lights must be visible for two nautical miles.
Optional masthead lights - any vessel under sail may display a red light over a green light at the masthead with sidelights and stern light. The red over green may NOT be displayed with a masthead tricolor light. It's one set or the other.

Lights When Motoring

For all navigational purposes a sailboat under power is considered a power boat. This includes motor sailing - if the engine is on and providing propulsion you are on a power boat, even if the sails are up . This applies to navigation lighting, sound signals in fog and limited visibility, and rights of way.

Sailboats under 50 meters under power need to show:

A masthead light
Stern light

A power-driven vessel under 23 feet (7 meters) that does not exceed seven knots of speed may display an all around white light, though sidelights should be used if available.

The USCG has published its own "Rules of the Road" that are based on the COLREGS. In addition, it has rules for the "Inland Waterways" for rivers, inland lakes and the Great Lakes.

The good news is this has no impact on what you have to do with your own boat.

They mostly relate to lighting changes on towed vessels like barges and tugs. For example, a vessel towing or pushing another vessel in the ocean under COLREGS shows two masthead lights, sidelights and a stern light, whereas in Inland Waterways the towing or pushing vessel displays two yellow towing lights instead of a white stern light.

If you sail on lakes, rivers or the Great Lakes where towed commercial traffic is common you should learn the inland lights, but coastal or ocean sailors will never see these.

When you anchor outside a designated mooring field, you should display an all around white light at the masthead or as high in the boat as practical.

If your boat is large and has a very tall mast, you may wish to display another light closer to the waterline. Boats approaching in the dark may not see a light on a mast sixty or seventy feet in the air when they are close to your boat.

We use a simple garden path light on our stern when we anchor, left in a rod holder or flag socket. It comes on automatically at dusk and is a cheap and easy way to be more visible. There is no specific rule stating you can not display more lights than required, or the nature of any lights beyond the required all around light.

The COLREGS also specify that a round black "daymark" should be displayed in the rigging of any vessel at anchor. Very few small vessels observe this, however it is the correct display for a vessel in an anchorage.

If you tie to a mooring in a marked mooring area you are not required to display anchor lights, but there is no harm in doing so.

The other important reason to know your lights is to figure out what's going on around you at night. The water may be ablaze with white, red, green and other lights at night and they are your first key to avoiding collisions and problems.

All combinations of lights for fishing boats, commercial vessels, and so on are outside this post‘s scope. The odds are small you will encounter a submarine, seaplane or hovercraft at night, but there are regulations regarding specific lighting for each of those vessels!

There are a few fundamentals to help you figure out what that is you see on the horizon, which way it is going, and whether it is a danger to you.

Port Wine is Red

The fundamental rule is that red sidelights will ALWAYS be on the port side of a vessel, and green lights will always be on starboard. However, some vessels can use all around red and green lights for other purposes, though those will be higher than sidelights.

The light‘s on a ship is not important, some large tankers and freighters will have their sidelights far aft and put them on the superstructure for better visibility. It is not safe to assume that sidelights you can see are on the bow of large vessels .

When you can see the color, you know which way the bow is pointing. If it's red, it's pointing more or less to the left and will travel in that direction. A green light shows it is heading more or less to your right.

If you can see the red and green lights at the same time, you are looking directly at the bow of the vessel. When you are far away, this isn‘t as alarming as if you are close crossing. Seeing red and green lights together on a vessel is something you never want to see for long.

Be aware of red and green lights used in combination with other red, green and white lights. These may not be running lights and could have other significance.

Tankers, Freighters and Large Ships

Tankers, freighters and large ships will have side lights, a stern light and a masthead light. In addition, on vessels over 50 meters there will be a second masthead light further aft and higher than the forward light. The masthead light positions are a better tipoff to the bow direction and how far from the bow the sidelights might be. Remember - on a large vessel the sidelights may not be at the bow or even close to it.

USCG Inland Rules allow for a second all-around white light on large vessels on the Great Lakes instead of a second masthead light.

Fishing Boats

Fishing boats engaged in fishing will have more complex light displays. When they aren't fishing, they will show lights like any power vessel, but Rule 26 spells out light combinations that vary by the fishing activity being done. In general:

Boats which are Trawling but not making headway will display a green all-around light over a white all-around light , and a masthead light aft of these lights. Boats making headway while trawling will show these lights, plus sidelights and a stern light.
A vessel fishing other than trawling will show a red all-around light over a white all-around light . When making way they will also show sidelights and a stern light.
If a vessel has gear more than 150 meters away from the boat, it will show a second all around light in the direction of the gear. The best rule is to give fishing boats as wide a berth as you can at night. They're easy to pick out if you check the top light configurations but their course may be difficult to predict.

Towing and Pushing

Towed vessels can be the most dangerous to cross, but they have the most lights to tell you what is happening. Refer to COLREGS or the USCG Rules of the Road Rule 24 for all combinations You can pick a tow/push vessel out with the following lights:

Two or three masthead lights in a vertical line. Three masthead lights shows a tow over 200 meters. Additional masthead lights may show for larger tow vessels.
A towing light (yellow light with the same characteristics as a stern light) directly above the stern light.
The will also have side lights and a stern light.
The towed vessel will show sidelights and a stern light. Lighting may vary under USCG inland rules, where towing lights may replace stern lights. Learn these differences if this is your regular cruising ground. If you think there is a tow ahead of you, always go well behind the aft most set of lights. Never go between a tow and avoid crossing ahead if possible as it may restrict their maneuverability.

Special Situations

There are several rare situations you may encounter. As a general rule, if there are a lot of lights and you don't understand them look for the sidelights on a moving vessel. If you can find them and figure out the direction it is moving, it makes the vessel easier to avoid. Stay well clear of lights you do not understand if you can avoid them without risk.

Most of these signals are used by larger, commercial vessels and you will not need them.

They use these light combinations with other light combinations. For example a towing vessel may also be restricted in maneuverability, and a vessel constrained by draft will show running lights if moving.

Not Under Command - two all around red lights in a single line
Restricted in Ability to Maneuver - red, white then red in a single line
Constrained by draft - three all around red lights

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Lights and shapes

Definitions

Masthead light means a white light placed over the fore and aft centreline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225° and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5° abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.
Sidelight means a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side each showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 112.5° and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5° abaft the beam on its respective side. In a vessel of less than 20 metres in length the sidelights may be combined in one lantern carried on the fore and aft centreline of the vessel.
Sternlight means a white light placed as nearly as practicable at the stern showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 135° and so fixed as to show the light 67.5° from right aft on each side of the vessel.
Towing light means a yellow light having the same characteristics as the sternlight.
All-round light means a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 360°.
Flashing light means a light flashing at regular intervals at a frequency of 120 flashes or more per minute.

Colour legend

Power-driven vessel underway

A power-driven vessel underway shall exhibit:

a masthead light forward;
a second masthead light abaft of and higher than the forward one; except that a vessel of less than 50 metres in length shall not be obliged to exhibit such light but may do so;
sidelights;
a sternlight.

Sailing vessels underway and vessels under oars

A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit:

In a sailing vessel of less than 20 metres in length the lights may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen.

A sailing vessel underway may, in addition to the lights, exhibit at or near the top of the mast, where they can best be seen, two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower green, but these lights shall not be exhibited in conjunction with the combined lantern.

4 lights configurations sailing

A sailing vessel of less than 7 metres in length shall, if practicable, exhibit the lights prescribed above, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.

A vessel under oars may exhibit the lights prescribed in this Rule for sailing vessels, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.

Sailing and Motoring

A vessel proceeding under sail which has her engine running shall exhibit, forward where it can best be seen, a conical shape, apex downwards. She shall exibit lights according to a power-driven vessel.

A vessel at anchor shall according to Rule 30 (a) (b) exhibit where it can best be seen:

in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;
at or near the stern and at a lower level than the light prescribed in Rule 30(a)(i), an all-round white light.

A vessel aground shall according to Rule 30 (d) exhibit the lights prescribed in Rule 30(a) or (b) and in addition, if practicable, where they can best be seen;

two all-round red lights in a vertical line;
three balls in a vertical line.

A power-driven vessel when towing shall exhibit:

two masthead lights in a vertical line. When the length of the tow, measuring from the stern of the towing vessel to the after end of the tow exceeds 200 metres, three such lights in a vertical line; Rule 24 ;
a sternlight;
a towing light in a vertical line above the sternlight;
when the length of the tow exceeds 200 metres, a diamond shape where it can best be seen.

Towing an inconspicuous, partly submerged object

An inconspicuous, partly submerged vessel or object, or combination of such vessels or objects being towed; Rule 24 (g) , shall exhibit:

if it is less than 25 metres in breadth, one all-round white light at or near the forward end and one at or near the after end except that dracones need not exhibit a light at or near the forward end;
if it is 25 metres or more in breadth, two additional all-round white lights at or near the extremities of its breadth;
if it exceeds 100 metres in length, additional all-round white lights between these lights so that the distance between the lights shall not exceed 100 metres;
a diamond shape at or near the aftermost extremity of the last vessel or object being towed and if the length of the tow exceeds 200 metres an additional diamond shape where it can best be seen and located as far forward as is practicable.

Pushing from ahead or towing alongside

When a pushing vessel and a vessel being pushed ahead are rigidly connected in a composite unit they shall be regarded as a power-driven vessel and exhibit the normal lights.

A power-driven vessel when pushing ahead or towing alongside, except in the case of a composite unit; Rule 24 (c) , shall exhibit:

two masthead lights in a vertical line;

A vessel or object being towed shall exhibit:

Provided that any number of vessels being towed alongside or pushed in a group shall be lighted as one vessel,
a vessel being pushed ahead, not being part of a composite unit, shall exhibit at the forward end, sidelights;
a vessel being towed alongside shall exhibit a sternlight and at the forward end, sidelights.

Fishing – Trawling

A vessel engaged in fishing, whether underway or at anchor, shall exhibit only the lights and shapes prescribed below; Rule 26

A vessel when engaged in trawling, by which is meant the dragging through the water of a dredge net or other apparatus used as a fishing appliance, shall exhibit:

two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being green and the lower white, or a shape consisting of two cones with their apexes together in a vertical line one above the other;
a masthead light abaft of and higher than the all-round green light; a vessel of less than 50 metres in length shall not be obliged to exhibit such a light but may do so;
when making way through the water, in addition to the lights prescribed hereh, sidelights and a sternlight.
when shooting nets, white light over white light (Flag Z by day);
when hauling nets, white light over red light (Flag G by day);
When nets are caught on the bottom, red light over red light (Flag P by day).

Trawling in span

When pair trawling, each vessel shows searchlights on water aiming forward ( Flag T by day); Rule 26 (f) (b)ǂ(2)

Fishing, other than trawling

A vessel engaged in fishing, other than trawling , according to Rule 26 (c) shall exhibit:

two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower white, or a shape consisting of two cones with apexes together in a vertical line one above the other;
when there is outlying gear extending more than 150 metres horizontally from the vessel, an all-round white light or a cone apex upwards in the direction of the gear;
when making way through the water, in addition to the lights prescribed here, sidelights and a sternlight.

Purse seining

Purse Seiners will exhibit two all-round yellow lights in a vertical line, flashing alternately; Rule 26 (f) 3ǂ(iii)

Constrained by draught

A vessel constrained by her draught / draft may, (and not “shall”!) in addition to the lights prescribed for power-driven vessels, exhibit where they can best be seen three all-round red lights in a vertical line, or as day sign a cylinder, Rule 28

Not under command

A vessel not under command, sometimes knows as a NUC N ot U nder C ommand." aria-label="Illumination" data-bs-original-title="NUC"> vessel, shall according to Rule 27(a) exhibit:

two all-round red lights in a vertical line where they can best be seen;
two spherical shapes in a vertical line where they can best be seen; and
when making way through the water also normal sidelights and a sternlight (not shown in the examples below).

Restricted in her ability to manoeuvre

A vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre, sometimes knows as a RAM R estricted in her A bility to M anoeuvre." aria-label="Illumination" data-bs-original-title="RAM"> vessel, except a vessel engaged in mine clearance operations , shall according to Rule 27(b) exhibit:

three all-round lights in a vertical line where they can best be seen. The highest and lowest of these lights shall be red and the middle light shall be white;
three shapes in a vertical line where they can best be seen. The highest and lowest of these shapes shall be balls and the middle one a diamond;
when making way through the water, also a masthead light or lights, sidelights and a sternlight

Dredging or underwater operations

A vessel engaged in dredging or underwater operations, when restricted in her ability to manoeuvre; Rule 27(d) , shall exibit

two all-round red lights or two balls in a vertical line to indicate the side on which the obstruction exists;
two all-round green lights or two diamonds in a vertical line to indicate the side on which another vessel may pass; and
when at anchor (or not making way), the lights or shapes prescribed in this section instead of the lights or shapes prescribed in Rule 30

Small diving vessel

A vessel engaged on pilotage, according to Rule 29 , duty shall exhibit:

at or near the masthead, two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being white and the lower red;
when underway, in addition, sidelights and a sternlight; as shown in the example below.

Hovercraft, hydrofoil ferry

An air-cushion vessel when operating in non-displacement mode shall, besides a masthead light forward, (plus a masthead light abaft if longer than 50 m) sidelights and a sternlight, exhibit an all‑round flashing yellow light (faster than 2 flashes per second). Rule 23(b)

Also a hydrofoil ferry or high speed catamaran when acting as ferry is often allowed under local regulations to exhibit an all-round flashing yellow light.

Minesweeper

A vessel engaged in mine clearance operations shall in addition to the lights prescribed for a power-driven vessel, or to the lights or shape prescribed for a vessel at anchor, exhibit three all-round green lights or three balls. One of these lights or shapes shall be exhibited near the mast head and one at each end of the fore yard. These lights or shapes indicate that it is dangerous for another vessel to approach within 1000 metres of the mine clearance vessel. Rule 27(f)

See all chapters

Course overview Chapter 1 – Positions Chapter 2 – Nautical chart Chapter 3 – Compass Chapter 4 – Plotting and piloting Chapter 5 – Plotting and piloting – Advanced Chapter 6 – Tides Chapter 7 – Tide prediction Chapter 8 – Currents Chapter 9 – Navigation aids Chapter 10 – Lights and Shapes

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Navigation Lights: Hella and Aqua Signal Shine Brightest

Three of the four major light manufacturers serve up superlative lights-many lights even satisfied coast guard requirements at our engine-off test voltage. still, a variation of the golden rule applies: shine unto others as you would have them shine unto you..

Most boats, new or used, come with navigation lights installed-and that’s about all that we care about them until one of them fails. Sometimes the failure is in the light itself, sometimes in the wiring leading to it. The fix is usually simple enough to perform mechanically or electrically, but there’s an inconvenience factor that varies from minor to major, depending on where the failure occurs. If a light goes out on the bow pulpit or cabinside, it’s no big deal. If it goes out at the top of the mast, it’s a royal pain. After the first of these pains, you begin to pay more attention to how the lights are mounted and sealed against the elements, and how the wiring is led and protected from chafe and crimping. And you begin to consider the design, construction, and materials of the lights themselves.

The other occasional concern we have with these lights is how they actually perform. Again, most of the time we take them for granted-the waters are less crowded at night, tense crossing situations are relatively infrequent, and there’s usually plenty of time to study a developing situation and make a course change if necessary. In times like that, you might feel that you have your lights on just to obey the law, nothing more.

However, when you find yourself negotiating a busy harbor or channel at night, or the visibility isn’t what it could be, or you’re traveling along a shore twinkling with houselights and floodlights and car headlights and all sorts of other distractions, you instantly appreciate running lights that are clear and bright and that stand out against the background-and you wonder just how visible yours are to others.

There are minimal visibility requirements set by the US Coast Guard-see the sidebar on pages 8-9 for the basics. But note that there’s no rule prohibiting a boat from carrying bigger, better lights than those that satisfy the minimum, as long as they don’t shine so brightly or cause so much glare that they interfere with the helmsman’s vision.

Obviously, navigation lights exist to help prevent collisions. As such, they’re important pieces of safety gear. If you suspect the ones aboard your boat are feeble, either in form or function, consider replacing them. It’s to help with your decisions on that score that we’ve done this evaluation.

Light Basics The point of navigation lights underway is to show a 360-degree circle of light at all times, including red and green sidelights, each visible through 112.5 degrees, and a stern light, visible through 135 degrees to complete the circle. On boats under 20 meters, sidelights can be combined in one unit (a bi-color light).

Powerboats underway are required to show sidelights and 360 degrees of white light. The usual configuration is sidelights, a sternlight, and a masthead light. If the boat is under 12 meters in length, an all-round white light can be substituted. The all-round white light also serves as an anchor light, required from sunset to sunrise in areas that are not designated anchorages.

On a sailboat under 20 meters, all three lights can be combined in a tri-color light at the masthead, but only when sailing; under power, a sailboat must show a 360-degree circle of white light, either in an all-around light at the masthead, or in a combination of stern light plus a 225-degree masthead light. (The masthead light is confusingly named, since it’s rarely located at the top of the mast. Usually it’s about three-quarters of the way up. On powerboats it’s usually mounted on a short pole.)

We’re referring here to boats between 7 and 20 meters in length. There are variations on the rules outside that range, but we don’t have enough paper to cover them all.

What Was Tested The last time we tested navigation lights was in 1993-the results were published in the July 1 issue of that year. We evaluated 70 lights then, and as it turns out we looked at 70 lights this time around, too, although there were some variations-missing were lights from Wilcox-Crittenden, which no longer makes them, and Forespar’s ML2 combination masthead/deck light, recommended in ’93 and still on the market (which we forgot). Otherwise we collected all the lights in the major catalogs and chandleries, including individual and bi-color sidelights, tri-color lights, sternlights, masthead lights, and all-round white lights. The lights were represented by four manufacturers-Aqua Signal, Attwood, Hella Marine, and Perko.

How We Tested Our evaluations were simple: All the lights were mounted on pine planks and properly bedded and sealed. On a chilly October night with virtually unlimited visibility, we took the planks to a local beach parking lot with little ambient light around, and set them on sawhorses. With our observer (the keenest-eyed among us) anchored offshore at one nautical mile, we powered each light individually, and the observer called in his impressions via cell phone.

Navigation Lights: Hella and Aqua Signal Shine Brightest

We had noted that the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), in their specs for the Intensity/Nominal Voltage Test for nav lights, says that the test fixture “shall be tested for its ability to meet minimum required luminous intensity… when operated at its intended nominal system voltage. This shall be a single reading at a point selected by the fixture manufacturer.”

That leaves the manufacturers quite a bit of wiggle room to balance bulb characteristics against input voltages in order to achieve their visibility requirements.

We decided to see how the lights would do in less forgiving circumstances. For power we used a truck-mounted 4-D deep-cycle marine battery monitored throughout the test at 12.4 volts-a standing voltage that would approximate power to the lights with the boat’s engine off and the supply battery in reasonably good shape, but with one or two other power demands being made on it at the same time-nav instruments and an interior light or two.

Obviously, with the engine running and an alternator output of 13 volts or more, the lights will shine brighter-so the ratings in our chart should be seen as pessimistic across the board.

After looking at all 70 lights and communicating his ratings at 1 nm, the observer moved out to 2 nm and the whole procedure was repeated. The planks were adjusted as necessary to give the observer the full proper view of each type of light. Occasionally it appeared to the testers on shore that the powered light was mounted close enough to its neighbor that it was picking up an extra reflection. In those cases they inserted a brown clipboard between the lights. It didn’t seem to make much difference.

After the visibility tests, all the lights were sprayed forcefully with a gardenhose and left to sit for two weeks. Then they were sprayed again and checked for continued function. All lights functioned fine after both inundations.

Finally, we studied the lights for quality of construction, mounting methods, and ease of maintenance. Comments on these topics are included in the main chart (see bottom).

We didn’t measure each lens for its required cuto-off angle (e.g. 112.5), reasoning that even if we were persnickety enough to find lights that were a degree or two off either way, such minor anomalies would be of little consequence on the water.

What We Found The chart provides specifics about the lights and our visibility tests. In general, we found that lights met the minimum visibility requirements at 1 mile, with the exception of two red sidelights-the Aqua Signal 22300-1 and the Attwood 3150R7.

Twenty-two lights, nine of which were rated at 2 nautical miles, were invisible at that distance and at our unforgiving voltage. Again, all lights must meet their Coast Guard requirements when powered at the test voltages allowed their manufacturers.

We should note that Hella Marine’s Model 62149 red sidelight, a 3-nm light, is rated to burn a 29-watt bulb at 13 volts, so it was unfairly underpowered in the test. Maybe it’s just for powerboats.

The fit and finish of the lights varied quite a bit, and those variations are often reflected in the price. Only one light, Perko’s Model 170BMD masthead/decklight combination arrived with an obvious flaw-a 4-mm separation in one side of the plastic housing.

A few lights were quite a bit brighter and more visible than the rest of the pack. Only five lights rated good at 2 nm: Aqua Signal’s 40100-1 bi-color light and 40400-1 masthead; Hella Marine’s 62208 stern light, 62206 masthead, and 6225 tri-color. (This tricolor was actually the most visible of all the lights in the test, scoring “excellent” at 1 nm and “good” at 2 nm.)

Some sidelights that were rated for only one nautical mile were still visible at two, even if they were only dimly seen at both distances. Those two achievements-overall brightness and staying power, were, to our minds, the top rating criteria.

See the big chart for further comments. See the recommendations box on page 5 for our picks by light type.

Navigation lights are easy to take for granted, but like so many other bits of safety and navigation gear on a boat, there may eventually come a time when they really need to shine.

Contacts- Attwood, 1016 N. Monroe St., Lowell, MI 49331; 616/897-9241. Hella Marine, 201 Kelly Dr., Peachtree City, GA 30269; 877/224-3552; www.hellana.com . Aqua Signal, 1125 Alexander Court, Cary IL, 60013; 847/639-6412. Perko, Inc., 16490 NW 13th Ave., Miami, FL 33169; 305/621-7525; www.perko.com/ .

Also With This Article Click here to view “Most Visible Lights.” Click here to view “Value Guide: Navigation Lights.” Click here to view “Light Rules.”

How Can I Keep My Kids Safe Onboard?

These best boat navigation lights are what most boaters have on their marine vessels for safer and convenient boating trips. I use these bow lights for boat for secured and easy navigation during extreme weather conditions or poor visibility.

Unfortuntately, the links to additional information at the bottom of this article are broken. (Error 404 – not found) Any way to get them fixed?

This may not be the correct location to ask this question about Nav Light placement so please forgive me and direct me if need be. I am mounting a Tri-color light on top of my 26 ft mast. I presently have an under power, “steaming” light on the mast at 11 feet. COLREGS require this forward facing 225 degree white light to be at least 3′ 3″ ABOVE the forward “side markers/lights”. Where do I, or anyone else, mount the steaming light?

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Masthead light

The masthead light is a white, forward-facing light that must be displayed by boats at night when operating under motor power. This light is often referred to as the " steaming light " (despite the fact that very few boats actually use steam power). The light must shine forward over an arc of 225 degrees. Like all navigation lights, the masthead light must be on between sunset and sunrise.

On sailboats, this masthead light is not at the top of the mast, as the name seems to imply. The light is usually placed about 2/3 of the way up the mast. The masthead light on a sailboat should not be confused with the tricolor light or the anchor light , which are both located at the top of the mast.

On vessels under 12m, the masthead light and sternlight can be combined into a single all-round white light.

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Smart LED Tri-Color, Anchor Light, and Strobe

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Product Description

This amazing 2-wire led lamp is a tri-color, 360 degree all-round anchor light, and sos strobe in a single compact fixture..

While this looks like an ordinary anchor light fixture, proprietary LED technology makes it function as a Tri-Mode fixture. Switching between an LED anchor light, an LED tri-color, and a high intensity emergency strobe light has never been easier with our simple 2-wire design. Circuitry based operation allows for all modes to work with your existing wiring and switch.

A built-in dusk to dawn photocell turns the anchor light on and off to conserve power (active only in anchor light mode).

Tri-colors are used for enhanced safety by greatly enhancing visibility of your boat when sailing offshore at night. The have Red and Green (port and starboard) 112.5° sectors facing forward, on the boats center-line, and a 135° white sector facing aft. Every offshore cruiser needs one, but many cruisers forgo installing one because of the expensive fixtures and the significant hassle of additional wiring up the mast, extra fuses, switches, and deck glands needed.

Operation:

Our LED Tri-Mode has all these features in one fixture thanks to its smart LED bulb with an on-board micro-processor. Memory functions allow for the bulb to detect on/off intervals as shown in the product video. Default is the photocell anchor light mode, followed by the Tri-Color mode. The S.O.S. strobe has an additional delay required between switching to prevent inadvertent activation.

Installation:

A flexible mounting arrangement allows it to be mounted on a pole (1/2" PVC pipe), or on a flat surface using the included spacer, stainless steel screws, and nylock nuts. See pictures.

The two wires going to your existing anchor light are all that is needed. Your anchor light switch will control the modes, so there are no more wires, switches or fuses to add!

This fixture exceeds all of the requirements under COLREG 72 for both All-Around Anchor and Tri-Color use on boats up to 20 Meters.

See an independent blog review here

2NM Visibility
12V/24V Operation (10-30VDC)
0.10A @ 12V - All-Around Anchor Light Mode
0.15A @ 12V - Tri-Color Mode
0.60A @ 12V (intermittent)- Strobe Mode
60mm x 90mm (2-3/8" x 3-9/16")
8" wiring pigtail, no polarity required
Mounts to flat surface, with 3 screws, or can be pole mounted. Pole mount allows extending the height with user supplied 1/2" PVC plumbing pipe and fittings.

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Convert your anchor light to a combination LED tri-color & anchor light

Our new patented LED bulb for sailboats considering adding a t...

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Smart tri-color anchor light.

Posted by John Bryant on 27th Oct 2023

I am very pleased with the light, I needed some help and the support from MarineBeam was very helpful and quick. It was easy to install, very bright, and draws very little power. I recommend the light and MarineBeam .

Customer Service

Posted by Christin Miller on 7th Jul 2023

Customer service was great. The guy on the phone answered all my questions and concerns. Product was shipped the next day. The tri light arrived in good condition.

Posted by Rick Zern on 27th Dec 2022

Works great

LED lighting refit

Posted by Keith D on 18th Oct 2022

Outstanding performance, design and value! I purchased this smart LED navigation light to replace multiple nav lights as part of our 2022 refit of a 2004 coastal cruiser. The lighting output is excellent and the smart 3-way toggling logic meant I could use the existing switches and simplify the wiring of our revamped masthead. Liked this product so much that I then bought various Marinebeam LED lights to replace all our interior ceiling halogen lights and exterior deckhouse lights. Highly recommend this company and products!

sku: TW-TRI-CMB

Led tri-color and anchor light combination bulb.

sku: N4-TRI-124

Led tri-color and all-around anchor navigation stack light.

LED All-Around Anchor Light with Photocell

sku: N1-360-CLR-DD

Led anchor light with photocell sensor.

sku: N1-360-CLR

Led all-around anchor light.

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White Masthead Light

Certified For Use on Vessels 20 Meters (65.6 ft.) to 50 Meters (164.0 ft.) in Length

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Pre-Wired Double Contact Bayonet Socket and 3 Feet of 16/3-SO Cable
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5-Mile (USCG 5nm) Certified
IMPORTANT BULB DATA To comply with UL Standard 1104, the lights listed on this page must use a PERKO Cat. No. 0374 bulb.

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masthead light location

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hi all, i just did a search on the forums and didint see anything to answer my question.... the question is this how far up the mast do you place the masthead / steaming light? i have one that is a masthead / foredeck light but not sure where to put it. also do the spreader lights face to the bow or to the deck? you can tell im new.... thanks for all the imput Sean

mast head light has to be a 360 degree viewable light ( not including tri color ones ) steaming light is about 10 to 15 off deck depending on mast height facing forward ( mine is right below the spreaders ) deck/ spreader lights aim down for when you need to go on deck at night not for navigation uses

See Navigation Rules, rule 21: "Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel, except that on a vessel of less than 12 meters in length the masthead light shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel." I can't find the rule reference on the placement of the steamer light (the notion of it being at least 1 meter above side lights sticks in my brain, but who knows where that come from). I"m sure 15 ft above the side lights will be OK. In all cases the masthead/steamer light must be above the side lights, so you can't run under power with a masthead tricolor and a steamer light 1/3 the way down the mast. Also have a look at Navigation Rules Navigation Rules Note: Discussions of navigation lights on SailNet are always fun, so sit back now and enjoy the show.

so what are the differences scotty? why do the sell masthead lights that are forward mounted only? is this something i need to install on my boat? from what i can tell the masthead foredeck faces bow but if it needs to be 360 degree viewable where do you put it? im confused a bit here. educate me please i guess the light i purchased should have read steaming/ foredeck light so now where does the masthead go and what is its purpose? and what about anchor lights... where do they go? and what color?

okay some confusion here by mast head i was thinking anchor light which is why i excluded tricolors. a tri color will have its own angles built in. a tricolor has an anchor light plus the port and starboard running lights built in. the running lights are the ones with the angle limits. the idea is if you see both read and green the boat is headed towards you. if you see only red or green it is running sideways but slightly towards you , if you see red or green and white stern light it is running sideways but away from ya. i just checked the masthead light is a white color light at least 1 meter above the side light ( ie red and green running lights ) basicly it is our steaming light but it is not supposed be be a 360 light. so anywhere around the middle of the mast is perfectly legal. but under sail it is not needed only when running under iron genny now the stern light is a white light that is IIRC a 180 degree light on the back of the boat. here is a page that might help, but it shows the steaming/mast head at the top of the mast. it only needs to be one meter above the running lights, thats why you see small power boats with the light on a removable pole. Navigation Rules

okay a tricolor does the job of the side lights and the stern light. but from what i have seen here most believe the tricolors should be used off shore, inshore they believe most would not look up high enough to see them at close range so they use deck height side lights

the mast head tri color green, red, white is used under sail with no motor propulsion. If under power you use deck or cabin mounted port starboard light and a stern white light And the forward mounted mast mounted Steaming light. your steaming light is for steaming under power and not for sail. So you can tell a sail boat from power boat at night. Also a sailboat that is under power is now a power boat and not a sail boat. A sail boat If under power must follow power boat rules.

My reading of the Canadian collision regs is that the mashead light (= steaming light) must be > 2.5 m above the gunwale in a vessel 12-20 meters in length, and > 1 meter above the sidelights when under power. The old definition of "masthead" was that part of the mast above the rigging (Sailor's Word Book). The collision regs define a masthead light this way: "a white light placed over the fore and aft centreline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel".

When you are steaming (under-power) your mast steaming light is to be above the bow lights. your mast head tri color is for sailing, as your steaming light would be under the tri color. If you just have bow lights and a mast head steaming light, you would use the bow lights and the steaming light when under power, if you are sailing you turn off the steaming mast light, to show you not under power. You use an all around mast head white light only as an anchor light. Also when at anchor anchor during the day you are to display an anchor Ball day signal.

badsanta said: You use an all around mast head white light only as an anchor light. Click to expand...

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mast head light switches

Thread starter lloyd ferencik
Start date Apr 16, 2001
Forums for All Owners
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lloyd ferencik

I have just purchased a perko combination anchor steaming light.It combines to seperate lights to be used as needed.The instalation literature says to use dual pole switches to avoid feedback and having both lights turn on when only one is needed.But perko themselves only seem to sell single pole switches.I want to up grade all my electrics including the panel and will be willing to install a new panel but this dual pole thing is giving me fits.Any ideas?

Eric Lorgus

One circuit or two? Lloyd,Mast lights can be tricky if you're adding a device but don't have any spare circuits in your existing wiring. The challenge then is to connect two devices (like a steaming light and a deck light) to one circuit, and have a fancy switch to turn one or the other or both on.On my H54, I have a button that can activate up to seven different combinations of devices (not my idea -- the previous owner installed this). You first have to turn the breaker on for this single circuit, then use the button to toggle on exactly which light or combination of lights you want.When we tried to replace this with individual switches, we discovered the reason for the fancy switch -- there weren't any spare circuits on the existing mast wiring, which was pressed into a narrow conduit (i.e., not easily accessible without unstepping the mast).I'm not sure if this is your situation, but if it is, then you can see the dilemma, and the need for "fancy switches".Good luck.

I replaced my mast lights last week Lloyd,I replaced my lights last week. I did the same thing, except that my original light also was a combination light. I have two separate switches on my panel for the two lights. At the mast I have three wires, one for the masthead light, one for the spreader light, and a common ground. It was just a matter of matching the wires to the switches and the connectors in the light.Les Murrays/v Ceilidh86 C-36 #560

New Panel, More Circuits I installed a new panel the first season I owned my 23.5 (6 years ago). The switches kept falling out of the piece of junk panel that came from the factory. I installed a Seadog (now called a Seafit) six circuit panel (available from West Marine, among others). I also installed a three-way switch for the bilge pump. This allowed me to wire my Perko masthead light to two different switches on the panel, one circuit for the anchor light and one for the steaming light. Using an additional switch for the running light circuit, I still had three spares for such things as the VHF radio, the stereo, and several cabin outlets.The system has worked well, trouble-free for six years.Dale WileSandpoint, Idaho

Had not Thought Much About it , Untill Now I have a 23.5 and it has a double throw switch for the mast/steam light but do not remember it being a double pole switch there is some sort of transistor between the poles. I will try to give it another look and see how exactly it is set up, maybe if it were earlier in the evening it would seem clear how it works right now the only thing I can think of is it is a logic gate between the two posts on the switch. All the other ideas light both lights or involve more than the three wires that go to the light. Looked at the owners manual and it shows nothing but the color of the wire. I am sure it is a simple solution.

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COMMENTS

Mast head light confusion
Tri-colored lights on a sailboat. On a sailboat less than 50 meters in length, a mast head light (white under power light) can be just "up the mast" anywhere. It's not part of the tri color. It is white and faces forward 225 degrees and is to be used when the sailboat is under power. You also might be confusing the term mast head light ...
Navigation Lights for Sailboats (And How To Read Them)
As such a power boat, and by extension all sailboats, MUST, without question show one green light on the starboard bow and one red light on the port bow and one all around white light or lights while operating in reduced visibility. These lights should shine at all 360 degrees of visibility with the bow lights shining at an angle of dead ahead ...
Practical Sailor Tracks Down the Best LED Tri-color Light
Boat owners who don't already have a masthead tri-color light, or who plan to replace an old one—hardware and all—would do well to consider an LED lantern. Orca Green Marine OGM Inc.'s USCG-approved (third-party tested) tri-color/anchor light (LXTA-12v) squeezes an amazing amount of light from a minimal amount of current (0.3 amps @ 12 ...
Sailboat Lights Explained: What is the purpose of a Mast Head Light
Here is a sailing vessel under sail using a tricolored light. There is no forward-facing white light, like in the upper picture, so we know it is under sail. To clarify, on a sailboat less than 50 meters in length, a white under power mast head light can be just up the mast anywhere. That is to say that it's not part of the tri color.
Boat Masthead Lights
1. $182.41 - $182.57. Perko® 225° Lens for Masthead Lights (0281DPAWHT) 0. $8.69. Attwood® 12" L Horizontal Mount Fold Down Anchor/Masthead LED Light with Base (7812-S-7) 0. $131.81. Attwood® 12" L Horizontal Mount Fold Down Anchor/Masthead Light with Rail Adaptor (7201-P-7)
Ultimate Guide To Marine Navigation Lighting
Masthead Light: A combination of sidelight and stern light in a tricolor combination may be used sailing yachts of heights 20 m or lower. A masthead light is required by vessels of lengths between 39.4 ft and 65.6 ft. It is placed in the masthead whose height provides excellent visibility.
Boat Navigation Lights Rules: Illustrated Beginners Guide
For the smaller boat, the following definitions apply. Masthead Light - a white light placed centerline on the boat showing an arc of 225 degrees with 112.5 degrees either side of the front of the vessel. Sidelights - A red light on the port side and a green light on the starboard. They must show an arc of 112.5 degrees from centerline of the bow.
Lights and shapes for marine navigation
Figure 10.1 - Arcs of visibility of sternlight and sidelights. Definitions. Masthead light means a white light placed over the fore and aft centreline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225° and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5° abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.
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Only five lights rated good at 2 nm: Aqua Signal's 40100-1 bi-color light and 40400-1 masthead; Hella Marine's 62208 stern light, 62206 masthead, and 6225 tri-color. (This tricolor was actually the most visible of all the lights in the test, scoring "excellent" at 1 nm and "good" at 2 nm.) Some sidelights that were rated for only ...
Rewiring and replacing mast head light
135. Macgregor 26C River Way, Rockledge, FL. Apr 30, 2017. #1. I just replaced my masthead light with an LED light. I ordered it from BWY and it came with new wire. After running the wire down the mast, I realized the old wire was a single yellow wire. The new wire is a two-wire (red and black). The old yellow wire hooked into the switch panel ...
Five Oceans Combination Masthead and Deck Light, LED Masthead Deck
Five Oceans Combination Masthead and Deck Light, LED Masthead Deck Spreader Light, 12V, Vertical Mount for Sailboat - FO3837 Visit the Five Oceans Store 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 131 ratings
Tri-Color Open Water Sailing Navigation Lights
Tri-Color (112.5° Red, 112.5° Green, 135° White) Sailboat Masthead Options. Sort By: Quick view Details. sku: N3-TRI-CMB. Smart LED Tri-Color, Anchor Light, and Strobe. $119.00. View Details. Quick view Details. sku: N4-360-AA. All-Around LED Anchor Light for Sailboat Mast - Series 40 Type <20M ...
LED Tri-Color Navigation Light with Anchor Light Stack
8" height x 3" diameter. This combination tri-color / all-around anchor navigation light for sailboats is a great and economical LED solution to freshening up the top of your mast. The tri-color's LEDs lower the wattage by 80% while providing a brighter output than traditional 25W incandescent stack lights.
Masthead light
The masthead light is a white, forward-facing light that must be displayed by boats at night when operating under motor power. ... The light is usually placed about 2/3 of the way up the mast. The masthead light on a sailboat should not be confused with the tricolor light or the anchor light, which are both located at the top of the mast. On ...
Installing a Tri-Color Masthead Light
Log 8 | In this one we find a surprise inside the base of our Sailboat mast and we install a tri-color navigation light on the masthead. Oddly, Sea Pearl was...
Smart LED Tri-Color, Anchor Light, and Strobe
Smart Switching LED Tri-Color / Anchor / SOS Strobe Light, aqua signal, sailboat, hella, mast, perko. Toggle menu (843) 885-8644 ... Tri-colors are used for enhanced safety by greatly enhancing visibility of your boat when sailing offshore at night. The have Red and Green (port and starboard) 112.5° sectors facing forward, on the boats center ...
Amazon.com: Led Masthead Light
Keiurot 31MM Festoon Led Boat Navigation Lights Marine LED Navigation Light Boat LED Bow Light Anchor Light Mast Masthead Light 12V Led Boat Lights White, Pack of 2. 4.0 out of 5 stars. 19. $9.69 $ 9. 69 ($4.85 $4.85 /Count) FREE delivery Wed, Feb 28 on $35 of items shipped by Amazon. ... led head light for
Navigation Lights
White Masthead Light. Certified For Use on Vessels 20 Meters (65.6 ft.) to 50 Meters (164.0 ft.) in Length. Available Finishes. Black. White. Product Description. ... Charter Member of the American Boat & Yacht Council, Inc. abycinc.org. USCG Certified. Our Navigation Lights are third party certified to meet USCG regulations.
masthead light location
My reading of the Canadian collision regs is that the mashead light (= steaming light) must be > 2.5 m above the gunwale in a vessel 12-20 meters in length, and > 1 meter above the sidelights when under power. The old definition of "masthead" was that part of the mast above the rigging (Sailor's Word Book). The collision regs define a masthead ...
Amazon.com: Boat Mast Light
Pactrade Marine Waterproof LED Combo Masthead Deck Light For Sailboat Boats Up To 12M, G4 Type Bulb and LED Type. 4.0 out of 5 stars 88. $45.99 $ 45. 99. FREE delivery Jan 4 - 8 . Or fastest delivery Thu, Jan 4 . Small Business. Small Business. Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazon's store. Discover more about the small ...
mast head light switches
I replaced my mast lights last week Lloyd, I replaced my lights last week. I did the same thing, except that my original light also was a combination light. I have two separate switches on my panel for the two lights. At the mast I have three wires, one for the masthead light, one for the spreader light, and a common ground.
Tri-Color Masthead Lights Marine Products
Perko Horizontal Mount Bi-Color Light - 0227DP0WHT. $42.99. $30.95. Shop Tri-Color Masthead Lights for boats of all types at Defender. Get fast delivery and free shipping on eligible orders over $99.