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Ancient Hippy answered
Which direction he is traveling and on which side you should pass.
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Tom Jackson answered
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At night, boats are supposed to display navigational lights; these are red, green, and white. The lights are screened/shielded so that each light is only visible from a certain range of directions.If you are on a boat and can see the red, green, and white navigational lights from another boat all at the same time, you should watch out, because that means that it is moving directly toward you and there is the possibility of a collision.
If you’re in a powerboat at night, and see another boat’s red light and white light, but not the green light, you are generally in a “give-way” position.
This means that you must slow, turn, stop, or make whatever other maneuver is necessary to stay out of that boat’s way. If you see both the red and green light and a white light, you are meeting the other boat head-on. If you see only the white light, you are running up the stern of the other boat, or the other boat is at anchor, or it may be a sailboat under sail. If you see the green and white light and not the red, you are considered the boat of privilege, or “stand on” vessel. But remember, having that privilege or status is of little solice if there is a collision, so avoid collision at any cost.
Remember, a general rule is that the more lights you see on a vessel at night, the larger it is and the more you should try and avoid it.
Carry spare light bulbs of the kind and type for all your navigation light fixtures, and know how to change them. Having nav lights on your boat that don’t work is considered the same as not having nav lights on your boat. If you ARE in a situation where your nav lights poop out and you can’t fix them, light as many flashlights as you can and wave them around in all directions as you make your way to safe harbor.
If you see yellow lights on the water, you are encountering a large vessel or barge being towed. Stay well clear of this hazard!
Night boating is deceptive. Always reduce your speed at night, and keep a sharp lookout for lights of other boats, and debris.
If you meet a vessel and see a green and red light but no masthead (white) light, then you are approaching a sail-driven vessel. You are the give-way craft and must yield right-of-way to the sailing vessel.
Port (left) Approach
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.
Starboard (right) Approach
If a red and a white light are visible, then another craft is approaching you from the starboard (right) side. In this situation you are the give-way craft and must yield right-of-way. You should take early and substantial action to steer well clear of the other craft. Reduce your speed, change direction and pass at a safe distance behind the other boat.
Safe Boating Tip
A simple way to decipher powerboat navigation lights is to remember: If you see a GREEN LIGHT you can ‘GO’: another boat is approaching from your port side.
If you see a RED LIGHT you should ‘STOP’: another boat is approaching from your starboard side.
What Does a White Light Indicate?
If you see a white light on its own it indicates that you DO NOT have the right-of-way. The white light will be identifying one of the following three things:
1) You are approaching another craft from behind
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.
2) You are approaching a non-powered craft
If you are approaching a non-powered craft, you are the give-way craft and must yield the right of way. You should take early and substantial action to stay well clear and pass at a safe speed and distance.
Remember that if you’re operating a non-powered craft at night, you are required have ready for use an electric torch, flashlight or lighted lantern showing a white light (this rule applies if the boat cannot be equipped with standard navigation lights).
3) You are approaching an anchored craft at night
If you are approaching an anchored craft, the anchored craft will be exhibiting an all-round white light to indicate to other boaters that their craft is at anchor.
Remember: anchored boats should never display their green and red sidelights as these lights will indicate to other boaters that your craft is underway.
To stay safe on the water at night or at times of restricted visibility, you need to be able to recognise lights on other vessels. These lights help prevent collisions.
A vessel's navigation lights tell you:
- whether it's at anchor or underway
- the direction it's travelling
- the vessel type and size.
Keep a lookout for lights that may not be bright, such as those on smaller vessels. These vessels may only display a single white light or a torch light.
A single white light can also mean a vessel is at anchor, or travelling away from you. If you see a white light, be aware that something is ahead of you and prepare to take appropriate action.
If you see a lot of lights, or lights up high, it's probably a large vessel, such as a ship or commercial fishing boat. Keep well clear.
These are some examples of navigation lights you may see.
When you are in a power-driven vessel and you see a red, a green, and a white light, you are approaching another power-driven vessel head-on and both vessels must give way.
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- Reach, Throw, Row, or Go
- Animation: Reach, Throw, Row, or Go
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- Preventing a Collision
- Video: Avoiding Accidents
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- Preventing Running Aground
- If Your Boat Runs Aground
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- How to Respond to Injuries
- A First-Aid Kit
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- What You've Learned
- Video: Unit 5 Review