Laws for boat navigation lights

By law, all vessels, whether at anchor or underway, must show navigation lights between sunset and sunrise and in restricted visibility such as fog, smoke or glare.

Navigation lights give information about the boat’s size, whether it’s underway or at anchor, its direction of travel, and the angle you’re seeing them at. It’s important that boaters have the right lights on their own vessel, switch them on when required, and understand what they mean.

Sidelights

Red for port and green for starboard, mounted separately on their respective sides, or as a single bicolour unit on the bow. Sidelights shine from dead ahead to 112.5 degrees aft. Minimum range: visible from 1nm away (2nm for boats sized 12 to 20m).

Sternlight

Positioned astern to shine aft and along the sides of your boat, the sternlight’s white, unbroken beam joins forces with your red and green sidelights to provide joint 360-degree illumination. Minimum range: 2nm

Masthead light

Positioned high above the deck on the bow-to-stern centreline, this light makes up the ‘underway trio’. It shines forward and slightly aft in a 225-degree arc. Minimum range: 2nm, or 3nm for boats sized 12 to 20m.

All-round light

This 360-degree white ‘anchor’ light is mandatory for all moored or anchored vessels and can also be used by mid-sized power boats when underway. Its unobstructed beam must be visible from at least 2nm away. It’s the only navigation light permitted at anchor.

Tricoloured lantern

This all-in-one lantern combines side and stern lights at the top of the mast. It can be confusing in busy harbours against backdrops of bright city lights.

Boats under power

7m or less (7-knot max speed): all-round white light; sidelights if possible.

Up to 12m (and/or more than 7-knot max speed): side, mast and stern lights; or side and all-round white lights.

12 to 50m: masthead (mounted 2.5m or more above the gunwale), stern and side lights (separate or combined).

Boats under sail

When sailboats switch on their engines, they become boats under power, so switch off the tricolour lantern or separate red/green mast lights, and use the side-stern-mast lights combination.

Up to 7m long: torch or lantern for collision avoidance; stern and side lights if possible.

7 to 20m: tricoloured lantern (at or near the top of the mast); or stern and separate sidelights; or side, stern and two all-round mast lights positioned in a vertical line (upper is red and lower is green).

Over 20m: side and stern light (no combined lanterns allowed). Some states allow side and stern lights plus the dual red and green all-round mast lights.

Personal watercraft (PWC): if night-time use of a PWC is permitted in your state or territory, display an all-round white light.

Images: Maritime Safety Queensland | www.msq.qld.gov.au

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