from web site
Lights on a vessel, airplane or spacecraft providing info on a craft's position, heading, and status Combined green and red navigation light at the bow of a sailboat A navigation light, likewise referred to as a running or position light, provides lighting on a vessel, airplane or spacecraft.
Their placement is mandated by global conventions or civil authorities. Navigation lights are not meant to supply illumination for the craft making the passage, only for other craft to be knowledgeable about it. In 1838 the United States passed an act needing steamboats running in between sundown and sunrise to bring several signal lights; colour, visibility and place were not defined.
The admiralty exercised these powers in 1848 and needed steam vessels to show red and green sidelights along with a white masthead light whilst under way and a single white light when at anchor. In 1849 the U.S. Congress extended the light requirements to cruising vessels. In 1889 the United States convened the first International Maritime Conference to consider guidelines for avoiding crashes.
in 1890 and became reliable worldwide in 1897. Within Find More Details On This Page was the requirement for steamships to bring a 2nd mast head light. The international 1948 Security of Life at Sea Conference recommended a necessary 2nd masthead light solely for power driven vessels over 150 feet in length and a fixed sternlight for almost all vessels.
The International Regulations for Preventing Accidents at Sea established in 1972 specifies the requirements for the navigation lights needed on a vessel. Standard lighting [edit] Fundamental lighting configuration. 2=a vessel dealing with straight towards observer; 4=vessel dealing with away from the observer. To avoid collisions, vessels install navigation lights that allow other vessels to figure out the type and relative angle of a vessel, and therefore decide if there is a threat of collision.
Power driven vessels in addition to these lights, need to carry either a couple of (depending upon length) white masthead lights that shine from ahead to two points abaft the beam on both sides. If two masthead lights are brought then the aft one needs to be greater than the forward one.