Understanding the Importance of Marine Navigation Lighting

Understanding the Importance of Marine Navigation Lighting.

While driving on a road, a driver is required to have headlights on the vehicle. Similarly even boats and ships are required to have lights. Such lights, known as marine navigation lighting, form a very important part of the marine navigation systems.

When road and rail transport is used, at night time, there are proper lighting systems available to guide them. These lights help to prevent any major accident from happening. Marine navigation however does not have any such lighting system, making it all the more important to have marine navigation lighting set up on ships and boats.

All boats – whether big or small are required to have night lights as a part of the navigation systems. This system was introduced in the year 1838 by the United States and then was followed by the United Kingdom in 1849. In the year 1889, the International Maritime Conference was established by the United States to establish proper guidelines to prevent marine accidents. In the year 1897, these rules were officially adopted internationally. The colour of the lights that were required to be used was specified by a set of rules passed in the UK. On the basis of this rule, three colours were chosen: red, green and white. Even today, the marine navigation lighting consists of these three colours.

There is a pattern in which these lights are set up on the ships and boats. The pattern can be explained below:

·  There is a light at the right-hand side of the boat (known as the starboard side) which is green in colour.

·  There is a light at the left-hand side of the boat (known as the port side) which is red in colour.

·  A red light is also placed at the back of the boat (known as the stern side).

·  The mast of the boat also has to have night lights. The colour of this light is white in colour. But it needs to be noted that if vessel is bigger – like a ship, then there needs to be two lights as mast lights.

These lights work in such a manner that they can indicate an approaching ship about the position of another ship in its path. By understanding the position and the angle of the lights mentioned, the person at the helm (steering) of the opposite ship can clearly understand how much change needs to be done in the ship’s route.

The visibility range of such lights varies between three miles to six miles. The lights that are used for ships and bigger boats have a longer range of visibility as compared to the smaller boats. There is also a concept known as all-round light that certain smaller boats can opt for. If a boat is installed with an all-round light (it is a light fixed to the mast), then there does not need to be any further separate lights for the stern and the two sides of the boat.

If it becomes clear that two boats are on the opposite sides of the same route, then depending on certain marine rules and standards one of the boats has to alter its course. The choice of the boat that has to alter its course depends on the size and certain other specifications. In order to be clear about these aspects, a mariner has to have a complete knowledge about the system of marine lights functions.

 

Thus, it can be said that in addition to incorporating these modern techniques, one also needs to be clear in marine navigation lights usage. Only by doing so can result in a perfect accident-free marine navigation.