It's the Law: Required Equipment

• Power-Driven When Underway
• Unpowered Vessels When Underway
• Vessels When Not Underway

Navigation Lights

The required navigation lights must be displayed between sunset and sunrise and during periods of restricted visibility.

Power-Driven Vessels When Underway

The masthead light and sternlight may be combined as an all-round white light on vessels less than 39.4 feet long.

Unpowered Vessels When Underway

Unpowered vessels are sailboats or vessels that are paddled, poled, or rowed.

If less than 65.6 feet long, these vessels must exhibit the lights as shown in figure 2. The required lights are:

• Red and green sidelights visible from at least two miles away—or if less than 39.4 feet long, at least one mile.
• A sternlight visible from at least two miles away.

If paddled, poled, or rowed, a vessel requires only an all-round white light.

An alternative to the sidelights and sternlight is a combination red, green, and white light, which must be exhibited near the top of the mast.

All Vessels When Not Underway

All vessels are required to use a white light visible for 360 degrees and from a distance of two miles whenever they are moored or anchored away from dock between sunset and sunrise.