Improper Navigation Light

[Kevin Henderson]

Seen lots of posts lately with folks updating and replacing various navigation lights.  I stumbled accross this today and thought I would pass it along for cautionary information.   


http://www.thelog.com/SNW/Article/Coast-Guard-Warns-Boaters-of-Improper-Nav-Light

[Ralph Masters]

Good information Kevin.  The new one on the mast I put up is the 225 degree from Hellamarine.

And don't try a regular LED in the bow combination light, the colors do not work, the green comes out being a blue color.  You need the special bulb for that one.

Ralph

[mainesail]

A general safe rule when buying navigation lights is to look for the USCG embossment or ABYC A-16 embossment. This means the lights are USCG certified navigation lights.

NOT ALL LIGHTS SOLD AS NAVIGATION LIGHTS ARE USCG CERTIFIED!!!! If not certified there is a good likelihood that they simply don't meet the criteria as a navigation light.

Should look like this:


Or this:


We as boaters are required to have navigation lights that meed the COLREGS definitions of a navigation light for distance, horizontal sectors, color rendering, arc and vertical sectors.

The best way to know this is to simply buy USCG certified navigation lights.