Boat navigation lights in Queensland: what to show and how to read them

Lights go on from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility drops

You must show navigation lights from sunset to sunrise, at anchor or under way, and in daylight when visibility is restricted. That's how the BoatSafe Workbook puts it, and Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) gives the example of a heavy rain shower.

The law behind it is section 79 of the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2016. It gives the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea effect as if they were part of the regulation, and those collision regulations include the navigation light rules.

"Under way" catches more than you might expect. A boat is under way whenever it isn't at anchor, moored, made fast to the shore or aground. So a boat drifting while you fish is still under way and shows the same lights as a boat that's moving.

Section 12 adds a separate rule: between sunset and sunrise you must also carry a lighting device for signalling, such as a torch or lantern. It sits on top of your navigation lights and doesn't replace them.

Red is port (left), green is starboard (right), and white shows ahead and behind

The green light is on the starboard side, which is the right-hand side when you face the bow. The red light is on the port, or left, side. MSQ's tips sheet sets out what each light covers:

- **Sidelights:** red on port, green on starboard, each showing over 112.5 degrees. A combined red and green unit can sit on the centreline instead of two separate lights, if the boat's design allows. - **Stern light:** white, showing over 135 degrees behind the boat. - **Masthead light:** white, shining forward over 225 degrees, from dead ahead to just behind the beam. It must sit at least 1 metre above the sidelights. - **All-round white light:** white over 360 degrees, at least 1 metre above the sidelights, and on the centreline where practical.

The arcs are designed to fit together. From any direction, another skipper sees a combination that tells them which way you're heading. The BoatSafe Workbook says the lights tell other boaters what you're doing: at anchor, under sail or motoring.

Power boats under 12 metres: sidelights plus a masthead and stern light, or an all-round white

A power boat under 12 metres can use either of two setups while under way, according to the BoatSafe Workbook:

1. Separate or combined sidelights, a masthead light and a stern light. 2. Separate or combined sidelights and an all-round white light.

The smallest, slowest boats get a lighter rule. A power boat under 7 metres with a top speed of no more than 7 knots needs an all-round white light, plus sidelights if possible.

From 12 metres up to 20 metres, the all-round option drops away. You need a masthead light, sidelights (separate or combined) and a stern light. The workbook notes that larger boats may carry two masthead lights, with the higher one towards the stern.

On an outboard boat, MSQ warns the motor can block a low stern light, so it may need to go on a mast or to one side.

Sailing boats show sidelights and a stern light, then power-boat lights once the motor's running

A sailing boat under sail between 7 and 20 metres shows sidelights and a stern light. They can be separate lights or one combined lantern at or near the top of the mast. Over 20 metres, the boat shows separate sidelights and a stern light and can't use a combined lantern.

The moment the motor is driving the boat, it's a power boat for lighting purposes, even with the sails still up. MSQ says the same: a yacht under motor must meet the power boat lighting rules.

A sailing boat under 7 metres should show the lights for a bigger sailing boat if it can. If not, it needs a torch or lantern showing white, ready to display in time to avoid a collision.

Boats being rowed follow that same torch or lantern rule.

Some yachts carry an optional extra: red over green all-round lights near the top of the mast. The workbook allows these on a sailing boat with separate sidelights and a stern light, but not with a combined masthead lantern.

At anchor, a boat under 50 metres shows one all-round white light

An anchored boat under 50 metres shows a single all-round white light, placed where it is most visible. The BoatSafe Workbook says anchor lights must always be shown from sunset to sunrise. Boats over 50 metres show two anchor lights, with the higher one towards the bow.

Your red and green sidelights go off once you're anchored. They tell other boats you're moving and which way you're heading, which isn't true when you're anchored. MSQ suggests wiring your switch so one position turns on all the running lights and another turns on only the anchor light. Two switches doing the same job also work.

If you're anchored somewhere busy, the workbook suggests showing extra lights, such as deck lights (not navigation lights), so you're easier to see, and keeping a good watch.

Where you drop anchor matters too. The workbook advises against anchoring in channels, especially near markers. For the speed limit around anchored boats and the right of way rules, see our Queensland boating rules guide.

Reading another boat's lights: the colour you see tells you who gives way

Read the coloured sidelight and whether there's a white light above it. Every power boat under way shows a white masthead or all-round light above its sidelights. A sailing boat under sail doesn't, and a power boat must give way to a sailing boat. So for a power-boat skipper:

- **Green with white above:** a power boat showing its starboard side, crossing from your left. You're the stand-on vessel, so hold your course and speed, and be ready to act if it doesn't give way. - **Red with white above:** a power boat showing its port side, crossing from your right. The BoatSafe Workbook makes the boat on your right the stand-on vessel. You give way by slowing down, stopping or turning to pass behind it. - **Red and green with white above:** a power boat pointing straight at you. Head on, both power boats turn to starboard (right). - **Red, green or both with no white above:** most likely a sailing boat under sail. You give way, whichever side it's on. - **White only:** often a stern light, so you're behind it. It may also be an anchored boat, a very small, slow power boat or a rowed boat's torch. Keep well clear either way.

If you see extra lights you don't recognise, the workbook's rule of thumb for small power boats is simple: stay clear.

Fit lights so others can see them and you can still see out

Navigation lights and how they're installed must meet the COLREGs, and MSQ says a shipping inspector may ask you to show that your lights work and comply. Its tips sheet, written for power boats under 20 metres, covers the common mistakes:

- **Glare:** lights must not shine into the driver's eyes. On an open boat, use a shielded light on a mast or pole, or mount it behind you above head height. - **Blocked arcs:** masts and other structures generally shouldn't block an all-round white light by more than 6 degrees. The workbook adds that deck lights and the boat's superstructure must not interfere either. - **Wrong mounting:** sidelights made for a horizontal surface shine in the wrong direction on a vertical one, and the reverse. - **Wiring:** use a fused circuit carrying nothing but navigation lights, with wire sized for no more than a 3% voltage drop.

The workbook recommends having lights fitted by the manufacturer or an authorised person. Test them before every trip, even a daytime one, because a day out can run late. Carry spare bulbs when you're out at night.

Driving a boat at night: slow down, keep a sharp lookout and protect your night vision

At night you should go slower than you would in daylight. You'll have less to go on, and the BoatSafe Workbook is blunt about it: unless there's an emergency, there's no reason to run at full speed in the dark. Distances and shorelines look different, waves are harder to judge, and bridge and city lights can wreck your night vision.

The workbook's night checklist:

- **Bring experience:** take someone with night experience on your first night trip. - **Watch for unlit hazards:** keep a sharp lookout for unlit buoys and obstructions. Use a good spotlight to check a buoy's colour and number, and switch it off once you have. - **Mind other skippers:** never shine a spotlight into another boat's wheelhouse, and never leave it on while under way. - **Dim screens:** turn down chart plotter and instrument backlights, and hand over the wheel if you get tired. - **Protect your crew:** keep less experienced passengers seated. Finding someone in the water at night is very difficult, so everyone should wear a lifejacket. See our life jacket rules guide.

If anyone is in danger, call triple zero (000).

Learning lights and night rules on the Sunshine Coast

Navigation lights are part of the BoatSafe syllabus, in the on-the-water chapter alongside the buoyage system, rules of the road and sound signals. Our Boat Licence course is priced from $329, with online theory before a practical day on sheltered water, run by experienced local instructors. If you also want to ride a jet ski, the Boat & Jet Ski Combo covers both licence courses in one day. The course dates page shows what's open at each venue.

Courses run from Golden Beach in Caloundra on the Pumicestone Passage, Maroochydore on the Maroochy River, and Noosaville on the Noosa River. Before your first night trip on any of them, follow the workbook advice and take someone along who has night navigation experience.

To see how the licence process works from start to finish, read how to get a boat licence in Queensland.