Hunter e36 • Boating Safety
4.13
signals and associated equipment include: Red flares,
handheld or aerial Orange smoke, hand held or floating
Launchers for aerial red meteor or parachute flares. Non-
pyrotechnic equipment includes an orange distress flag,
dye markers, and an electric distress light.
No single signaling device is ideal under all conditions for
all purposes. Consider carrying various types of equip-
ment. Careful selection and proper stowage of visual
distress equipment is very important. If young children
are frequently aboard, you should select devices with
packages which children, but not adults, will find difficult
to open.
Other helpful publications available from the U. S. Coast
Guard include “Aids to Navigation” (U.S. Coast Guard
pamphlet #123), which explains the significance of
various lights and buoys, the “Boating Safety Training
Manual”, and “Federal Requirements for Recreational
Boats”. Check with your local Coast Guard Station, your
new dealer, or a local marina about navigational aids
unique to your area.
4.5.3 Running and Navigation Lights
Your boat must have running and navigation lights for
safe operation after dark. Observe all navigation rules
for meeting and passing. Do not run at high speeds dur-
ing night operation. Always use common sense and good
judgment.
Operating at night can present some special challenges.
Not only is your depth perception lessened, bright lights
on the shore can cast misleading reflections on the water
and if you wear glasses, or worse yet, bifocals, you sim-
ply don’t see as well at night as you do during the day.
It is not only important that you be able to identify other
vessels operating in your proximity, it is equally important
that other vessels see you. Most recreational vessels are
less than 30 feet in length and, according to “The Rules
of the Road”, shall be equipped with navigation lights.
These lights not only have a certain arc through which
they can be seen but must be seen from a minimum dis-
tance. Table 1, on page 4.14 will show you the following
lighting requirements for recreational vessels both less
than 12 meters in length (approximately 39.4”), and over
12 meters in length to 20 meters (65')
Light Arc Color Visible
Range
Masthead
Light
225 Wht 2
Starboard 112.5 Grn 1
Port
Sidelight
112.5 Red 1
Sternlight 135 Wht 2
The arc of the lights and color allows you to determine the
direction a vessel is moving. How good are your lights?
You should test them to see how visible you might be
at night. Whether on a trailer or at the marina, switch
on your lights and see how well they can be seen. Walk
away from the boat or row away, if you are at anchor or
at a mooring, and see how visible the lights are as you
move further away. How easy are they to see against the
background of lights on shore?
You should always check that your masthead light disap-
pears at the same time each sidelight disappears and
they both disappear when the stern light appears.
Check your sidelights from dead ahead. You should see
both red and green. However, by moving toward one side
by 1-3 degrees, you should then see only one light. If you
still see two lights, an approaching vessel won’t be able
to tell which direction you are going.
When boating at night, remember the following: “When
two lights you see ahead, turn your helm and show your
red.”
4.5.4 Sound Signaling Device
Your boat is provided with a horn which conforms with
U.S. Coast Guard requirements for boats of this size. All
class A boats are recommended to carry a hand, mouth,
or whistle, as well as a power operated horn. The device
should be used to promote safe passing, as well as a
warning to other vessels in fog, or confined areas, or as
a signal to operators of locks or drawbridges. Following
are standard whistle signals:
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