It’s hard to believe that it was not until the mid 1800’s that navigation lights were made mandatory aboard sailing ships, and as our seas become more congested no boater would dream of sailing at night without lights. Anyone with any sense will do all they can to ensure they are visible to commercial shipping, however, the RYA is frequently contacted by representatives from the commercial shipping sector on one matter: tricolour navigation lights.Mounted at the top of your mast, the tricolour is a useful way of saving battery power on a long passage, as most will only use one bulb. There are, however, drawbacks as RYA Cruising Manager Stuart Carruthers explained: “We are frequently contacted by commercial masters concerned because they are not picking out tricolour lights as easily as perhaps they should.”There are a number of reasons for this: tricolour lights have a tendency to disappear when there is a lot of background clutter, being at the top of the mast, tricolours exaggerate the angle of heel which also reduces their effectiveness.”Maintenance is also an issue: being at the top of the mast, the light will not get inspected as regularly as deck level lights. In addition to this, the fact that there is a substantial length of wire between the battery and bulb will inevitably reduce its power.”The RYA is not telling you not to do away with tricolour lights, just to be aware of their limitations.”Top Tips

• Check for lens crazing; many lenses also tend to fog up following exposure to sea air which can substantially reduce their efficiency.
• Check your bulbs are still working efficiently and are of the right size and type. Damaged filaments can compromise the brightness of bulbs, whilst if you are replacing lights, make sure you fit the correct bulb. If in doubt, check with the manufacturer.