Vasai, Maharashtra
Navigation lights are set by the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (the COLREGs). The rules say which lights a vessel shows, over what arc, and how far each must be visible, and that last figure changes with the length of the boat. MM lists its lights in two series for that reason.
What a power-driven vessel shows under way
- A masthead light: white, showing over an arc of 225 degrees ahead.
- Sidelights: green to starboard and red to port, each over 112.5 degrees from ahead to abaft the beam. On smaller vessels the two may be combined in one lantern.
- A sternlight: white, over 135 degrees astern.
- At anchor, an all-round white light over 360 degrees.
Visibility ranges by vessel length
Rule 22 sets the minimum range in nautical miles. For a vessel under 12 metres: masthead light 2 miles, sidelights 1 mile, sternlight 2 miles, all-round light 2 miles. For a vessel of 12 metres or more but under 50 metres: masthead light 5 miles, or 3 miles if the vessel is under 20 metres; sidelights 2 miles; sternlight 2 miles; all-round light 2 miles.
The MM 12 and 20 series
Each MM navigation light is listed in two models, suffixed 12 and 20, which the catalogue describes as for 12-metre and 20-metre boats, in a black or white housing and also in an LED series. The range covers the full set above:
- Anchor Light – MMNLAL12 / MMNLAL20
- Combination Light Red & Green Colour – MMNLBC12 / MMNLBC20
- Masthead Light White Colour – MMNLMH12 / MMNLMH20
- Port Light Red Colour – MMNLPR12 / MMNLPR20
- Starboard Light Green Colour – MMNLSB12 / MMNLSB20
- Stern Light White Colour – MMNLST12 / MMNLST20
Which lights a particular vessel must carry, and how they are sited, is decided by its survey and flag administration. Confirm the configuration with your surveyor, then ask us for a quote against the model numbers.