Navigation lights are needed to use your boat safely. This will ensure visibility of your boat and you will be able to use these to communicate with other boats or vessels especially when it comes to low visibility conditions. If you don’t maintain these lights properly, your safety as well as other vessels’ is compromised.
Marine navigation lights are used to indicate the position of the vessel and the vessel type. It will indicate where the vessel is heading. There are red and green running lights that will be mounted on the front of the boat. The red light generally indicates the port side and the starboard or right side is indeed by the green light. There is a white light that is mounted at the back of the boat and at the highest point of the boat, there is another white light called the masthead light. You need to have all of these lights functioning properly so that you can ensure safe navigation. You need to inspect the lights regularly so that you know for sure you are sailing under ideal conditions. You can have a checklist to follow so that you can run through it before you set sail. You have to check for visibility of the lights from their designated angles. The red and green lights should be visible from the sides. And when you check from the rear, the white stern light at the back has to be visible. The front and sides of the boat should be illuminated by the masthead light. You can inspect these from different angles to check whether any light is being obstructed.
The condition of the lenses and bulbs has to be checked.
If you find any burnt-out bulbs, these should be replaced so that you can maintain visibility. You need to check the lenses to see if there is any discolouration, fogging or cracks as the effectiveness of the lights can be reduced. The lenses should be checked so that you can remove any dirt and debris to ensure the light shines clearly. The electrical system that powers the lights should be inspected and maintained so that you can ensure reliable operation of all the lights. You have to check the wiring and connections that lead to the lights. Sometimes there can be loose connections, signs of wear and tear and corrosion. The lights will be working intermittently or not at all in the event of corroded or loose connections. Electrical continuity can be checked using a multimeter.
There can be a build-up of corrosion on the electrical contacts
So that the performance of these lights can be affected. These contacts have to be cleaned. You can use an electrical contact cleaner for this or a wire brush. The connections need to be free of corrosion. The circuit powering the navigation lights should be checked from time to time so that you can replace faulty components. Make sure to turn on each light and observe whether there are any issues in its operation. As the lights are exposed to the elements you need to make sure they are properly protected from environmental damage.
