Re: Boating 101+4½ - ANSWER
All military vessels, including submarines, may be exempt from the Inland Navigation Rules; Rule 1c. Civilian owned submarines are subject to the Rules. There are no Rules regarding the display of navigation lighting on a fully submerged vessel. A submarine at surface is required to display the same navigation lighting as any other power-driven vessel of the same vessel length, as defined in Rule 23.<br /><br />Rule 23a - A power-driven vessel underway shall exhibit:<br />(i)a masthead light forward<br />(ii)a second masthead light abaft of and higher than the forward one; except that a vessel of less than 50 meters (164 feet) in length shall be obliged to exhibit such light but may do so.<br />(iii)sidelights; and<br />(iv)a sternlight.<br /><br />ANSWER <br /><br />In the example above, the vessel with the flashing yellow light is a hovercraft underway. If it were not under way, the flashing yellow light would not be exhibited. The other vessel with the single white all-around light is a vessel under oars. They are in the vicinity of each other.<br /><br />Rule 23b An air-cushion vessel when operated in the non-displacement mode shall, in addition to the lights prescribed in 23a, exhibit an all-around flashing yellow light where it can best be seen.<br /><br />A vessel at anchor is required to show a single white, all-around light; Rule 30 Anchored Vessels:<br /><br />Rule 30b A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an all-around white light where it can best be seen
<br /><br />However, in the example above, the vessel with a single white all-around light is stated as being underway, not at anchor. There are no sidelights displayed. This is the appropriate display of navigation lighting for a sailing vessel of less than 7 meters (23 feet) or a vessel of any length under oars. Because we know the vessel to appear about 30 feet in length it is not a sailing vessel...a sailing vessel of that length would also exhibit sidelights. If sidelights were exhibited, we would not know if the vessel was a sailboat or a rowboat.<br /><br />Rule 25d(ii) A vessel under oars may exhibit the lights prescribed in this rule for sailing vessels, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.<br /><br />We know the two vessels are in the vicinity of each other because the oar-boat is exhibiting navigation lighting, without sidelights. If the two vessels were not in the vicinity of each other, the vessel under oars would not exhibit any navigational lighting.