Re: lights on 16' skiff
USCG Rules of the Road covers it but it goes something like this: Red 0 degrees forward to 2 points (of the compass) abaft (behind) the port (left) beam (widest point on the boat, usually in the forward 1/4 of the length). So if dead ahead were on a compass, at 0 degrees, it would shine aft of 270 degrees. I forgot what 2 points means.....probably 2 minor divisions on somebody's compass.....not really important to you as most marine lights have this built in.
On Green, it's the same thing but on the starboard (right) side and has to be behind 90 degrees on the relative compass.
Really says nothing about location. A small fishing boat usually has a single (combination) unit,bow mounted. Ocean going ships, such as an oil tanker, has them on each side of the pilot house, way up high.
What it says is where it's visable to an approaching vessel. You'll find them where it's convenient for the boat designer to install them and comply with the visability requrement.
Your problem may be that you can't find small enough separate lights to satisfy your requirements.
Then you have the white light which has a minimum visability distance limit and 360 degree visability required.
Then when you get to very large vessels, they have 2 white lights that an oncoming vessel can line up (one aft is physically higher than the one fore which allows you to line them up to detect the center line....hence direction an approaching vessel is headed).
Best I can do from memory.
Mark
We debated this a year or so ago, and . . . if your bow lights are separated at all, your stern light (all around) must be centered . . . It cannot be placed in one of the stern "corners" like so many are. Turned out that my boat is technically illegally lit . . . or is that lighted . . . no, I prefer lit.