Sale of Starboard Lights for Yacht
In this catalog with prices, the topRik marketplace has starboard lights with waterproof housings, protection level from IP56 to IP67 and lenses made of impact-resistant material. This section presents models from the world's leading manufacturers of navigation lights for yachts – Plastimo, DHR, Hella Marine and other companies that have received recognition from seafarers.
Right now, get professional free advice from experienced sailors who know how to ensure safety on the water. topRik experts can help you select navigation lights for boats of various sizes, configurations and purposes. Ask your questions by phone, via the contacts section or by email ([email protected]). Links to all types of communication are provided on this page.
Of course, to consider starboard lights without communication with their permanent and obligatory partners - port side lights - is as unthinkable as it is to exclude them from the entire system of navigation lights of any vessel. Starboard lights are part of docking and navigation lights, and are also required to be used when towing; they must be turned on on both self-propelled and non-self-propelled vessels, as well as on vessels for various purposes when they perform various jobs, including fishing boats.
During moorings, any vessel must, from calendar sunset to calendar dawn, in addition to the masthead and stern lights, turn on the side lights: on the starboard side - green starboard light, from the left – red port side light. The masthead and stern lights are white: the first one shines directly on the bow, and the stern one is located as close as possible to the stern.
The same requirements apply to the side lights of a self-propelled vessel in the daytime when visibility at sea deteriorates, including when moving, and not just when stationary.
During mooring and movement, side lights help a mooring or oncoming vessel to determine:
- width dimensions of the yacht;
- her angle during maneuver;
- yacht course;
- the purpose of the boat and other characteristics, if it is not a pleasure yacht.
Thus, when the helmsman of an oncoming vessel sees only the starboard on your yacht light , he understands that you are moving relative to him on the starboard side.
If the skipper of an oncoming vessel sees both side lights of your yacht, and even the masthead or masthead lights in the alignment, he understands that you are moving directly towards him.
If the length of the vessel is less than 20 meters, then the green and red side lights can be replaced by a combined two-color light. This two-color lamp is located in the center of the bow and stern axes of the boat.
A sailing vessel of the same size may use a tricolor light combining both side and stern lights. It is located at the top of the mast, and can only be turned on when sailing. If the motor is turned on on such a sailing boat, the tricolor cannot be used; side lights (as well as stern lights) in this case are used in accordance with the requirements for motor vessels.
Types of Starboard Lights
Like all navigation lights, starboard lights can be classified by the type of light source used. Depending on this they are divided into starboard lights with:
- Incandescent lamp.
- Halogen lamp.
- LED lamp.
In the topRik marketplace you can buy both traditional starboard lights with incandescent lamp and LED starboard lights. Halogen lamps in navigation lights are also becoming traditional.
Let's not lie and deny that traditional lights are being replaced by LED technology everywhere. Still, they are attractive due to their affordable price, and owners of small boats can rightly assume that they perform their functions quite well. But…
Almost all modern yachts already have LED navigation lights, and over time it is becoming increasingly difficult to find traditional replacement lamps. Therefore, most yacht owners have already switched and are preparing to switch to LED lights.
This is not surprising, despite the higher cost of innovative technology. It is compensated by advantages that compare the cost due to the superiority of LED lights in:
- durability - LED lights have a service life of more than 10 thousand hours versus 1 thousand for incandescent lamps and 4 thousand for halogen models;
- energy consumption – low energy consumption provides a high level of savings, which is especially important on sailing ships during long-term autonomous voyages;
- technology – due to the absence of a filament, LED models are more resistant to vibration;
- resistance to voltage surges – LED models are equipped with a protection circuit against voltage peaks and polarity reversals.
In addition, for navigation lights their brightness is very important, but with special conditions. LED lights fully comply with these conditions: they provide better visibility of the vessel at sea in any weather, but do not blind skippers of oncoming ships.
topRik marketplace suppliers are well-known manufacturers specializing in different types of navigation lights. That's why we offer a wide range of internationally approved starboard lights, which work both with conventional incandescent or halogen lamps and with permanently installed light-emitting semiconductor components (LEDs).
You can also buy a specialized waterproof starboard case lights with a lens made of impact-resistant transparent plastic without a lamp, and then select and install the option you need.
Installation Requirements
If you're upgrading your boat's navigation lights to LED lights or replacing burned out ones, installing a starboard light won't be a hassle since you can use the old inlets or adapter plate.
Remember that all running lights, which include side lights, must be securely fastened perpendicular to the waterline.
To install the right navigation light, do not use improvised tools; you need specialized installation tools, as well as skills to work with them.
If you are installing halogen side lights, then remember that the bulb of a halogen lamp cannot be touched with bare hands: you will leave traces of grease on it, which then burn and darken, and the glass in these places overheats, and the light bulb burns out faster. Therefore, work on replacing halogen lamps should be done with gloves, and the lamp should only be grasped by the fasteners.
If you do not have the experience and license of an electrician, then it is better to entrust the connection of the starboard light, regardless of the type of light source, to a specialist.
You should know the installation rules, which are regulated by the United Nations specialized agency responsible for regulating shipping – the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
International Rules
International Rules of Navigation include requirements for the placement of all types of navigation lights on ships of different sizes, types and purposes at different times of the day and under different circumstances.
The last time the IMO revised the requirements for navigation lights was in 1972 at an International Conference. These requirements are included in the text of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (hereinafter referred to as COLREG s-72 or the Rules).
For placing the starboard light also apply in accordance with the standards for the use of ship side lights.
The Maritime Rules impose a number of requirements on the color, brightness and location of side lights on a vessel, which must be strictly followed by all participants in navigation.
- Side lights must be on constantly and located along the sides of the ship.
- In this case, there is a certain position of each light - green for starboard, red – for portside.
- The side lights should shine forward and to the side of the plane of the ship in the 112.5° zone. Starboard light is green in color with a lighting sector on the starboard side of 112.5° (from the centerline of the vessel along the bow and extending 22.5° beyond the beam).
- In this case, the illumination sector of the side lights should not overlap the sector of the masthead lights, but only partially fall into their luminous area.
- Distinctive side lights should be installed at the level of the bridge or gunwale in such a way that the light of the light is not visible from the opposite side, i.e. the light does not cross the center line along the bow of the vessel.
COLREG s-72 also specifies the distance at which oncoming vessels must see running lights, including side lights. This value depends on the length of the vessel. Thus, yachts 50 m or more in length must have side lights visible from a distance of 3 miles. For boats 12m or more in length but less than 50m this distance is 2 miles, and for yachts less than 12m in length it is 1 mile.