Lights & shapes

learnthesea.com

By night, vessels show coloured lights; by day, black shapes. A few you must know on sight; the rest you look up.

Sailing — sidelights + stern

Power — adds a masthead light

At anchor — all-round white

Day shape — ball (anchored)

Day shape — cone (motor-sailing)

Day shapes

Shape	Means
Ball	At anchor
Ball – diamond – ball	Restricted in her ability to manoeuvre
Two balls, vertical	Not under command
Cone, point down	Motor-sailing (sail up, engine driving)
Cylinder	Constrained by her draught
Cone, point up	A vessel at anchor — small fishing-boat warning of gear out

You see	Means
Red over white	Fishing vessel — “red over white, fishing at night”
Red over red	Not under command — “red over red, the skipper is dead”
Green over white	Trawler
Sidelights + sternlight only	A sailing vessel under way
Masthead light(s) + sidelights + sternlight	A power-driven vessel under way
All-round white	A vessel at anchor, or a small power-driven vessel