Red over white navigation lights indicate which activity?

• A. Fishing at night
• B. Not under command
• C. Pilot ahead
• D. Trawling at night

Answer: (A)

When boats are out at night, the lights they show are a communication tool about what they’re doing and how you should respond. A vertical pair of lights with red above a white light is the signal that a vessel is engaged in fishing at night. This pattern is standardized so other mariners recognize that the vessel may have gear out and could be maneuvering differently or slowed, so giving it extra room is wise. The other scenarios have different light configurations, so they’re not indicated by red-over-white. In practice, treat a fishing vessel at night as potentially slow and gear-in-the-water, and keep clear to stay safe.