Anchor lights need to be seen

As the nights warm up and more boaties head out after dark, officers from the Brisbane Water Police say they are finding increasing numbers of boats that are not displaying the correct lights for their type of vessel.

Senior Constable Andrew Chee from the Brisbane Water Police says he continues to encounter vessel masters that are incorrectly using what is commonly referred to as an 'anchor light'.

"With only a few exceptions, most recreational powerboats or personal watercraft on the water at night must display an all-round white light whether they are underway or at anchor," Senior Constable Chee said.

"Too often we speak with boaties who are under the misconception that they only have to switch on their 'anchor light' while at anchor, but in fact the all-round white light must be on all the time while they are on the water at night. It is only the red and green side lights that get switched off while at anchor."

With Queensland being home to more than 250,000 registered recreational vessels and some of the busiest waterways in the country, Water Police officers are concerned that a lack of understanding about navigation lights is putting many boaties at risk.

"Many people think they are doing the right thing but have neglected to educate themselves on the importance of displaying all the correct lights on their boats at night," Senior Constable Chee said.

"The reality is that without an all-round white light being displayed in a way that can be seen from every direction, a small boat is virtually invisible on the water and is vulnerable to being smashed into by other vessels. Obviously, the results of a vessel crash at night can be disastrous."

In addition to the risks of collision, there are also penalties for failing to have the correct navigation lights displayed between sunset and sunrise.

For complete details of what navigation lights are required for your boat (third photo above), and how they should be set up, head to the Maritime Safety Queensland website at www.msq.qld.gov.au/Safety/Navigation-lights.