What color is a towing light?

In the context of the COLREGs, the towing light is designated as white. This is crucial as it clearly identifies to other vessels that a vessel is engaged in towing operations. The use of a white light helps maintain good visibility and ensures that the towing vessel is recognized for what it is, which is important for navigation safety, especially at night or in poor visibility conditions.

The other colors listed, red and green, are used for different specific purposes. Red lights indicate a port side (left) of the vessel, while green lights indicate a starboard side (right). Each of these is critical for determining the relative positions of vessels to one another. Yellow lights may also serve different purposes in navigation, but they do not pertain to towing lights. Therefore, the correct identification of a towing light as white plays an essential role in maritime traffic management and safety.