What lights should a sailing vessel under 20 meters exhibit?

For a sailing vessel under 20 meters in length, the correct configuration of lights to exhibit is a combination of sidelights and a stern light. This setup allows other vessels to easily identify the sailing vessel's orientation and direction of travel.

Sidelights are used to indicate the presence and the sides of the vessel; the port side light is red and the starboard side light is green. The addition of a stern light, which is white, helps to provide thorough visibility from behind, indicating the vessel's position and direction to other boats that may be approaching from the stern.

This combination of lights is crucial for ensuring safe navigation in both daylight and nighttime conditions, contributing to the awareness of other vessels in the area and fostering effective communication of a vessel's movements.

Options that suggest displaying only sidelights or only a stern light do not align with the COLREGs requirements for lights on sailing vessels. The presence of both sidelights and a stern light is essential for a complete representation of the vessel’s navigation status.