What vessels may exhibit a 'blue flashing light'?

The presence of a 'blue flashing light' is specifically associated with government vessels that are engaged in providing assistance or conducting law enforcement operations. This lighting is utilized to alert other vessels to the vessel's authority and its role in ensuring safety or enforcing laws on the water.

When a government vessel has a blue flashing light, it indicates that it is either rendering assistance to another craft in distress or is involved in law enforcement activities, such as patrols or inspections. This use of the blue light serves to inform other mariners of the vessel's intention and authority, ensuring that appropriate actions can be taken by nearby vessels to avoid collisions or to comply with instructions from the government vessel.

Other options do not apply because they either restrict the use of the blue light to specific types of vessels or situations not aligned with the regulations. For example, fishing vessels or commercial ships in emergencies have different signaling protocols and do not utilize a blue flashing light for distress signals. In relation to private yachts, there are no specific regulations that authorize them to use a blue flashing light during rescue operations, as this would typically lead to confusion with official government rescue signals.