N.Y. NAV Law § 43 — New York Code / Act NAV / Article 4 / Part 1 / Section 43
Lights to be displayed
Status: in_force

§ 43. Lights to be displayed.  1. Vessels classified. For the\napplication of this section vessels shall be divided into classes as\nfollows:\n  Class A. Less than sixteen feet in length.\n  Class 1. Sixteen feet or over and less than twenty-six feet in length.\n  Class 2. Twenty-six feet or over and less than forty feet in length.\n  Class 3. Forty feet or over and not more than sixty-five feet in\nlength.\n  Class 4. Over sixty-five feet in length.\n  Class 5. Rowboats, canoes and kayaks.\n  2. Every vessel in all weathers from sunset to sunrise shall carry and\nexhibit and, if carried, shall also exhibit from sunrise to sunset in\nrestricted visibility, and may exhibit in all other circumstances when\nit is deemed necessary, the following lights when under way, and during\nsuch times no other lights which may be mistaken for those prescribed\nshall be exhibited:\n  (a) Every vessel of classes A and one shall carry the following\nlights:\n  First. A bright white light aft to show all around the horizon.\n  Second. A combined lantern in the fore part of the vessel and lower\nthan the white light aft, showing green to starboard and red to port, so\nfixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the\nbeam on their respective sides.\n  (b) Every vessel of classes two and three shall carry the following\nlights:\n  First. A bright white light in the fore part of the vessel as near the\nstem as practicable, so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an\narc of the horizon of twenty points of the compass, so fixed as to throw\nthe light ten points on each side of the vessel; namely, from right\nahead to two points abaft the beam on either side.\n  Second. A bright white light aft to show all around the horizon and\nhigher than the white light forward.\n  Third. On the starboard side a green light so constructed as to show\nan unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the\ncompass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points\nabaft the beam on the starboard side. On the port side a red light so\nconstructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of\nten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right\nahead to two points abaft the beam on the port side. The said side\nlights shall be fitted with inboard screens of sufficient height so set\nas to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow.\n  (c) Every vessel of class four shall carry the following lights:\n  First. On or in front of the foremast, or, if a vessel without a\nforemast, then in the fore part of the vessel, a bright white light so\nconstructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of\ntwenty points of the compass, so fixed as to throw light ten points on\neach side of the vessel, namely from right ahead to two points abaft the\nbeam on either side, and of such character as to be visible at a\ndistance of at least five miles.\n  Second. An additional after white light carried at an elevation at\nleast fifteen feet above the light at the head of the vessel and to show\nall around the horizon.\n  Third. On the starboard side a green light so constructed as to show\nan unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the\ncompass, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points\nabaft the beam on the starboard side. On the port side a red light so\nconstructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of\nten points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from right\nahead to two points abaft the beam on the port side. The said side\nlights shall be fitted with inboard screens of sufficient height so set\nas to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow.\n  (d) Rowboats, canoes and kayaks, whether under oars or sail, shall\nhave ready at hand a lantern showing a white light which shall be\ntemporarily exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.\n  (e) Vessels of classes A and one when propelled by sail alone shall\ncarry the combined lantern, but not the white light aft, prescribed by\nthis section. Vessels of classes two and three, when so propelled, shall\ncarry the colored side lights, suitably screened, but not the white\nlights, prescribed by this section. Vessels of all classes, when so\npropelled, shall carry, ready at hand, a lantern or flashlight showing a\nwhite light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to avert\ncollision.\n  (f) When propelled by sail and machinery any vessel shall carry the\nlights required by this section for a vessel propelled by machinery\nonly.\n  (g) Any vessel may carry and exhibit the lights required by the\nfederal regulations for preventing collisions at sea, nineteen hundred\nforty-eight, act of October eleventh, nineteen hundred fifty-one, as\namended, in lieu of the lights required by this section.\n  (h) A mechanically propelled vessel when towing another vessel shall,\nin addition to her side lights, carry two bright white lights in a\nvertical line one over the other, not less than three feet apart.\n  (i) A vessel under one hundred fifty feet in length when at anchor\nshall carry forward, where it can best be seen, but at a height not\nexceeding twenty feet above the hull, a white light in a lantern so\nconstructed as to show a clear, uniform, and unbroken light visible all\naround the horizon at a distance of at least one mile: provided that the\ncommissioner may, after investigation, by rule, regulation, or order,\ndesignate such areas as he may deem proper as "special anchorage areas";\nsuch special anchorage areas may from time to time be changed, or\nabolished, if after investigation the commissioner shall deem such\nchange or abolishment in the interest of navigation: provided further\nthat vessels not more than sixty-five feet in length when at anchor in\nany such special anchorage area shall not be required to carry or\nexhibit the white light required by this subdivision. A vessel of one\nhundred fifty feet or upward in length, when at anchor, shall carry in\nthe forward part of the vessel, at a height of not less than twenty feet\nand not exceeding forty feet above the hull, one such light, and at or\nnear the stern of the vessel, and at such a height that it shall be not\nless than fifteen feet lower than the forward light, another such light.\n  (j) Every white light prescribed by this section shall be of such\ncharacter as to be visible at a distance of at least two miles except as\notherwise provided. Every colored light prescribed by this section shall\nbe of such character as to be visible at a distance of at least one mile\nexcept as otherwise provided. The word "visible" in this section when\napplied to lights, shall mean visible on a dark night with clear\natmosphere.\n  (k) A revolving blue light may only be carried or exhibited on\nenforcement vessels owned or operated by the state of New York or a\npolitical subdivision thereof.\n  (l) For the purposes of this section, the term "restricted visibility"\nshall mean any condition in which visibility is restricted by fog, mist,\nfalling snow, heavy rainstorms, sandstorms, or any other similar causes;\n  3. Should the federal government adopt vessel light requirements\ndifferent from those contained in this section, the commissioner shall\nbe authorized to adopt rules and regulations superseding the vessel\nlight requirements of this section to achieve consistency with federal\nstandards, and shall submit such proposed rules and regulations to the\nsecretary of state in accordance with the state administrative procedure\nact within thirty days of the adoption of federal equipment requirements\nor submit a statement as to why such conforming changes are not being\nproposed.\n  4. A violation of any provision of this section, or of a rule or\nregulation adopted pursuant to subdivision three of this section, shall\nconstitute a violation punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five\nnor more than one hundred dollars.\n