Night Boating Rules and Safety Tips: All You Need to Know

In the following article we summarize all you need to know about night boating rules and safety tips to enjoy a great experience while navigating or having fun with motorboats in Florida coastal waters or waterways at nighttime.

Rules for boating at night

Rules for boating at night in Florida waters and waterways are basically the same for boating during daytime but with some additional regulations. Among the most important general regulations (valid both in daytime and nighttime) are the following:

• Florida’s local boating regulations establish that everyone born on or after January 1, 1988, needs a Boating Safety Education Identification Card to operate a boat with an engine of 10 horsepower or more (updated as of February 2022). If you need more information about this rule, just check our related article here.
• According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), it is a violation of Florida law to operate a vessel while impaired by alcohol or other drugs.
• The owner and/or operator of a vessel is responsible to carry, store, maintain and use the safety equipment required by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).

Specific boating at night laws indicate:

• Vessels less than 16 feet in length are required to carry at least 3 visual distress signals approved for nighttime use when on coastal waters from sunset to sunrise. Vessels 16 feet or longer must carry at least 3 daytime and three nighttime visual distress signals (or 3 combination daytime/nighttime signals) at all times when on coastal waters.
  Some popular distress signals are red star shells, a marine use smoke generating can and a position indicating radio beacon.
• Recreational vessels are required to display navigation lights between sunset and sunrise and during periods of reduced visibility (fog, rain, haze, etc.). The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Rules specify lighting requirements for every description of watercraft. 
• A violation of the Federal Navigation Rules is also a violation of Florida law.

Boat lights at night: Which ones do you need?

According to United States Coast Guard Navigation Rules, you will need the following types of boat lights at night:

• Masthead light: Is a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel. On vessels of less than 12 meters in length the masthead light shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel.
• Sidelights: Are a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side.
• Sternlight: Is a white light placed as nearly as practicable at the stern.
• Towing light: Is a yellow light having the same characteristics as the sternlight.
• All-round light: Is a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 360 degrees.
• Flashing light: Is a light flashing at regular intervals at a frequency of 120 flashes or more per minute.
• Special flashing light: Is a yellow light flashing at regular intervals at a frequency of 50 to 70 flashes per minute, placed as far forward and as nearly as practicable on the fore and aft centerline of the tow.

Depending on the length of your vessel you will need lights with different minimum ranges of visibility while driving a boat at night in Florida:

• In a vessel of 50 meters or more in length you must have:

— A masthead light, 6 miles;

— A sidelight, 3 miles;

— A sternlight, 3 miles;

— A towing light, 3 miles;

— A white, red, green or yellow all-round light, 3 miles; and

— A special flashing light, 2 miles.

• In a vessel of 12 meters or more in length but less than 50 meters in length you must have:

— A masthead light, 5 miles; except that where the length of the vessel is less than 20 meters, 3 miles;

— A sidelight, 2 miles;

— A sternlight, 2 miles;

— A towing light, 2 miles;

— A white, red, green or yellow all-round light, 2 miles; and

— A special flashing light, 2 miles.

• In a vessel of less than 12 meters in length you must have:

— A masthead light, 2 miles;

— A sidelight, 1 mile;

— A sternlight, 2 miles;

— A towing light, 2 miles;

— A white, red, green or yellow all-round light, 2 miles; and

— A special flashing light, 2 miles.

For more information regarding what lights you need on a boat at night in Florida,  just check the appropriate night lights and shapes for your vessel here.

How to prepare for a safe night boating experience

When preparing for boating at night you must take into account the Florida State boating safety regulations. Here we comment the most important of them:

Essentials for a safe and smooth trip

According to the Florida laws, all recreational boats should come with a minimum required safety equipment, including:

• An efficient sound-producing device, such as a bell, horn, or whistle, as long as the boat can produce sound signals required by the navigation rules.
• Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) for each person on board. Every child under six (6) years must wear a PFD while the vessel is underway. Make sure that PFDs are the right size for every passenger.
• Ventilation. (Ventilation specifications vary according to the vessel building date).
• Backfire flame control for all gasoline engines except outboard motors.
• A fire extinguisher in serviceable condition.

Key tips for boating at night

• Most boating accidents at night involve collisions due to operator inattention or carelessness. Be aware of dangers approaching from any direction.
• Visual distress signals (as indicated by the U.S.C.G. Navigation Rules), are required on the high sea and coastal waters, as well as for nighttime use. Should a problem arise, you must know how to properly use the boat’s distress signals.
• Vessel lighting is required between sunset and sunrise and during periods of low visibility, just like foggy or stormy weather.
• According to Florida State laws, no one may ski or aquaplane between the hours of 1/2 hour past sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise.
• Similarly, personal watercraft may not be operated from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise, even if navigation lights are used.
• If you are using a paddleboard offshore or on certain coastal waters at nighttime, visual distress signals may be required.
• If you are operating a paddleboard in limited visibility or at night, you will also need a flashlight or lantern that produces a white light. It should be displayed to approaching vessels in enough time to prevent a collision. The light should not be continually displayed.

Sailing at night: Best practices for staying safe on the water

Here there are some of the best practices for staying safe on the water, both in daytime and nighttime:

• Make a solid plan. Before sailing, think about how you would like to spend time with family and friends.
• Get familiar with the vessel’s controls and systems, especially if you’re operating a boat for the first time.
• Safety gear and first aid kit. Knowing where PFDs, lights, fire extinguishers, distress signals, etc, are located will help you be prepared and act faster in an emergency.
• Check there is enough fuel and supplies (water and food) for your night boating trip.
• Remember that boat operators are responsible for operating their vessel in a reasonable and prudent manner with regard to other vessel traffic and posted restrictions, as well as for ensuring the safety of every passenger aboard.
• Do not let anyone jump, dive or swim from or near the boat unless the motor is turned off, the keys are removed, the propeller has stopped turning and you have checked the water depth.
• If someone falls overboard or unexpectedly ends up in the water, you must have a plan. Be prepared to slow down quickly, throw the person a throwable flotation device (unless the person is wearing a life jacket) and approach from downwind or into the current. Help the person into the boat once the motor is turned off.

What should you do when anchoring at night?

International and Federal Laws in the United States require that a vessel at anchor shall exhibit an all-round white light or one ball in the fore part and also an all-round white light at or near the stern and at a lower level than the fore part light.

U.S.C.G. Navigation Rules indicate that vessels of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in the previous paragraph, but vessels of 100 meters or more in length shall, also use the available working or equivalent lights to illuminate their decks.

Additionally, an anchor light must be displayed if you anchor for the night.

Except in the event of an emergency, it is unlawful to moor or fasten to any lawfully placed buoy, navigation aid or regulatory maker.

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