Sail Skills - ColRegs Free Guide to ColRegs (the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, the IRPCS or Collision Regs).  Guidance covers all aspects with animations, pictures and diagrams.  Aimed at small vessel users but suitable for professional mariners.  Especially recommended for RYA examination candidates.
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Rule 23 Power-Driven Vessel Underway Lengths of Vessels   It can be difficult to tell the length of a vessel from its lights   If a power-driven vessel is displaying two masthead lights, it can be any length: ColRegs Home>ColRegs>Lights & Shapes>Power-Driven Underway>Lengths of Vessels A passenger boat under 50m and a RFA at night A passenger boat under 50m and a RFA Passenger vessel less than 50m showing sidelight and masthead light Excursion vessel less than 7m & 7kts showing sidelights and all-round mast light Excursion vessel less than 7m & 7kts showing all-round mast light But it is very rare for a vessel less than 50m to display two masthead lights   If a vessel is displaying only one masthead light it is definitely less than 50m: But it can be almost impossible to distinguish a masthead light from an all-round white light   So, a white light on the mast with sidelights could be a vessel of less than:  50m or 12m or even 7m A single white light on the mast of a power-driven vessel with no sidelights means that the vessel is definitely less than 7m with a design speed of less than 7kts A power-driven vessel showing the combined lantern permitted to vessels length less than 20m and of course, in a vessel less than 20m the sidelights may be combined which is a good indicator: Power-driven vessel - a bulk carrier Power-driven general Power-driven vessel under 50m - a passenger vessell Under 50m Power-driven vessel under 12m - a motor cruiser Under 12m Power-driven vessel under 7m & 7kts - an excursion boat Under 7m and 7 knots Air-cushion vessel - USN hovercraft WIG craft (Russian) Air-cushion WIG A passenger boat under 50m and a RFA Lengths of vessels
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