Why Visual Aids Matter
Visual aids to navigation — lighthouses, beacons, light vessels, and lit buoys — are essential for safe navigation, especially at night and in poor visibility. Understanding light characteristics allows you to identify exactly which light you are seeing, confirm your position, and navigate safely.
All lights are catalogued in the Admiralty List of Lights and charted on nautical charts with abbreviated descriptions of their characteristics.
Key Points
- Lighthouses and lit marks help fix position, especially at night
- Each light has a unique characteristic (colour, pattern, period)
- Light characteristics are shown on charts and in the Admiralty List of Lights