The Hidden Dangers of Failing Navigation Lights & How to Avoid Them

Before leaving for a long drive in your car, you usually tend to check your car’s elements. You ensure that the fuel is sufficient, the windows are not blurry, the wipers are intact, the brakes and acceleration are working, and, most importantly, that the front and rear lights are in working condition. This is because you don’t want any hindrance to your journey. So what if it’s a ship? The giant vessel that sails through the darkest of the darkest waters. A journey where you can’t turn back easily once you have started it. And then there’s this situation where your ship’s navigation lights go off. BOOM. There, you have the real hazard. In this article, we shall discuss all about navigation light failure risks and steps to take in order to avoid these risks.

Why Navigation Lights Are Crucial for Marine Safety

Picture a ship cruising through the Arabian Gulf without lights leading the way. The silence of the sea would feel tremendously heavy, and the numbness of what awaits ahead becomes chilling. In reality, navigation light safety is such a big issue when you are onboard. You can’t see your way, plus other ships can’t see you and if in a worse situation, it can very well lead to a collision course. A peaceful sail can then easily turn into a disaster situation.

So what do these navigation lights do? They tell the opposite vessels or any passerby vessel in the vicinity about who you are, where you are headed and the kind of ship you are operating. Like, the red and green sidelights show the port (to the left) and starboard (to the right) sides of a vessel. A white stern light shows the back of your vessel. Together, these lights help other ships judge your position and avoid collisions. Hence, navigation light failure risks don’t end with loss of way, but also result in serious accidents, especially during low-visibility waters.

The Hidden Dangers of Failing Navigation Lights

• Risk of Collision – No lights, leading to collisions between vessels, especially during dark hours and crowded waters
• Legal Penalties – Failure of marine light maintenance can lead to serious consequences, like suspension of sailing permissions.
• Loss of Asset and Life – Ignoring navigation light safety means welcoming fatal accidents. Even a minor accident can lead to damage to the vessel and the people on board.
• Insurance Liability – If you don’t get a proper navigation light system for your vessel, then it can also lead to your insurance coverage being invalid in case of an accident. Now this is something a trusted marine equipment supplier in Dubai can help you fix!

Common Causes of Navigation Light Failures

Since we know the consequences, both minor and major, for the lack of navigation light systems in vessels, let’s move on to explore some of the causes for the same. One major cause for the failure of systems is because of the corrosion caused in wiring or even lamp holders. This is mainly because of the saltwater that comes in contact with the lights, and also because they are often put in humid conditions. Then there’s the case of a loose connection that happens when the vessel’s engine shakes due to tough water conditions. Lack of routine inspections or proper checks for safety can also lead to poor maintenance and upkeep of light systems.

Now, that’s not it. Apart from the lack of navigation light safety, other non-technical issues can cause great damage to navigation. Like poor visibility due to weather conditions, faulty instruments like malfunctioning of the radar system or the GPS, and even because of the inexperienced crew who find it difficult to recognise light signals. Even long journey hours can lead to fatigue of the crew and cause a dip in reaction time. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep all navigation light safety systems in check.

How to Keep Navigation Lights Systems ‘Upright’?

By abiding by a few solid points, you can now keep your marine light systems sturdy and in good working condition.

1. Hold routine inspections to check if all the systems are working properly. See for damaged, faulty wires, cracks or corrosion.

2. Use waterproof marine lights that can handle all kinds of weather and conditions, like extreme wave pressure and saltwater.

3. Make the real switch to LED lights. They are long-lasting, energy-efficient and much easier to maintain.

4. Do proper cleaning, wipe the dirt and other deposits to improve visibility.

5. In case of emergency, always keep spare products like bulbs, fuses and others.

Why Choose Aquamaris Trading?

At Aquamaris Trading, we don’t take navigation light safety lightly. If you are in the pursuit of finding the best navigation lights in Dubai, then there’s no brand better than Aquamaris to help you provide a long-lasting experience of quality and efficiency. Aquamaris facilitates materials that literally withstand harsh marine conditions, and ones which provide high-visibility to vessels. Furthermore, Aquamaris is one of the best suppliers of LED navigation lights in Dubai, making sure that your vessel consumes less power and in the most smart manner. Every product is made with top-notch quality, certified materials that abide by international maritime lighting rules. All this makes Aquamaris stand out amongst plenty of other suppliers who provide mediocre mainstream quality products. Hence, if you are serious about your trading, vessel and safety procedures, then do not think twice, and switch straight to Aquamaris Tradition because on the water, safety often starts with proper visibility.

FAQ

1. State the causes of navigation errors.
There are several causes like human-caused mistakes, extreme rough weather, poor visibility, crew fatigue, lack of signal reading and much more.

2. What is the main role of navigation lights?
To prevent errors that happen due to poor visibility, to avoid collisions, and to identify position, direction and the type of vessels approaching.

3. How does poor maintenance lead to navigation errors?
Neglecting your light system or not doing routine checks can lead to faulty devices, damage to materials, which will result in wrong signals and issues in functionality, leading to fatal accidents.