Would you know what blue and yellow flashing lights meant while night sailing? James Stevens answers your questions of seamanship.
Question: What is the blue and yellow light ahead?
Bill and Rose are on board Emma, a 13m cruising yacht. They are on passage from Falmouth to southern Ireland.
The passage plan is to set off from Falmouth in the evening and leave the Isles of Scilly to starboard. The weather is not ideal, visibility is about two miles and the sea state is calm.
Bill is resting and Rose is on watch. Periodically, Rose glances at the radar. On the screen she notices a target straight ahead about five miles away.
Rose calls Bill, they slow down to about 4 knots, and both peer apprehensively into the darkness. a light appears, apparently flashing blue and yellow.
What should they do next?
For the full article, see: https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/sailing-skills/what-is-the-blue-and-yellow-light-ahead-76485
