When should a vessel display a navigation light?

A vessel should display a navigation light from sunset to sunrise. This requirement is essential for safety on the water, as visibility can be significantly reduced during the night, making it difficult for other boaters to see your vessel. Navigation lights help ensure that vessels are visible to each other, allowing for safer navigation and reducing the risk of collisions.

While displaying lights is crucial at night, it is also important to note that vessels may need to use navigation lights during other conditions, such as limited visibility due to bad weather. However, the primary rule is the requirement to have lights on from sunset to sunrise to ensure safety in darkness. The usage of navigation lights when anchored may depend on specific conditions, but is not universally required as a standard practice as nighttime visibility is a more critical concern.