What colors are wingtip navigation lights?

[pembquist]

It's amazing how many people don't know or deliberately don't follow the standard rules of water navigation at night on lakes.  Specifically the "give way to a visible red light" part.

I am no longer amazed since watching boats on the Columbia river get in the way of Barges and Ships. They don't know the rules of the road but more to the point they don't seem to know the rules of self preservation. 

[Serenity]

I am no longer amazed since watching boats on the Columbia river get in the way of Barges and Ships. They don't know the rules of the road but more to the point they don't seem to know the rules of self preservation.

When I was on the Green Bay a few years back, we were pulling out of port. Standard procedure, we had security boats around us to keep the civvies at bay. Well, they kept trying to see just how close they could get, cutting us off more than once. (For those unfamiliar, Green Bay is an LPD. Fairly large...) at least every three minutes we'd have to blast the horn to warn someone off, and a few times it took more than one warning. Once, we had a small boat screaming in on a collision course, they ignored 3 audible warnings, and while the escort boats tried to intercept him, the captain had the GMs man the .50s just in case he needed a warning shot too... thankfully at the last second the jack$%# gave way... but it amazed me how many people who are operating boats around an active Naval yard don't understand to stay the %&^# out of the way...

[save]

Warningshots should always be directed to the head, next shot in the air above, if you are an army guy. 

[EskimoJoe]

Warningshots should always be directed to the head, next shot in the air above, if you are an army guy. 

Well, you're not wrong 

If you shoot the warning shot and it hits them in the head, they'll never do what they were about to do again 

[GScholz]

Warning shots? That's like deliberately missing.

[Vraciu]

"The Irish are always right."   (The green bulb is on the right wing.)

My ground instructor in 1988.   He was not Irish, but he did have over 200 combat missions in a Vietnam (Marine Corps F-4s), and though he may not have ALWAYS been right he was darned close. 

Still flying, too.   Amazing man.

[hitech]

Red Right Returning. Is what I always used.

But I always thought of if differently then the normal nautical usage. Keep the red light on your right if you are returning to port.

If a plane is returning (I.E. coming at me) the red light will be on my right.

HiTech

[Oldman731]

Red Right Returning. Is what I always used.

The Reds are Commies, so they'll be on the left.  Hey, whatever works for you!

- oldman

[Golfer]

I always thought of a Chinese man saying Green Light.

"Green Riiiight!"

Might still do...

[Vraciu]

I always thought of a Chinese man saying Green Light.

"Green Riiiight!"

Might still do...

Rhy you makey frun Chinee man?

Lol

[diaster]

Why are the sides are called port and starboard.

Port was the side of the ship that was tied of to the port. Became the left side as you face f'ward. Starboard ... slipped my mind but us also a nautical term rooted in antiquity? Interesting how aeronautics (itself a play on nautical) came from the ship industry! Probably because the first aircraft were airships.
Interesting note -  Captains log came from throwing a log overboard with a rope attached and knots tied a set distance. As your craft passed the log and rope you recorded how many knots you passed. Then you wrote that down... yep, in the log and you were the Captain ergo, captains logbook!

[PR3D4TOR]

Log as in keeping a record of something is from the Greek word logos, meaning account (among other things).

[Krusty]

A simple memory device:

Is there any Redport left?

[Dawger]

Log as in keeping a record of something is from the Greek word logos, meaning account (among other things).

The original device to measure speed in a boat was throwing a log off the bow and counting how much time it took to reach the stern or a similar method. This evolved to a log tied to a rope with knots tied a set distance apart.

That evolved to a small triangular board tied at each corner for better drag in the water and is called a chip log.



The knots were tied at intervals according to the unit of distance used and the length of time you measured. In modern units (Nautical Mile 6076 feet) a 20 second timer would mean knots 33 feet 8 inches apart.

Throw the log in the water, start the timer when the start mark passes through your hand and then count the knots that pass your hand until time expires.

Speed is reported to the captain in knots. The measurements were recorded and the record came to be called the logbook.

I made one for my small sailboat on Lake Michigan 25 years ago just for fun.

PS This is why nautical miles per hour is referred to as "knots"