Part C — Lights and shapes

COLREGs Rule 26: Fishing vessels

Rule 26 says a vessel trawling shows all-round green over white lights, and a vessel fishing in any other way shows red over white. By day both show two cones with their points together. They add sidelights and a stern light when making way.

What Rule 26 says

  1. Trawling (dragging a net or other gear through the water): two all-round lights in a vertical line, green over white, or by day two cones points together; a masthead light abaft and higher than the green light (not required under 50 m); sidelights and a stern light when making way.
  2. Fishing other than trawling: two all-round lights in a vertical line, red over white, or two cones points together; when gear extends more than 150 m horizontally, an all-round white light or a cone point up in the direction of the gear; sidelights and a stern light when making way.
  3. Annex II gives additional signals for vessels fishing close to one another.
  4. A fishing vessel that is not engaged in fishing shows only the lights or shapes for a vessel of her length.

This is a plain-English summary, not the official wording. For the exact text, see the IMO convention. In UK waters the rules are given legal force by the Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations.

What it means on a yacht

Remember 'green over white, trawling tonight; red over white, fishing at night'. Give a fishing vessel showing these signals plenty of room, especially astern of a trawler and on the side of any outlying gear.

Lights and shapes under Rule 26

  • Fishing, trawling Rule 26

    All-round green over white — 'green over white, trawling tonight'. Sidelights and stern light only when making way.

  • Fishing, not trawling Rule 26

    All-round red over white — 'red over white, fishing at night'. Sidelights and stern light only when making way.

  • Fishing, gear extending over 150 m Rule 26(c)

    Red over white, plus an extra all-round white light pointing towards her outlying gear. By day, an extra cone point up in that direction.

Drawn from the starboard side at night, with the day shapes below. See every aspect in the lights and shapes trainer.

Practise it

Test yourself on who gives way in the free COLREGs trainer, or print the rules of the road cheat sheets for the chart table.

Other rules in Part C

Frequently asked questions

What do green over white lights mean?

A vessel engaged in trawling. Red over white means a vessel fishing in another way, such as with nets or lines.