What happens when sidelights on a powered vessel are extinguished?

When sidelights on a powered vessel are extinguished, the all-round white light is meant to serve as the anchor light. This means that in situations where the sidelights are not functioning, the vessel should still display the all-round white light to signal its presence and location to other boats in the area. This is particularly important for vessel safety and navigation because it helps others identify the vessel’s status, especially during nighttime or low visibility conditions.

The sidelights are essential for indicating the orientation of the vessel forward (green on the starboard side and red on the port side), but when these lights are not operational, utilizing the all-round white light ensures that the vessel can still communicate effectively with others, showing it is underway, at anchor, or in distress.