List of Lights

A List of Lights is a publication describing lighthouses and other aids to maritime navigation. Most such lists are published by national hydrographic offices.

United States

The United States Defense Mapping Agency Hydrographic/Topographic Center publishes a list of lights. The book is usually referred to as the "List of Lights", and should not be confused with the U.S. Coast Guard's "Light List".

The "List of Lights" is published in seven volumes, as Publication numbers 110 through 116. Each volume contains lights and other aids to navigation that are maintained by or under the authority of other governments.

Each volume corresponds to a defined geographic region, and contains more complete information about the navigational aids than can be conveniently shown on nautical charts. New editions are published annually for every volume.

In addition to information on lighted aids to navigation and sound signals in foreign waters, the DMAHTC "List of Lights" provides information on storm signals, signal stations, racons, radiobeacons, and radio direction finder calibration stations located at or near lights. Publication number 117, Radio Navigational Aids, is the primary source for details on radio navigational aids.

The "List of Lights" does not include information on lighted buoys inside harbors. It does include certain aeronautical lights situated near the coast; however, these lights are not designed for marine navigation and are subjectto unreported changes.

Notices to mariners provided by other countries are the main source for correctional information source for the "Lists of Lights", however other sources, such as ship reports, are also used.

ource

The text of this article originated from section 410 of The American Practical Navigator, a document produced by the government of the United States of America.

ee also

Similar publications are published by the U.S. Coast Guard for U.S. civilian and commercial use, and by the Canadian Coast Guard.

*American Practical Navigator
*Buoy
*Coast Pilots
*Light List
*Local Notice to Mariners
*Notice to Mariners
*Sailing Directions

External links

* [http://www.irbs.com/bowditch/pdf/chapt04.pdf Chapter 4: Nautical Publications] - from the online edition of Nathaniel Bowditch's "American Practical Navigator"
* [http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime/ NGA "List of Lights" Online]
* [http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/ Canadian Coast Guard]