03/11/2025
Basic Things to Know ✅
⚓ Purpose of Daylight Shapes/ Signals of Vessels (According to COLREGS)
Day shapes are black geometric signals (balls, cones, cylinders, diamonds, etc.) displayed during daylight to indicate a vessel’s status, activity, or condition.
They serve the same purpose as navigational lights at night to communicate information and prevent collisions.
🌞 Main Purposes of Day Shapes
✅🧭 To Indicate the Vessel’s Status
-Show whether the vessel is underway, anchored, aground, or restricted in movement.
✅⚙️ To Identify the Vessel’s Type or Operation
-Tell other mariners if the vessel is,
-Fishing
-Towing
- Piloting
-Not under command
-Restricted in ability to maneuver
-Engaged in dredging, diving, or constrained by draft
✅🚢 To Help Other Vessels Take Correct Action
• By recognizing the displayed shapes, nearby vessels can decide how to give way, overtake, or avoid collision.
✅🕑 To Replace Night Lights During the Day
• Day shapes are the daytime equivalent of navigational lights used at night.
In Short ❤️
Day shapes are visual signals used in daylight to show a vessel’s condition or operation, helping mariners identify each other and prevent collisions.
