Over what arc of the horizon does a sternlight shine?
PCOC Boating Test overview
PCOC Boating Test: Navigation lights and shapes
Masthead, side, stern and all-round lights and their arcs, light options for power boats, sailboats and paddle craft, anchor lights and the anchor ball, the motor-sailing cone and towing lights.
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- Every answer explained
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- 14 questions
- Topic drill
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Study reference: Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026), Ch. Getting started — Navigation lights, pp. 28–30, 38
All 14 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
Over what arc of the horizon does a sternlight shine?
- 135 degrees
- 225 degrees
- 112.5 degrees
- 360 degrees
At night you see a tug with a yellow towing light and three white masthead lights in a vertical line. What does this tell you?
- It is anchored across a narrow channel
- It is fishing with nets
- It is not under command
- It is towing a tow longer than 200 m
Your 14 m sailboat is motoring along the coast in daylight with its sails up. What shape must it display?
- A black ball in the rigging
- A diamond on the mast
- A cone, point down, forward
- A cylinder at the stern
What colour is the sidelight on a boat's port (left) side?
- Yellow
- Green
- White
- Red
Your 9 m boat is anchored overnight in a bay. What light must it show?
- Red over green all-round lights
- A flashing yellow light
- One all-round white light
- Sidelights and a sternlight
Your 5 m power boat is out after sunset. Which set of lights meets the requirement?
- Sidelights and one all-round white light
- A flashing yellow light
- A white sternlight only, with no sidelights
- One red all-round light only
Your 6 m boat is anchored in a quiet cove far from any channel or anchorage. Must it show an anchor light?
- Only if it has a cabin
- No, under 7 m away from traffic is exempt
- Only after midnight
- Yes, every anchored boat must show one at night
Your 6 m sailboat has no fitted lights and the other options are not practical. What may you use at night?
- Your cabin lights
- Nothing; sailboats under 7 m are exempt at night
- A white light shown in time to avoid a collision
- A red flashlight held steady
What lights may a canoe or kayak show when paddling at night?
- No lights are needed
- A white flashlight or lantern, shown in time
- A flashing yellow light mounted on the stern
- A red and green bow light only
What shape does a boat at anchor display by day?
- A black cylinder
- A black ball
- A black diamond
- A black cone
A sailboat may show two all-round lights in a vertical line at the top of the mast. What colours are they?
- White over red
- Red over green
- Red over white
- Green over red
Below what length may a boat's red and green sidelights be combined in one lantern?
- Under 12 m
- Under 6 m
- Under 50 m
- Under 20 m
Over what arc of the horizon does a masthead light shine?
- 360 degrees
- 112.5 degrees
- 225 degrees
- 135 degrees
At night you see only a green light on another boat ahead of you. Which side of that boat are you looking at?
- Its stern
- Its port (left) side
- Its bow, head-on
- Its starboard (right) side
Navigation lights and shapes: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
Navigation lights: definitions
- Masthead light: white, over the fore-and-aft centreline, unbroken over 225 degrees (right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam each side).
- Sidelights: green on starboard (right), red on port (left), each 112.5 degrees. Under 20 m the sidelights may be combined in one lantern on the centreline.
- Sternlight: white, near the stern, 135 degrees (67.5 degrees each side of right aft).
- All-round light: 360 degrees.
- Lights must work, meet Collision Regulations standards, suit the boat's size and purpose, and be correctly mounted; shown after sunset, before sunrise and in low visibility.
- Sailboat with a motor must meet the rules for both sailboats and power boats; when motoring it must show a cone, point down, forward where it can be seen by day.
Table 7: power boats and small sailboats
- Power boats under 12 m (Rule 23): Option 1 masthead + sidelights + sternlight (optional 2nd masthead aft and higher); Option 2 one all-round white + sidelights.
- Power boats 12 m to under 50 m: masthead + sidelights + sternlight.
- Sailboats under 7 m (Rule 25): sidelights + sternlight; or those plus red-over-green all-round lights at the masthead; or one combined tricolour lantern; or (if others not practical) a white electric torch or lantern shown in time to prevent a collision.
- Note: in Canadian harbours, rivers, lakes and inland waterways, a sailboat under 7 m also under motor need not show the cone.
Table 7: larger sailboats, human-powered boats, anchored boats
- Sailboats 7 m to under 20 m: sidelights + sternlight; or plus red-over-green all-round; or combined lantern. Under 12 m motor-sailing in inland waters: cone not required.
- Sailboats 20 m and over: sidelights + sternlight, or plus red-over-green.
- Human-powered boats: a white electric torch or lighted lantern (watertight flashlight acceptable) ready to show in time to prevent collision; or sailboat lights for their length.
- At anchor, under 50 m (Rule 30): one all-round white light (optional second, lower, near stern); by day one black ball. Under 7 m: not required unless in or near a narrow channel, fairway, anchorage or where other vessels usually navigate.
Towing lights
- Power-driven vessel towing from its stern: sidelights, sternlight, a yellow towing light (same characteristics as the sternlight), 2 masthead lights in a vertical line, or 3 if the tow is over 200 m (656'); diamond shape by day if over 200 m.
- The towed object: sidelights and sternlight (diamond if over 200 m); if impractical, an all-round white light at each end.
- The tow is usually dimmer than the tug and may have no masthead lights.
Study the Navigation lights and shapes rules as flashcards →
Other topics
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- Licences, compliance notices and hull numbersPleasure craft licence rules (10 hp threshold, 5-year validity, 30-day deadlines, marking the bow), registration, compliance notices and safe limits, hull serial numbers and buying or building a boat.
- Lifejackets and PFDsLifejacket types and sizes, how PFDs differ, inflatable PFD restrictions, fitting children, checking and caring for flotation devices, heaving lines, lifebuoys and reboarding devices.
- Required safety equipment by boat lengthMinimum equipment by boat type and length, how length is measured, the notes on flares, reboarding devices, compasses and radar reflectors, manual propelling devices, anchors, bailers and sound-signalling devices.
- Flares and visual distress signalsRocket parachute, multi-star, hand and smoke flares, their heights and burn times, expiry and storage, electronic visual distress signals, disposing of old flares and other recognized distress signals.
- Fire, fuelling and carbon monoxideFire classes and extinguisher ratings, monthly checks, fighting a fire on board, the fuelling procedure and 4-minute blower rule, carbon monoxide, heavier-than-air vapours and ignition protection.
- Trip planning, weather and loadingSeaworthiness and the pre-departure check, marine forecasts and wind warnings, sail plans, charts and publications, local hazards, loading your boat and the free courtesy check.
- Rules of the road (Collision Regulations)Lookout, safe speed and risk of collision, head-on, crossing and overtaking situations, give-way and stand-on duties, which vessels keep clear of which, narrow channels and restricted visibility.
- Sound signalsShort and prolonged blasts, manoeuvring signals (one, two, three and five blasts), the bend signal, fog signals by vessel type, the Great Lakes difference and required sound appliances.
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- PWC, towing and paddlingPersonal watercraft age and handling rules, towing water-skiers and tubers (spotter, seats, sunset limit), stand-up paddleboard leashes and safety tips for paddlers, hunters and anglers.
- Impaired boating, fines and visitorsImpaired boating under the Criminal Code, the 2-hour rule, penalties, common contravention fines, who enforces boating laws, provinces without ticketing, and rules for non-resident boaters.
- Marine radio and distress callsVHF channels 16, 68 and 70, DSC and MMSI numbers, the operator certificate, cell phones and beacons, Mayday, Pan-Pan and Sécurité calls, false alerts and the duty to help.
- Person overboard and cold waterRecovering a person overboard, the Anderson and Williamson turns, reboarding, the 1-10-1 principle, signs of hypothermia, and the H.E.L.P. and huddle positions.
- Protecting the waterClean, drain and dry against invasive species, sewage rules (holding tanks, Ontario's ban on discharge and portable toilets), bilge pollution, green boating habits and reporting pollution or suspicious activity.