If a vessel is carrying three lights in a vertical line where the highest and lowest are red and the middle is white, what is a true statement about her lights at night?

The situation described involves a vessel displaying three lights in a vertical arrangement: the highest and lowest lights are red, and the middle light is white. This configuration indicates that the vessel is a power-driven vessel engaged in fishing, as per the navigation rules concerning display of lights.

The correct statement is that the vessel would show masthead lights. In this context, masthead lights are required for power-driven vessels, which typically include a white light on the mast that shows an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on both sides. When active, the red lights indicate the vessel is engaged in fishing, highlighting its present operations while maintaining safety and visibility.

Other options do not accurately reflect the lighting requirements for such vessels. The assertion about showing only white lights suggests a lack of engagement or operational status and doesn’t account for the vessel’s fishing activity. The idea of only showing sidelights misrepresents the legal requirements as well since these lights are part of a complete lighting package that does not substitute for masthead lights. Lastly, while an anchor light might be displayed when a vessel is at anchor, the presence of the colored lights indicates that this specific vessel is not at