Most buoys and many land based aids are equipped with light reflective material.
This reflective material is colored to signify the type or lateral significance
of the aid and, for buoys at close range, displays the identification numbers, letters
or symbols. On lighted buoys this material serves as a back-up to the light.
The Coast Guard recommends that vessels depending on aids to navigation be equipped
with searchlights to enable them to make use of this reflective material when necessary.
It is recommended that large vessels be equipped with boat-mounted searchlights
with at least 75,000 candela and that small vessels carry a hand-held searchlight
with at least a 3 watt bulb and 6 volt battery with a nominal power of 4,000 candela.
Boat Outfitting
