2021 Volume 6 Issue 2 Pages 85-96
In the initial study on the effects of auxiliary stern lights by Fujimoto et al. (2019), results indicated that when the original stern light on another vessel is seen, the pilot cannot estimate an accurate direction, and the direction estimate range varies greatly depending on the individual. This research demonstrated that if an auxiliary sectored light with the same color as a navigation light is installed under the existing stern light, then estimating the actual proceeding direction and reducing the width of the estimated proceeding direction range becomes possible. However, installing an auxiliary stern light can potentially lead to misidentification with other lights, especially on small craft when viewed from the side, or navigational lights installed on either side of an auxiliary stern light. These lights look very similar and could be misleading when using them to determine direction. The purpose of this study is to further examine the effects of an improved auxiliary stern light array in terms of eliminating the possibility of misidentification. Results from this study indicate that in concurrence with the auxiliary light investigated in the original study, the improved auxiliary stern light proved effective in helping navigators to recognize the direction of other ships, as well as reducing the range and the width of placement.
