In a dinghy at night, carry a light

Have you ever been stopped by the coastguard for failing to show a light while in you dinghy at night. Well it just happened to a friend of mine and he wasn’t too happy to be handed a fine. Having almost smashed into a couple of dinghies that were running through the lagoon without lights, I can tell you it’s a hell of a shock. And over the years, several people have been killed on the lagoon because someone wasn’t showing a light. I had this discussion with another friend of mine, a very experienced captain, and he suggested we take a look at what the regulations call for. So, for my piece of mind as well as yours, here they are. A vessel under oars or paddles of less than 7 meters / 23.0 ft must have an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which can be shown in sufficient time to prevent collision. Now this is where it gets interesting. A power-driven vessel of less than 7 meters or 23.0 ft with a maximum speed of less than 7 knots may display only an all-round white light. However, if practical, these should also show sidelights. Now, the way I read it is that a small dinghy with an outboard must show an all-round white light. What is unclear is what lights you need if your small dinghy and outboard is capable of speeds above 7 knots, and that would include a small inflatable with a 15 horsepower outboard. Does the speed lift you into the next category, which is a power-driven vessel of between 7 and 12 meters and if it does, then should you display an all-round white light and sidelights?