What happens to lights when the buoy is occulting?

Master the Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling (NSS) – Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phase 2 Exam with engaging flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare comprehensively for your test!

Multiple Choice

What happens to lights when the buoy is occulting?

Occulting lights are on for most of the cycle but are briefly obscured at regular intervals. Because the light is momentarily hidden, a viewer sees the beam appear to flicker or blink rather than stay steady, which is why “flicker” is the best description. This differs from a rotating beacon (which produces a moving beam), a light that stays lit continuously (no dark moments), or a true one-second flash (distinct, evenly spaced full flashes with longer dark periods). So the buoy’s light flickers due to periodic occultation.

Occulting lights are on for most of the cycle but are briefly obscured at regular intervals. Because the light is momentarily hidden, a viewer sees the beam appear to flicker or blink rather than stay steady, which is why “flicker” is the best description. This differs from a rotating beacon (which produces a moving beam), a light that stays lit continuously (no dark moments), or a true one-second flash (distinct, evenly spaced full flashes with longer dark periods). So the buoy’s light flickers due to periodic occultation.

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