Range lights

Two lights, one line

Range lights are two beacons set one behind the other. When you line them up, one above the other, you're dead center in the channel. Drift, and they split.

How to read them

aligned     on the line, safe
front high  you're left of channel
front low   you're right of channel
out of line the water owns you now

Why they matter

No GPS will tell you the channel's exact centerline faster than a pair of lights you can hold with your eyes.