Light characteristic
The coded description of a light — FL W 10 SEC 8 METERS 8 MILES — giving its rhythm, colour, period, height and range.
Each light has a characteristic so that it can be identified. "FL W 10 SEC 8 METERS 8 MILES" reads: flashing, white, one flash every 10 seconds, 8 metres above the water, visible 8 nautical miles. FL means flashing, LFL long-flashing, OC occulting (more light than dark), ISO isophase (equal light and dark), Q and VQ quick and very quick; a number in brackets gives flashes per group, as in FL(4).
Warnings quote the characteristic when a light is established, changed or temporarily replaced — for example by a buoy showing a different light — so that navigators do not mistake it for another.
What the archive shows
457 messages in this archive use “Light characteristic”, the earliest issued 1992-10-30 and the latest 2026-09-12. 7 of them are in force in the latest lists we collected. A hazard reported again and again counts once per message.
The largest yearly count is 1999, with 33 messages. Collection is incomplete between 2024-05 and 2026-08-17, so 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not comparable with fully collected years.
Nav aids accounts for 354 of 457 recorded messages (77%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 45 sea areas; the most frequent are South Atlantic Ocean (49), Caribbean Sea (43) and North Sea (39).
Messages that use it are issued most often in June (50 across all years) and least often in February (24).
By warning series: HYDROLANT 185, HYDROPAC 181, NAVAREA IV 69 and NAVAREA XII 9, and 4 more.
Messages using it, by year of issue
By month of issue, all years
Where it appears · 45 sea areas
In force now · 7
- NAVAREA XI 398/26 · Nav aids · Philippine Sea2026-09-07 · in force
…LIGHT BUOY, 27-04.9N 142-11.2E, L.L. VOL 1. 3225, EXTINGUISHED AND TEMPORARY LIGHT SET, FL G 4 SEC. CANCEL 0355/26.
Chichi shima, futami ko NR.3 light buoy, 27-04.9N 142-11.2E, L.L → - AUSCOAST 273/26 · Nav aids · Indian Ocean2026-08-14 · in force
4 X YELLOW SURFACE BUOYS, FL Y 5 SEC, ESTABLISHED WITHIN 0.3NM OF 29-27.00S 114-52.18E.
4 X yellow surface buoys, fl y 5 sec, established within 0.3NM of 29-27.00S 114-52.18E → - NAVAREA IV 413/26 · Nav aids · North Atlantic Ocean2026-05-04 · in force
CARIBBEAN SEA. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. 1. BRIGAND HILL LIGHT 10-29.61N 061-04.20W CHANGED TO FL (5) W 20 SEC 217 METERS 17 MILES. 2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 406/26.
Trinidad and tobago → - NAVAREA IV 667/25 · Nav aids · Caribbean Sea2025-06-25 · in force
…CARIBBEAN SEA. MARTINIQUE. CARENAGE RANGE REAR LIGHT 14-36.32N 061-03.74W CHANGED TO OC (2) G 50 METERS 9 MILES.
Carenage range rear light 14-36.32N 061-03.74W changed to oc (2) g 50 meters 9 miles → - NAVAREA IV 644/25 · Nav aids · Caribbean Sea2025-06-19 · in force
CARIBBEAN SEA. VENEZUELA. 1. PUNTA BOROJO LIGHT 11-12.08N 070-46.67W CHANGED TO FL W 11 SEC 19 METERS 18 MILES. 2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 373/25.
Punta borojo light 11-12.08N 070-46.67W changed to fl w 11 sec 19 meters 18 miles → - NAVAREA IV 466/25 · Nav aids · Caribbean Sea2025-04-25 · in force
WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA. NICARAGUA. HOYO SOPLADOR LIGHT, FL W 15 SEC 20 METERS 12 MILES, ESTABLISHED IN 12-28.85N 081-43.83W.
Hoyo soplador light, fl w 15 sec 20 meters 12 miles, established in 12-28.85N 081-43.83W →
How it reads in recent messages
- NAVAREA IV 878/26 · Nav aids · Caribbean Sea2026-09-11
CARIBBEAN SEA. VENEZUELA. CABO NEGRO LIGHT IN 11-10.46N 063-53.05W. ESTABLISHED, FL W 5S 69 METERS 11 MILES.
Cabo negro light in 11-10.46N 063-53.05W → - HYDROPAC 2583/26 · Nav aids · Great Australian Bight2026-09-08
GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT. AUSTRALIA. 12 SIX METER BUOYS, YELLOW, FL W 3 SEC, TEMPORARILY ESTABLISHED IN AREA WITHIN TWO MILES OF 38-41.03S 142-49.49E. THREE…
12 six meter buoys, yellow, fl w 3 sec, temporarily established in area within two miles of 38-41.03S… → - HYDROPAC 2578/26 · Nav aids · Great Australian Bight2026-09-07
GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT. AUSTRALIA. TWO SIX METER BUOYS, YELLOW, FL W 3 SEC, TEMPORARILY ESTABLISHED IN AREA WITHIN ONE MILE OF 38-47.19S 142-36.00E. THREE…
Two six meter buoys, yellow, fl w 3 sec, temporarily established in area within one mile of 38-47.19S… → - HYDROPAC 2333/26 · Nav aids · Tasman Sea2026-08-14
…SEA. AUSTRALIA. PERPENDICULAR POINT LIGHT 35-05.65S 150-48.25E TEMPORARILY CHANGED TO FL (3) W 20 SEC.
Perpendicular point light 35-05.65S 150-48.25E temporarily changed to fl (3) w 20 sec → - HYDROPAC 2330/26 · Nav aids · Indian Ocean2026-08-14
EASTERN INDIAN OCEAN. AUSTRALIA. FOUR BUOYS, YELLOW, FL Y 5 SEC, ESTABLISHED IN VICINITY 29-27.00S 114-52.18E.
Four buoys, yellow, fl y 5 sec, established in vicinity 29-27.00S 114-52.18E → - HYDROPAC 1863/26 · Nav aids · Great Australian Bight2026-06-29
GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT. AUSTRALIA. 12 SIX METER BUOYS, YELLOW, FL W 3 SEC, ESTABLISHED IN AREA WITHIN TWO MILES OF 38-46.00S 142-48.80E. THREE MILE BERTH…
12 six meter buoys, yellow, fl w 3 sec, established in area within two miles of 38-46.00S 142-48.80E →
Earliest in the archive
- NOAAORR-6907 · Spills · Gulf of Mexico1992-10-30
…the time of the report. At 0830 a Minerals Management Service (MMS) aircraft happened to fly over the area and reported a three-mile slick tending to the northeast. The contents of…
Mississippi river delta, la →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- Unlit / extinguished
- A light, buoy or structure that is not showing its charted light.
- RACON (radar beacon)
- A radar beacon on a buoy, lighthouse or structure that answers a ship's radar with a Morse-code mark on the screen.
- Off station / missing buoy
- A buoy that is not in its charted position — dragged, damaged, missing or removed.
Warning types that use it
- Nav aids — Lights extinguished, buoys off station, RACON/NAVTEX outages.
Counts cover the messages in this archive that use the term, recounted 2026-09-24; see coverage for what is collected and since when. Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA and coastal broadcasts.