A 14-foot boat operating under oars after dark must show what color light to prevent a collision?

A 14-foot boat operating under oars after dark is required to show a white light to prevent collisions. This is in accordance with navigation rules, which state that all vessels, regardless of size, must display appropriate lighting to ensure visibility to other boaters. The white light serves as a universal signal indicating the presence of a vessel and helps to delineate its position and direction, allowing other boats to navigate safely and avoid potential collisions.

Other colors, such as red and green, are typically reserved for indicating the sides of a vessel, with red denoting the port (left) side and green indicating the starboard (right) side in powered vessels. A blue light is not standard under the navigation rules for recreational boats and is often associated with law enforcement or emergency services. Thus, displaying a white light is crucial for safety and compliance with maritime laws for smaller vessels like a 14-foot boat when operating at night.