Lights and sailing guidance

IRCA’s role is to provide mariners along the Icelandic coastline and in the Icelandic fishing grounds with necessary guidance for safe sailing with the operation of various route marking systems, located outside of the vessels. These route markings include beacons, electronic AIS signals, and marine navigational aids, either landlocked or floating along the coastline.  In addition, various navigational equipment is used, such as radar beacons, radar detectors, and accelerometer buoys.   The whole route markings system is referred to as the land light system.

IRCA also offers technical assistance and advice for building up a route markings system within Iceland’s harbours and has the authority to demand that the port authority repair at their own cost lights and other route markings, which IRCA deems necessary for safe sailing in the harbour area in question.  The route markings system within harbours, is called the harbour light system.  The joint name for the land light system and the harbour light system is “The Icelandic Light System”.

In addition the information system sjolag.is is operated on the IRCA website. On the website we publish weather information from weather stations located in selected lighthouses and measurements obtained from 11 wave sensors that are located all around the country.

IRCA’s maintenance and supervision of the Icelandic light system is divided into monitoring of electrical and light equipment on one hand and maintenance of lighthouse constructions and navigation systems on the other hand. It is necessary to properly maintain the lights’ exterior since they are used as day marks for mariners and the light locations are often in places greatly exposed to salty winds and extreme weather conditions.

According to provision 13 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS from 1974) the member countries of the convention are obligated to install a marine navigational system as appropriate for the marine traffic in the respective country, taking account of the local danger level.

The Icelandic Light System is divided into two main categories, navigational lighthouses and harbour lighthouses. The light system includes all lighthouses and other route markings/navigational aids that are considered beneficial to general marine traffic along the coast, as well as to fishing vessels. Harbour lighthouses and other navigational aids that are only implemented to provide navigation for vessels into a harbour area and specific ports, are considered harbour lights. Harbour area is defined as the area within the harbour’s jurisdiction.

The land light system consists of 104 light beacons, 11 buoys, and 16 radar beacons that are placed in landscapes where it is difficult to reach a radar signal aboard vessels.

The harbour light system consists of little less than 20 light beacons, around 90 entry lights on levees or piers, more than 80 navigational light ribbons and just under 50 buoys that mark a safe entry into the harbour.

Marine navigational aids are equipment, systems, or services that are situated outside of vessels, designed and used to increase safety and efficiency in marine traffic.

If port authorities or an individual want to set up marine navigational aids, their construction and location shall be decided in cooperation with IRCA. Marine navigational aids cannot be implemented until an inspection has been performed by the Icelandic Transport Authority, that has the responsibility to advertise the navigational aid according to Act No. 132/1999 on Lighthouses.

Port authorities or an individual, that have been authorised to and have implemented a navigational aid are obligated to maintain the aid, and notify the Icelandic Transport Authority or IRCA of any changes made to it, without delay. If the navigational aid is not maintained sufficiently in the opinion of the Icelandic Transport Authority and IRCA, IRCA is authorised to carry out the necessary repairs, at the expense of the owner. Should port authorities or an individual decide to discontinue the use of or change the navigational aid, an application thereto shall be submitted to IRCA

IRCA has the authority to demand that the port authority repair at their own cost lights and other navigational aids that IRCA deems necessary for safe sailing in the harbour area in question. Maintenance and operations of such lights and navigational aids also fall under this cost.

• Light towers:  A light tower is a large lighthouse that usually only emits rotating white light.  It has the luminous range of 10 nautical miles and is a navigational aid for vessels that are sailing from open sea and closing in on the coast.
• Route markings: A leading line with beacons and day marks. Is clearly visible throughout the traffic lane.
• Sector lights:  This type of light marks safe sailing routes with white light and dangerous corners/sectors, shallows or other danger and areas that are unsuitable for sailing, such as port areas, with light of different colours.
• Port lights: Smaller lights that mark the entry into the harbour.
• Directional lights: Lights that mark traffic lanes without day marks in narrow areas. In this case, the lights are only visible in delimited areas.
• Aeronautical beacon: A light beacon that emits a high beam that is most often visible from a larger distance than light from a beacon for mariners.  Aeronautical beacons do not fall under the operation or management of IRCA, they are nevertheless registered in the List of Lights as marine navigational aids.
• The lighting-up and extinguishing times of lighthouses and navigational aids:
• The time Icelandic lighthouses and navigational aids are lit is determined by the 65’30 north latitude.

Light sensors are used to turn on and turn off the lights, which means that the time they are lit depends on the daylight not the location. Some lights are nevertheless lit 24 hours.

The List of Lights is published by the Icelandic Coast Guard while IRCA is responsible for the publication according to the Act on Lighthouses. Included in the register are lights, their locations, characteristics etc., buoys, radar beacons, marine navigational aids and more. Below you will find an overview of Icelandic lights.

In autumn 2002, the Icelandic Maritime Administration published a book on the history of the Icelandic lighthouse service: Vitar á Íslandi Leiðarljós á landsins ströndum 1878-2002 written by Guðmundur Bernódusson, Guðmundur L. Hafsteinsson and Kristján Sveinsson. This book describes the history of the Icelandic lighthouse service, from its origin to our time. The construction and operation of the lighthouse system is described as well as the connection between lighthouse architecture and trends and styles of the time periods in question. The book is adorned with a number of photographs.

International rules

• International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, SOLAS, Chapter V. (Safety of Navigation for all vessels at sea)
• International Convention of the International Maritime Organization for the Facilitation of Transport by Sea, FAL 1965.The Norwegian Transport Agency website hosts the SOLAS and FAL 1965 Conventions.

In particular, the International Convention, Chapter V specifically states that that chapter shall apply to all ships at sea, and not just SOLAS ships as other chapters of the Convention specify.

Chapter V thus does not distinguish seafarers in any other way than based on the frequency of navigation and the risk that is present, regardless of the type of ship that sails.

Below you can see the national lighthouse in Iceland, the name of the lighthouse, light characteristics, distance, location and number. The lighthouses in the list below are the lighthouses that are monitored and maintained by the Road Administration.