LED Navigation lights are the way of the future.
They use much less power than conventional lights. They are more reliable, with lifetimes measured in years rather than hours. No more trips up the mast to change a bulb! They have better colour purity; the colour of an incandescent white light varies with battery voltage. The colour of a LED is fixed by the materials from which it is made.

Since a LED lamp does not need to be replaced, it is much easier to make the assembly completely waterproof.Leds are particularly valuable when at anchor or under sail by night. In these two situations power consumption is critical. In today's often crowded anchorages it is dangerous to forego an anchor light because of battery worries. Similarly with more and more vessels at sea, it is important to be properly visible when under sail at night.