555. The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 12 miles and a height above water of 25 feet (7.6 meters). Your height of eye is 38 feet (11.6 meters) and the visibility is 5.5 miles. At what approximate range will you FIRST sight the light?

The first sighting distance is determined by the lesser of the geographic range, calculated from the heights of the light and observer, and the luminous range, derived from the light's nominal range and the prevailing visibility. Using the provided data, the geographic range is approximately 13.1 miles, while the luminous range is approximately 8.0 miles. Therefore, the first sighting will occur at a distance of 8.0 miles.