black shape, as half black dome with red and yellow lights
I was on board of a old merchant ship as second mate on duty. It was a moonles cloudy night, observed some red and yellow lights on my starboard side. Checked for a collision course,with a compass sight, radar was not working, and confirmed it was approaching in collision course. Maneuvered the ship to starboard, as COLREGS specify, to clear what i supposed a vessel, but after several minutes I confirmed it was still in collision course with my ship, that meant it was turning to port side against me. I kept coming to starboard with the same results. When it was too close on mi starboard bow, less than 2 miles approximately, disengaged the autopilot, and went to the rudder wheel, and made a hard port turn, since my vessel was a very good maneuvering ship, and cleared by my starboard side the object. I ordered to my steerman on the bridge, to take the binoculars, to check what type of ship it was. He told me moments later that he only saw a black mass with red and yellow lights. I put the wheel on autopilot again, took another binoculars and saw the same thing. When it was on my side it made no noise at all, no engine sounds, no water sound as a ship sailing. It seem to be floating over the water very close to the surface. Weather condition were good, almost no wind, cloudy and mild temperature, sea state very good.My steerman was very frightened whe he saw the object close to the vessel. The object passed to my stern very fast, moving away, and its lights fade away minutes after passing. At that time there were no cell phones with cameras or digital cameras.