Nav Lights

[sailersteve]

dose anyone know if its legal or illegal to put an extra nav light down the side? I have a red - green light on front, is it legal to put another light 3 or 4ft down the side of its correct color? THANKS

[hogHunter]

Depends on your location. Where are you located?

[uncledom]

If you read the colregs, it mentions masthead lights along with the standard nav lights but nothing else. You can not have dual masthead lights per the regs. Meaning a tri color and a red over green all around light. I would ask a coastie but I would also suspect the answer is no additional lighting.

(b) “Sidelights” means a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side each showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 112.5 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on its respective side. In a vessel of less than 20 meters in length the sidelights may be combined in one lantern carried on the fore and aft centerline of the vessel.

When you see "a green light" and "a red light" the "a" says one to me.

[Ukeluthier]

Why would you want to make your lights more confusing to another boat that is trying to figure them out?

Even if it is legal, it sounds unwise to me.

[CaptTom]

Answer: No. It' not legal to show any other lights which may be confused with the required nav lights. By "legal" I mean in keeping with the international Nav Rules, which come from treaties enforceable by all signatory nations.

[scuba0_1]

Hum at night it would look like 2 boats....

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[svmariane]

Let me ask this:

WHY would you want an extra nav light on each side?
Do you think the present lights are inadequate?
Are you worried about not being seen?

Well, if so, then why not just replace/upgrade with bigger/better/brighter lights?

Do you think the present lights are improperly positioned for (insert reason here)?

If so, then why not re-position them and, you know, still be like every other vessel underway?

[jackdale]

If only one set of sidelights is turned on, it might be OK.

[stillbuilding]

Originally Posted by sailersteve

dose anyone know if its legal or illegal to put an extra nav light down the side? I have a red - green light on front, is it legal to put another light 3 or 4ft down the side of its correct color? THANKS

Many bigger boats have reserve lights. Just use one set at a time. Where I am there is a lot of traffic and larger incandescent lights show up better. For long distance work maybe an LED tricolour might be preferable. Just cannot have more than one set of nav lights at one time. I have a reserve set myself.


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[jackdale]

Originally Posted by stillbuilding

For long distance work maybe an LED tricolour might be preferable.

Agreed.

[Jammer Six]

It's one of those things that seems like a really good idea, but then when you learn why things are the way they are, how they came to be that way and understand the evolution of the method, you look back and think "oh, man, that would have been a mistake..."

[sailersteve]

THANKS everyone for your comments. Yep bad idea. I was thinking i'd like too be seen from the side better. as slow as i can go & how fast some can go, i was just thinking of trying to be safer. THANKS again sailersteve.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by sailersteve

THANKS everyone for your comments. Yep bad idea. I was thinking i'd like too be seen from the side better. as slow as i can go & how fast some can go, i was just thinking of trying to be safer. THANKS again sailersteve.

Now THAT is a good idea. Deck lighting would help. One option would be to put a few of those cheap solar lawn lights along the rail. I always have a few on board. They break easily, but at 99 cents I can afford to replace them. The real value comes on those dark nights at anchor. Sometimes the anchorage turns out to be a local shortcut for small boats. The anchor light can get lost in the background, or just not be obvious from a small boat.

[sailersteve]

I've changed every light to LED. maybe LED deck lighting all around in white or off white, i'm sure to be seen at anchor ? being by myself i'd like to sleep peacefully anywhere i anchor. Any suggestions ? My boat came with red-green on bow, white on front of mast 25ft up that can't be seen from the side, & stern light that can't be seen from the side. I don't think my boat came with an anchor light ( white-ish/yellow-ish light to be seen all around. What would be my factory anchor lights ?

[Stu Jackson]

Steve, running lights are not to be used for anchor lights. Trad anchor light is up at the top of the mast. Many of us have been using anchor lights placed lower down for better visibility. That's really all there is to it.