Florida Water Cops Ticketed Me

[lorenzo b]

Got a ticket for not having a bow and stern white light and a red and green side light on a West Marine 350 RIB dinghy running at night.
Have you ever seen running lights on an inflatable dinghy? Anywhere?

[Hannah on 'Rita T']

Yes. And we use them. I want to be sure we are seen when it's dark. Sorry about your ticket. West sells portable running lights.

[Hud3]

They'll ding you for that in Onancock, Virginia, too. WM sells a battery operated set.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Hud3

They'll ding you for that in Onancock, Virginia, too. WM sells a battery operated set.

Same in the California delta area.

[markpierce]

Your dinghy is a motorboat if operated with a motor and is subject to the same light requirements as other motorboats under 12 meters in length. If you were sailing or rowing, using a flashlight in time to avoid any collision would have been sufficient.

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

Have you ever seen running lights on an inflatable dinghy? Anywhere?

Yes, we carry portables as back-ups in case we loose the yachts running lights. I find it very disconcerting while sailing home at night to hear an outboard engine at speed and not be able to see it. My yacht is moored on a large lake that has no significant commercial traffic and we so we get many night time fisherman in tinnies who anchor or drift out in the middle of the lake without lights. Why they don't fear being run down by a powercruiser at 25knots, I don't know. Maybe, the Florida Water Cops are just trying to enforce a law designed to make boating safer for us all.

[Vasco]

Where were you Lorenzo, Vero?

[endoftheroad]

I have them on my 10 foot rib.
My red and green are a combo LED bow light that was purchased very cheaply at Walmart and my 42 inch stern light I bought at Home Depot.
I have the port and starboard lights bolted to a carpenters clamp and the stern pole very securely fastened on transom by zip ties only.
I have a cooler secured in the center of dink floor with small 12 volt scooter battery inside with a small switch and landscaping wiring.
At night I simply pull bow light out of cooler and it easily clips to my Caribe's bow. I hit the toggle and drive it like I stole it.
I am brighter than a Christmas tree.
I charge the little battery every 4-6 weeks. It has never let me down since installed over 1.5 years ago.

15hp Johnson......vrooooom vrooooom.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by Bash

Same in the California delta area.

Those things look like a female "aid".

[simonmd]

Originally Posted by endoftheroad

..... and my 42 inch stern light I bought at Home Depot..

42 INCH STERN LIGHT? Wow, that must take a big battery!

Yes, i've seen inflatable tenders fitted with lights, just not that common as not many get used after dark.

[endoftheroad]

Originally Posted by simonmd

42 INCH STERN LIGHT? Wow, that must take a big battery!

Yes, i've seen inflatable tenders fitted with lights, just not that common as not many get used after dark.

Maybe not in the UK but about 8 inflatables buzzed past my boat in the past 1 hour and it is dark.

[CSY Man]

If yer dink has a top speed of less than 7 knots, only a white all around light is needed.
The Aqua signal lights with LED bulbs and 4 AA batteries will last a long time., no need to wire up a dink and haul big batteries around...That is sooo 60s..

[sv-Mystique]

Yep ya gotta have'em, period.

[simonmd]

Originally Posted by endoftheroad

Maybe not in the UK but about 8 inflatables buzzed past my boat in the past 1 hour and it is dark.

Were they followed by the coastguard? Around here, small boats moving after dark mean one thing, smuggeling!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

Got a ticket for not having a bow and stern white light and a red and green side light

I thought boats under 12M only show one 360 degree white light, not bow and stern white lights?