NO to Strobe anchor lights (please!)

[Canuck_123]

I'm in the Caribbean and unlike in previous years I'm seeing strobe lights being used as anchor lights at many different anchorages. I like to sit on deck at night and look at the stars, but it's ruined whenever there's a boat with a strobe light nearby. You literally can't look in that general direction as your peripheral vison picks up the flashes. Imagine if all the boats in an anchorage had one?
Please don't be that boat owner - it's completely selfish and quite offensive to all of your neighbours!

[TeddyDiver]

The only reason I would ever have a gun onboard, to shoot those stupid strobes! What they think they are? Submarines?

[capt jgw]

And legally a strobe means distress. If the CG or somebody responded to investigate (but they probably know better) they're going to be unhappy. Not the best way to start that encounter.
Same thing with the steaming (masthead) light on while sailing, and at the same time expecting everyone to give way because they're sailing. That light says "I am power driven, do not give way to me."

[leecea]

The other issue is that if someone is actually using an emergency strobe, like an electronic flare or MOB light, people are more likely to ignore them.

[SailingHarmonie]

There are more and more people "out there" who have no real background in boating, and seem to have no interest in learning.

With many of us carrying "electronic flares" (aka, strobe lights) as a night time distress signal, the routine use of strobes for non-emergency purposes is getting to be more problematic for exactly the reasons that leecea puts out there.

[HeinSdL]

Yes, that truly is a very stupid concept.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

And legally a strobe means distress. If the CG or somebody responded to investigate (but they probably know better) they're going to be unhappy. Not the best way to start that encounter.
Same thing with the steaming (masthead) light on while sailing, and at the same time expecting everyone to give way because they're sailing. That light says "I am power driven, do not give way to me."

A flashing light distress signal is US inland water only. Not international.


Captain?

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

... "electronic flares" (aka, strobe lights) ...

Electronic flares are NOT strobe lights. They blink a specific SOS pattern, with defined, roughly equal, on and off periods. Not a strobe.

[Don C L]

Thank God I haven't seen those yet. The super bright LED anchor lights are bad enough.

[Rustic Charm]

Apparently they are very very common in Indonesia and Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand etc. the lovely couple on Follow The Boat anchor with a strobe.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Electronic flares are NOT strobe lights. They blink a specific SOS pattern, with defined, roughly equal, on and off periods. Not a strobe.

Characteristics of eVDSD under the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) standard 13200.0
An electronic signal that meets the standard will have:
- signal characteristic in the form of a 2-colour cyan (blue) and red-orange S-O-S light sequence
- near-infrared signal so it can be detected with night vision goggles
- an operating temperature range of -1°C to +30°C
- a storage temperature range of -20°C to +55°C
- an average effective intensity of at least 50 candela
- at least 2 hours continuous operating life

Requirements for Electronic Visual Distress Signal Devices (eVDSD):
[1] RTCM Standard 13200.0 [$205USD]➥ https://rtcm.myshopify.com/collectio...d-june-21-2018

[2] U.S. Coast Guard CG-ENG Policy Letter 03-18 - Adoption of RTCM Standard 13200.0 for Electronic Visual Distress Signal Devices
[eVDSDs]
➥ https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/D...-21-114709-720

The Sirius Signal C-1002 two-color electronic Visual Distress Device (eVDSD) is the world’s first marine safety electronic flare to meet the new USCG safety standard, RTCM 132.00.0.
➥ https://siriussignal.com/new-products/

[fxykty]

In Indonesia the fishermen, generally in very low profile longboats and no other lights, use locally produced double-D powered red/white/blue strobe lights. Visiting yachts get these too as they’re very visible, cannot be mistaken for anything else, and fit within the ColRegs for additional lighting when at anchor.

Notice that we hoist it on a spinnaker halyard with our anchor ball - day signal and night signal (plus the 360* white light at the masthead) as soon as we drop and set our anchor.

[GordMay]

Handheld pyrotechnic flares are at least 10x brighter [luminosity], than e-flares [SOLAS flares are 300x brighter than e-flares], and are particularly visible to, both thermal imagers, and night-vision gear.

BoatUS testing found that, U.S.C.G approved parachute flares burned for an average of 25 seconds, while the SOLAS parachute burned 43 seconds.

Aerials give height (that is, visibility from a greater distance), while hand-helds [including eVDSDs] give duration. Smoke is the best option, for day-only signalling.

Since hand-held visual distress signals are primarily used to guide rescuers over the last mile, luminosity [brightness] & signal duration [burn time] is more important, than distance seen [altitude of aerials], which distinctly favours the continuous, unattended S-O-S, from e-flares [eVDSD], and/or waving orange rescue flags.
Hand-Held Flares [pyrotechnic distress signals] SOLAS Regulations, according to SOLAS Chapter III & LSA Code:
- 6 per lifeboat & liferaft [of which 2 are rocket parachute flares, 3 are hand flares, & 1 is a buoyant smoke signal]
- burn with a bright RED colour, 5-8 Nautical mile of visibility
- average luminous intensity of not less than 15,000 cd
- burning period of not less than 1 min
- continue to burn after having been immersed for a period of 10s, under 100 mm of water
etc ...
“Guideline for USCG Approval of SOLAS Pyrotechnic Signals”
Page 8 ➥ https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/D...-20-144043-990

AFIK, at this time, there is no SOLAS standard for an eVDSD.

An interesting read:
“From Icebergs to International Treaty: A 3 Minute History of SOLAS” ~ by Anna Grybenyuk (Lloyd's Register Foundation)

”... A treaty so extensive and taken so seriously must have a storied history, and SOLAS is no exception. It has gone through five iterations, and much of what is covered in it is written on the backs of major tragedies, beginning with its very inception...”

Here ➥ https://hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/what...yAAEgJVnfD_BwE

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by fxykty

In Indonesia the fishermen, generally in very low profile longboats and no other lights, use locally produced double-D powered red/white/blue strobe lights. Visiting yachts get these too as they’re very visible, cannot be mistaken for anything else, and fit within the ColRegs for additional lighting when at anchor.

Notice that we hoist it on a spinnaker halyard with our anchor ball - day signal and night signal (plus the 360* white light at the masthead) as soon as we drop and set our anchor.

No it doesn't fit the rules. The rule says "the available working or equivalent light s to illuminate her decks". Additonally, flashing lights are used only to signal vessel manouvers thus a strobe indicates "I'm turning sb, I'm turning port, I'm maneuvering astern" ad infinitum, or when interpreted after sound signals "What the h*** are your intentions?"

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Thank God I haven't seen those yet. The super bright LED anchor lights are bad enough.

Actually, hope that you recognize them. They should ONLY be used in real SOS situations. They are a little brighter than an anchor light, with a very specific pattern/


Sail Delmarva: New RTCM SOS Beacons