Navigation Lights on Mast or Bow, or Both

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

OK, but how about some photos where it's dark? You know, like when we would actually have our tricolors turned on? Sure, around sunset / sunrise there might be a horizon issue, but any lights are hard to see in those conditions. Hell, my tricolor is still closer to the water than deck-level nav lights on a freighter...

I'm not saying you're wrong, just that I don't understand. Inshore, I get, but offshore? From my sailboat I can sure see a masthead tricolor much further than a small boat's deck-level lights.

There are two variables in this... the 'height of eye' on the ship's bridge and the height of the mast.

If the observers HoE is fixed and you alter the height of the trilight.... short mast... tri shows against the black sea... high mast ...tri shows against the sky...

Likewise you have a trilight at fixed height... high wheelhouse you are against the sea... low wheelhouse your light is in the sky.

Somewhere in between its going to be like Goldilock's porridge... just right... and you are going to disappear..

When I said 'well offshore' above I don't think I would use a trilight in the English Channel or southern North Sea frinstance...