Confused about navigation lights

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by Bestathook

Using BOTH masthead and deck level navigation lights solves this problem, and at very low energy cost, using LEDs.

It is illegal to show the tricolour and deck mounted navigation lights at the same time.

Red over green can be shown at the masthead. I never seen a a normal cruising sailboat with this option ( only very large " super yachts"). Given the low power consumption its an option worth considering if building a new boat, but there are practical limitations including achieving the require separation. It also an expensive option, particularly as many of the cheap suppliers of navigational LEDs don't offer suitable lights.
Loppolight do but they are not cheap.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

It is illegal to show the tricolour and deck mounted navigation lights at the same time.

Red over green can be shown at the masthead. I never seen a a normal cruising sailboat with this option ( only very large " super yachts"). Given the low power consumption its an option worth considering if building a new boat, but there are practical limitations including achieving the require separation. It also an expensive option, particularly as many of the cheap suppliers of navigational LEDs don't offer suitable lights.
Loppolight do but they are not cheap.

Yes I'm always surprised why we don't see more red of green sailing lights on under 60 footers.

Dave

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Yes I'm always surprised why we don't see more red of green sailing lights on under 60 footers.

Dave

They have to be separated by at least 1 meter vertically, so if mounting on top of the mast you have to have another 3+ feet of hardware above your mast. If mounting below the top of the mast you need 2 lights for each color to make the 360. The annex says cannot be obscured more than 6 degrees by structures, I wonder if sails count as obscured, in which case there is no choice but above the top of the mast, unless you have a gaff headed fractional rig.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Bestathook

Viewed from the height of an elevated bridge above, in limited visibility, a light at masthead height appears the same as a deck level light on a vessel much farther away. It looks like a low light that is much farther away, when in fact it is dangerously close. By the time the lookout or helmsman can see the boat hull and mast, the vessels are dangerously close.

What he said....

The other risk inshore is that the tricolour at the masthead will be just above the shoreline as seen from a ship's bridge. Then it blends in very nicely with the shore lights. Also picture yourself on a fast motorboat overtaking a yacht using his tricolour on a clear starlight night or using a masthead mounted anchor light in the same situation.

Not going to agree regarding showing both deck level and masthead lights though.

The red over green at the masthead was introduced for use by larg(ish) sailing ships which could be mistaken for power driven vessels ( speed and big fat radar return) that had popped the bulb(s) in their steaming light(s).

Re popping bulbs - on my last day job we took to leaving the nav lights on 24 hours a day as we used to blow bulbs very frequently at switch on... dunno why.