Question... Tricolor Mast and Anchor Light

[markpierce]

Don't have the dilemma. The pilothouse roof raises the red/green lights well above the hull. And it's a good idea to have other lights on to increase detection.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by capta

Paul
It's very simple; bow mounted running lites will shine on the water from time to time, possibly reflect a little light off the pulpit and maybe illuminate your jib a bit. All this adds depth perception so that someone looking down (not up, over the horizon at the lite like looking from a sailboat) can estimate distance.
Sorry if I sound overly sensitive on this one, but I came very close to killing some sailors (that time, don't get me started about experiences driving tugs and barges; many, many very near dead dummies) and I was very conscientious that night as I had spent six years captaining sail and power charter yachts in that area and knew they were probably around.
This is not an opinion; it happened and I analyzed and agonized the why of it all for years afterwords.

I have to say that if you're looking down at my lights, but up at my tricolor, then our encounter went wrong a long time ago. It sounds like what you're really asking for is more incidental deck-level lighting. My red/green bow lights definitely do not ever illuminate my sails, regardless of any wave reflections, etc.

Did this close-quarters encounter happen in a traffic zone, or channel? When I'm in an area such as that I do run the deck-level lights, on the presumption that we will be sailing close to other traffic and they will be scanning the water, not the sky. When I'm on the open ocean, where I consider a 1-mile CPA to be a close call, I use the tricolor.

I have to say you've given me something to think about, but my experience at sea, looking at other sailboats as well as ships, leads me to a different conclusion. Heck, my tri-color is about the same height as the running lights on most small ships.

[vientoman]

Thanks Capta,

My new cat is getting cabin mounted port and starboard lights. Excellent points.

[Seasick Steve]

Any more recent opinions on which light to get? I want a tricolour and anchor at the top of the mast (11m above the water).
I'm considering:

• NASA Super Nova Combi Tri Anchor LED
• Aqua Signal LED Tricolour Anchor HSG
• Lalizas/FOS LA-71311
• Mantagua 75 LED Tricolour with Anchor

Does anyone have any recent experience of these?

[Badsanta]

I use the Aqua signal with the replacement LED bulbs. I don't use it often as I don't often go off shore at night much. I also have the deck level lights that I use as the mast top is only when under sail.

[Cheechako]

The reality has nothing to do with looking down or up. Off shore your lights are all one at a distance. They are not red or green, just a white flicker. The further off the water, the further away it will be seen, so someone who finally sees it will keep track of it. The light will be obscured on a regular interval due to sea action lowering and raising. Eventually your lights will show up with color, by this time you are committed and only minutes away from a collision. With lights only 10 ft off the water, you will not be seen until you are pretty close. Even lights high up on the bridge of a freighter are hard to see when that freighter is only 20-30 minutes from you.

[Neptune's Gear]

Optolamps, simply the best. See http://www.neptunes-gear.com/index.p...-lighting.html



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