Additional Navigation Lights--Rule 27 etc.

[slug]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

Unfortunately at least for the international crowd that's a violation of Rule 36:



In the US that is a distress signal under Inland Rule 37:



Not saying it isn't effective, but as far as the rules are concerned...

I’m not concerned about rules...I’m worried about being hove to in the Western Approaches and being run down by a ship..

I’ll be lite up like a Christmas tree

[Gypsyjon]

When I was doing the Great Loop is used two of these things as anchor lights.

My boat had hard top and I would put one toward the front and one toward the back. They are visible 2 nm. I was afraid of getting rammed by a crabber flying by at 4 in the morning.

They will last 3 nights with no charging, but take on a full charge with sunlight.

They may not have been USCG perfect, but they provided a lot of safety.

When I got ready to go in the AM I would just sit them down in the cockpit to charge.

Great product.

https://smile.amazon.com/White-Stead...F888DHHY407C10

[slug]

Originally Posted by Gypsyjon

When I was doing the Great Loop is used two of these things as anchor lights.

My boat had hard top and I would put one toward the front and one toward the back. They are visible 2 nm. I was afraid of getting rammed by a crabber flying by at 4 in the morning.

They will last 3 nights with no charging, but take on a full charge with sunlight.

They may not have been USCG perfect, but they provided a lot of safety.

When I got ready to go in the AM I would just sit them down in the cockpit to charge.

Great product.

https://smile.amazon.com/White-Stead...F888DHHY407C10

In some areas with intense background light pollution, anchor lights are invisible from seaward ..

Best to have some way to illuminate the boat....bright spreader lights, mast lights , deck lights

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

One of my pet peeves is fishing boats, typically trawlers in our area, whose working deck lights are so bright and so extensive that their running nav lights are very difficult to pick out from any distance, even with binoculars. Because of the individual variation in how those lights are disposed on the boat, working out their direction of travel and aspect is very hard. And when there are a gang of them in some loose formation, well, it has been awkward at times!

Grrr...

OH, don't forget running their green over white at all times, fishing or not...

Jim

I was roundly abused by one once because he claimed I'd given him insufficient clearance whilst he was trawling. He dashed out on deck and pointed at his day marks then shook a fist at me.

Later on I looked him up on the jetty and asked him why he still had the trawling day marks up even though the boat was moored. His explanation was that they were welded in place and could not be taken down.

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by Adelie

The COLRES indicate that additional lights are acceptable as long as they don’t obscure or cause confusion with regards to the regularly required navigation lights or impare the lookout.

“(b) The Rules concerning lights shall be complied with from sunset to sunrise, and during such times no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights which cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in these Rules or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the keeping of a proper look-out.”

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageNam...gamated#rule20

I probably didn't make it clear that I was referring to addition navigation lighting. You'll most likely find that this clause is intended for the purpose of allowing for deck and interior lighting, rather than any sort of an endorsement for additional roll-you-own navigation lighting.

[Edward Bairstow]

Does anyone ever use the optional all around red-over-green lights for sailing vessels “at or near the top of the mast”, as provided for in the Colregs?

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Edward Bairstow

Does anyone ever use the optional all around red-over-green lights for sailing vessels “at or near the top of the mast”, as provided for in the Colregs?

I would love to. I looked into it whilst my mast was down, but it just wasn't practical buying, attaching, and wiring four new lights (2x red 180 degree, and 2x green 180 degree). I could not find any pre-made ones.

[Adelie]

The problem with Red over Green is the lights being obscured by sails if they are attached to the sides of the mast, less of a problem with a fractional rig but still obscured for part of the horizon.

There is a 1m separation requirement somewhere. You could mount both atop the mast but that significantly increases your maximum height creating potential problems with bridges.

A few do it but not many.

[Jim Cate]

Mostly seen on rather large (>20 m) yachts, mostly of European origin.

As said upthread, awkward to accomplish on "normal" sized yachts.

Jim