Nav lights/day shapes when using drogue or sea anchor

[Zai]

What would be the correct nav lights and day shape/s to use when you are on a drogue or sea anchor?

Would it be the same for both?

[Dockhead]

If you are lying to a sea anchor because you are overwhelmed by bad weather -- that is, an "exceptional circumstance", you are NUC and should show two balls in a line or two red lights. You cannot maneuver or make way while lying to a sea anchor.

Trailing drogues you are making way and able to maneuver somewhat, so not NUC. You are also not RAM because trailing drogues is not part of some work you are doing. Your practical situation is similar to a fishing boat with gear in the water, but the Rules don't assign any status to this. So following the letter of the law, you are simply under way and all the normal Rules apply, and you show normal nav lights and no shapes.


In exceptional cases like this, you have to handle encounters with other vessels on a case by case basis. A radio call to explain your situation and difficulties in maneuvering and to prevent misunderstanding is the right thing to do. I was in a situation once a few years ago where I was caught in a F9 and could not really maneuver -- my course was determined by the only right path down the faces of the huge waves. I was in a busy part of the North Sea and actually had to go the wrong way up a busy TSS -- I had no choice, because to turn beam-to to the seas would have meant getting rolled; to go straight down would have sent us out of control. So I called the Netherlands Coast Guard first, then I put out a Securite explaining the situation to oncoming traffic. Then, I called every ship as it came down the TSS towards us and asked them to turn this way or that to let us pass. In the event this worked fine and there were no problems (other than the knockdown earlier in the day).

[Zai]

Thanks Dockhead,

I was thinking maybe red white red along with the normal sailing lights would work for trailing a drogue, being restricted.
What do you think about that? The Col regs don't seem so clear to me.

Good advice on the communication bit!

[boatman61]

I would not worry to much about day shapes on a small boat in these conditions.. no one's going to see them anyway.
As for Nav lights.. just stick to the normal configuration.. if masthead they may be seen.. if bow and stern likely not.. until really close.
Your best option in these conditions in my experience is a good lookout and VHF communication with shipping as soon as they come in range.
I was caught in a bad SE gale crossing the Biscay and was on the edge of the main N/S shipping route from the Channel down to Finisterre.. I just called the first ship I saw and asked them to relay a Securite with my current position along with the fact I was unable to make headway so was laying ahull till the storm abated.
I became Navigation Warning number 094 if memory serves..
Ships would call as they approached to see if all was well and relay my changes in position.
I think giving a strong radar echo is far more important.

[Zai]

Good point Boatman.
Displaying the right signal/s vs. staying safe.
I guess that ais transponder gets another vote! (and a good radar reflector)

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Zai

Thanks Dockhead,

I was thinking maybe red white red along with the normal sailing lights would work for trailing a drogue, being restricted.
What do you think about that? The Col regs don't seem so clear to me.

Good advice on the communication bit!

Well, you're not RAM trailing drogues -- the Rules are clear about that. The restriction in ability to maneuver must come from the "nature of her work". Neither are you NUC, because you are underway and steering at least somewhat.

That being said, you could of course show RAM anyway -- look at all the tankers drifting and improperly showing NUC. I don't think I would do that, however -- as Boatman said, it's not likely any of your signals will be seen anyway.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I don't think I would do that, however -- as Boatman said, it's not likely any of your signals will be seen anyway.

An example is the time I was bringing a Corribee 21 down to Portugal from the UK..
I was tacking back and forth about 10nm NNW of Ushant waiting for the F6 SW'ly to veer (supposedly) West in the early hours.. around midnight a ship came over the horizon towards me and from her lights I could see she was on a close to ramming course so I gave her a call..
He could not see me on radar and seemed surprised I was out there at all.
He did not spot my nav lights till he was around 500metres off my stbd bow. Sea's were around 3metres wind over tide at the time.

[Fuegomar]

I've used a pressurized kerosene lantern, increasing changes of at least being visible to others
tps://www.britelyt.com/

[toddster8]

There are non-weather-emergency cases for laying to a sea anchor. Sport fishers use them for station keeping. One might want to keep station off a lee shore, for example, waiting for a river bar to open. Or just practicing with the darned thing.

[buzzstar]

While slightly off topic, this is close. When I used to do fairly long distance solo trips (not racing, just a destination) I preferred to be hove to in order to sleep rather than proceeding without an adequate watch. Since this was usually at night, I'd flip the anchor light on. I was not anchored (lacking enough rode) and this method was arguably misleading, but it still seemed the best solution. I am fairly sure the idea was not mine, but had appeared somewhere, and I simply copied it. In truth, I also did this if I slept during the day, which in a way I preferred, because my vessel was even more visible.

[Rumbottle]

You are underway when you are not at anchor, made fast to the shore or aground.
You are not under command (NUC) when you are unable to manoeuvre.
You are a hampered vessel when you cannot manoeuvre properly.
As you may not be able to retrieve your drogue I would follow Dockhead's advice.

[Cpt Pat]

All good suggestions here when dealing with difficult/exceptional circumstances.


I sometimes set my sea anchor in fair weather during the day to rest while single-handing - when being hove to would still cause making more way than I'd prefer. I set an oversized "mike" flag. Any disagreeing comments are welcomed: the COLREGs are very unclear about this situation.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Cpt Pat

All good suggestions here when dealing with difficult/exceptional circumstances.
I sometimes set my sea anchor in fair weather during the day to rest while single-handing - when being hove to would still cause making more way than I'd prefer. I set an oversized "mike" flag. Any disagreeing comments are welcomed: the COLREGs are very unclear about this situation.

I might do this next time I'm tired instead of continuing in a daze and napping for 10 minute intervals. Can you explain what the M flag signifies?

[Viking Sailor]

Since I don't have NUC lights - I will be showing an anchor light. A nice bright anchor light. Or, two anchor lights, Or, maybe even three anchor lights.

As the Captain of the SS Citadel Victory once instructed, "At night you are not to run over anything with a light on it!"

[Cpt Pat]

Originally Posted by waterman46

I might do this next time I'm tired instead of continuing in a daze and napping for 10 minute intervals. Can you explain what the M flag signifies?

"My vessel is stopped and making no way through the water."

But since the flags aren't in the COLREGs, none of them may mean anything to the other vessel.