Anchor Strobe Lights & Underwater Lights

[Capdave360]

Cruising in the Eastern Caribbean.

Noticing a small (but increasing?) number of boats that use a strobe light for an anchor light.

And a few boats that have underwater lights and leave them on most or all of the night.

I won't be coy - I find both of these things really unpleasant to have in an anchorage.

But I'd be interested in hearing from those who use them to understand their POV.

[Jim Cate]

They are not just aggravating, at least the strobe is illegal under COLREGS.

I suspect that the blue light crowd are just aping the practice of some large and ostentatious motor yachts... I believe they were the first to employ this sort of bling.

I find t hem kinda amusing... kinda like the antics of one's younger cousin who was kicked in the head by a mule at age 5 and has been a bit weird ever since!

Jim (the cynic)

[Jamme]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

They are not just aggravating, at least the strobe is illegal under COLREGS.

I concur with you on the dislike of strobes while anchored.

As to The U.S., apparently strobes are not per se illegal under Inland Navigation Rule 37, which permits their use as supplemental distress signal (but definitely not as a mooring light!), see https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navR...es.pdf#page135

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Jamme

I concur with you on the dislike of strobes while anchored.

As to The U.S., apparently strobes are not per se illegal under Inland Navigation Rule 37, which permits their use as supplemental distress signal (but definitely not as a mooring light!), see https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navR...es.pdf#page135

Quite so... I meant illegal as an anchor light. Guess I did not make that clear.

And the OP was referring to the Caribe, not the USA... but COLREGS is alive and well everywhere that cruisers go, with some minor mods for specific areas.

Jim

[billknny]

One of the real problems with a strobe is that it is very hard to get a feel for how far away they are. It is one of the reasons that they are rarely used on aids to navigation.

They have no place in an anchorage.

Unfortunately there are people who think they are smarter than everybody else and rules are for chumps.

[Discovery 15797]

The solution for the strobe light issue is to dinghy over to the offending boat at 3 am, bang on the hull, and ask if everything is OK.

If they get irate you can explain to them that a masthead strobe is a distress signal.

[slug]

Originally Posted by Capdave360

Cruising in the Eastern Caribbean.

Noticing a small (but increasing?) number of boats that use a strobe light for an anchor light.

And a few boats that have underwater lights and leave them on most or all of the night.

I won't be coy - I find both of these things really unpleasant to have in an anchorage.

But I'd be interested in hearing from those who use them to understand their POV.

Anchorage’s have become crowded

When approaching a crowded anchorage at night , anchor lights become invisible against background shore light pollution . Very difficult to see the anchored boats

The object of any nav light is to make your vessel visible
In addition to required lighting you can illuminate your vessel with as many lights as you like

Disco lights , neon signs , Golden Arches Laser lights shows ...


A strobe light can be used

It not illegal

It’s not a navigation light

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by slug

Anchorage’s have become crowded

When approaching a crowded anchorage at night , anchor lights become invisible against background shore light pollution . Very difficult to see the anchored boats

The object of any nav light is to make your vessel visible
In addition to required lighting you can illuminate your vessel with as many lights as you like

Disco lights , neon signs , Golden Arches Laser lights shows ...


A strobe light can be used

It not illegal

It’s not a navigation light

And here was me thinking that a strobe was an internationally recognised distress signal.

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by slug

Anchorage’s have become crowded

When approaching a crowded anchorage at night , anchor lights become invisible against background shore light pollution . Very difficult to see the anchored boats

The object of any nav light is to make your vessel visible
In addition to required lighting you can illuminate your vessel with as many lights as you like

Disco lights , neon signs , Golden Arches Laser lights shows ...


A strobe light can be used

It not illegal

It’s not a navigation light

as you say, provided you have a proper anchor light, you can have other lights as well

eg we do this big time at christmas, when the boat is well decorated like a christmas tree

however out of respect to the rest of the anchorage, we turn them off at bed time. it'd be appropriate if any strobes were similar

(and jim's point was that it is illegal to use a strobe as an anchor light, which i'm sure you agree)

cheers,

[Discovery 15797]

Originally Posted by slug

Anchorage’s have become crowded

When approaching a crowded anchorage at night , anchor lights become invisible against background shore light pollution . Very difficult to see the anchored boats

The object of any nav light is to make your vessel visible
In addition to required lighting you can illuminate your vessel with as many lights as you like

Disco lights , neon signs , Golden Arches Laser lights shows ...


A strobe light can be used

It not illegal

It’s not a navigation light

This is simply incorrect information, bad advice, and the suggestions above are illegal!

Review Rules 20, 36, and 37 of the COLREGs and US International & Inland Rules. (https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf)

(https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/D...lerts/1015.pdf)

(https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageNam...ulesFAQ#0.3_14)

While it is unlikely anyone would respond in non-US waters, in the US a better solution than I suggested above of knocking on the hull at 3 am (which was a bit tongue in cheek), would be to simply to call the USCG or local marine police unit and report a vessel in distress.

[Michael Cobbe]

The previous owner of our steel ketch had fitted a strobe light above the tricolor. There was ship approaching at night, in the Caribbean, it obviously hadn't seen us although we had the lower lights and the tiricolor on, so I switched the strobe on and it changed course immediately. What surprised me was as a steel boat we would have been seen clearly on radar.

[gabilo]

Originally Posted by Michael Cobbe

The previous owner of our steel ketch had fitted a strobe light above the tricolor. There was ship approaching at night, in the Caribbean, it obviously hadn't seen us although we had the lower lights and the tiricolor on, so I switched the strobe on and it changed course immediately. What surprised me was as a steel boat we would have been seen clearly on radar.

“ the lower lights and the tricolor on” this is an incorrect light setup and does not comply .... it is either the tricolor OR the lower, not both.

[noelex 77]

I would like to see all boats display a legal anchor light that meets or exceeds the 2nm visibility requirements, but personally I do not mind, and in fact would encourage any additional lighting they wish to use. This includes lights that are flashing, coloured, underwater etc. If entering an anchorage at night any lighting that is displayed on other boats is a bonus. However, I would stress only if this was in addition to the legally required anchor light.

It is possible that excessive lighting could become annoying to other boats in the anchorage, but personally I have never encountered a boat where this was an issue and I have anchored next to a few superyachts.

From a practical point of view I think a flashing light used as an aid to improve visibility (for example a flashing sola garden light strapped to the pulpit or stern) would be unlikely to be perceived as a distress signal. My greater concern is that it could be misinterpreted as an aid to navigation such as cardinal mark so some care is needed in locations where this a practical risk.

Personally, I don’t use any flashing anchor lights. I use a legal anchor light together with deck or interior lights to improve visibility. If I use stern tie lines of any length, I do attach a battery powered light at mid point to serve as a warning. The battery powered fishing float lights are ideal and if flashing (as many are) they can be made brighter and more noticeable for the same power consumption. If you want to knock on my hull at 3am to see if I am in distress, feel free, but don’t expect to offered a coffee or nip of Scotch for your trouble .

[GordMay]

Strobe Lights (from 2010) ➥ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...hts-42229.html

[StuM]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

I would like to see all boats display a legal anchor light that meets or exceeds the 2nm visibility requirements, but personally I do not mind, and in fact would encourage any additional lighting they wish to use. This includes lights that are flashing, coloured, underwater etc. If entering an anchorage at night any lighting that is displayed on other boats is a bonus. However, I would stress only if this was in addition to the legally required anchor light.

COLREGs allso encourages this:

Rule 30 c:
A vessel at anchor may, and a vessel of 100 metres and more in length, shall also use the available working or equivalent lights to illuminate her decks.

From a practical point of view I think a flashing light used as an aid to improve visibility (for example a flashing sola garden light strapped to the pulpit or stern) would be unlikely to be perceived as a distress signal. My greater concern is that it could be misinterpreted as an aid to navigation such as cardinal mark so some care is needed in locations where this a practical risk.

Again, COLREGS agrees with you

Rule 36
... Any light to attract the attention of another vessel shall be
such that it cannot be mistaken for any aid to navigation. For the purpose of this Rule the use of high intensity intermittent or revolving lights, such as strobe lights, shall be avoided.