Being seen whilst on night passages.

[Graham_Wright]

If they change course and still endanger you - this is the time to use the parachute flare - aimed at bridge height but not at the bridge.


Jonathan

That should be interpreted as distress.
White maybe.

 

[geem]

We have a couple of powerful led deck lights that light up out superstructure. The front one shines a long way forward lighting up the bow and the sea in front of the boat. This one was positioned like this to allow us to set the anchor at night or pick up a mooring. The rear facing light shines on the stern boarding ladder. This allows us to easily get in and out of the dinghy in the dark. The result of having these deck lights on at night under sail is the sails are very well lit up making us very visible.
Having deck lights that just point downwards does not do the same job. I know, because that what I had previously. It's a cheap and effective addition to any boat sailing at night

 

[IanCC]

We have a couple of powerful led deck lights that light up out superstructure. The front one shines a long way forward lighting up the bow and the sea in front of the boat. This one was positioned like this to allow us to set the anchor at night or pick up a mooring. The rear facing light shines on the stern boarding ladder. This allows us to easily get in and out of the dinghy in the dark. The result of having these deck lights on at night under sail is the sails are very well lit up making us very visible.
Having deck lights that just point downwards does not do the same job. I know, because that what I had previously. It's a cheap and effective addition to any boat sailing at night

Sounds good - what sort are they?

 

[geem]

Sounds good - what sort are they?

I can't remember where I purchased them. They have been up there a number of years.
They are aluminium bodies with a row of multiple LEDs. Mounted on the underside of the spreaders.

 

[billyfish]

If I could afford it I would get a light aircraft strobe up top . Have you seen how they grab your eyes ?

 

[john_morris_uk]

If I could afford it I would get a light aircraft strobe up top . Have you seen how they grab your eyes ?

And you could spend your whole passage pretending to be a N Cardinal mark that’s adrift.

 

[R.Ems]

.....If they change course and still endanger you - this is the time to use the parachute flare - aimed at bridge height but not at the bridge......
Jonathan

'Parachute flares must be discharged vertically upwards. If there is a significant wind blowing, add a little downwind angle to get the greatest height' is a summary of the instructions I have read on all parachute flares.

You can't 'aim them at bridge height'. How would you 'aim' them anyway? Look along the tube?
They won't do what you expect at near-horizontal angles.
This advice is wrong and risky.

 

[Jim@sea]

Perhaps 40 years ago I met a sailor who had sailed over from Canada, he had attached a white strobe light for an aircraft to the top of his mast. Apparently it was very effective.

 

[Neeves]

'Parachute flares must be discharged vertically upwards. If there is a significant wind blowing, add a little downwind angle to get the greatest height' is a summary of the instructions I have read on all parachute flares.

You can't 'aim them at bridge height'. How would you 'aim' them anyway? Look along the tube?
They won't do what you expect at near-horizontal angles.
This advice is wrong and risky.

Try it before you condemn it.

I lived in a jurisdiction where using out of date flares was a common practice - and have used parachute flares, surprisingly frequently.

The instructions are to provide maximum light.

There are no instructions for dozy watchkeepers - because in the perfect world they don't exist.

Jonathan

 

[R.Ems]

Try it before you condemn it.
I lived in a jurisdiction where using out of date flares was a common practice - and have used parachute flares, surprisingly frequently.

Jonathan

I have discharged lots of flares in the wrong way, to see what happens. Advice to aim rockets anywhere, apart from upwards, is wrong and dangerous.

 

[Neeves]

I have discharged lots of flares in the wrong way, to see what happens. Advice to aim rockets anywhere, apart from upwards, is wrong and dangerous.

Of course you are right,

Take care, stay safe

Jonathan

 

[Graham376]

Perhaps 40 years ago I met a sailor who had sailed over from Canada, he had attached a white strobe light for an aircraft to the top of his mast. Apparently it was very effective.

We see quite a number of sailing boats with masthead strobes both at sea and on anchor. Much easier to spot at distance than a constant light but not within the regs.

 

[Topcat47]

Many years ago I was creeping into Pompey under sail with a dead engine, Waverly was returning to the same port after an excursion and was on a direct collision course and likely to ram my boat whatever I did. I shone a torch on the sails, which caused the paddleboat to veer aside and miss me by about 90 yards. The relief I felt seeing the red nav light disappear was palpable. There was no one on radio watch on the Waverly as I tried calling them on Ch 16 to no avail. I reported the "near miss" to the Coastguard, who said they'd not been able to raise them either and they'd got the Bembridge Lifeboat standing by, ready to launch, if a collision had occurred as they were monitoring the Radar. My lesson from that was:- Do whatever you can to draw attention to yourself if the approaching vessel appears oblivious.

 

[sarabande]

Red over green, sailing machine. COLREGS approved for all sailboats.

View attachment 137842

As far as I can see, Colregs gives no advice on the vertical separation of the red and green masthead lights, but does say that to avoid breaking the rule about the 'obstructed' sector being a maximum of 6 degrees you can use another light located so that the two lights (red or green) appear to be one single continuous light

Even if the red and green lights are one vertical metre apart, they will subtend an angle of 0..02 degrees at 2miles distance (the recommended min distance of visibility). That's tiny, and I have no idea how the colour of the two lights combined would appear.

 

[ghostlymoron]

You do not have to shine the torch into your face, You will only frighten the kids. You aim it at the sail & do not look up at it while you are doing it. In the 70s in a small yacht, with poor battery power & useless nav lights, it was a very common procedure to light up the sails. I never recall losing vision. However, having a crew there would always be one of us with the sense to look the other way.

I've found that loss of night vision only lasts for 20secs or so.

 

[johnalison]

I've found that loss of night vision only lasts for 20secs or so.

I think that is generally true, but it depends on how long the light lasts for. A chemical process takes place during dark adaptation and this takes about 40 mins for full effect, so you don’t want to go through all that again.

 

[[70521]]

I've found that loss of night vision only lasts for 20secs or so.

Goodness. I must have have a different Mark I eyeball. It takes me 20 minutes to get proper night vision.

What is your secret, lots of carrots or three Weetabix before that 0300 - 0600 watch?

 

[davidej]

When I am at night in a commercial ship rich environment, I keep a white anti collision flare close at hand.

Never had to use one - so far!