Col Regs and LED navigation lights

[hotwork5]

Many chandlers have LED equipped navigation lights for sale
Most of these cannot be type approved as the IMO and MSA and the USA cannot agree on the illuminance levels. According to the RYA this has been a problem for more that 2 years
So if we fit LED units we are not conforming with the Col Regs and that may give us problems with our insurers if we need to claim.

Happy night sails
navigate1

 

[Pye_End]

[ QUOTE ]
So if we fit LED units we are not conforming with the Col Regs and that may give us problems with our insurers if we need to claim.



[/ QUOTE ]

Insurance would probably be the least of your worries if you collide at night!

Is there any evidence at all that the insurance companies would want to wriggle out of a claim for such a reason?

IMO the most important question is which system is more likely to get you seen? If they are equivalent then how much do you value the power that a normal bulb eats through.

 

[PhilipH]

It's about being seen - read the MAIB report on the Ouzo. Fit a Lopolight LED - it's really powerful and uses littel power.

 

[RobinBirch]

Hi - There have been a lot of posts on this subject. Suggest you use the search facility for more info.

 

[rogerthebodger]

This question of LED nav lights not complying the COLREGS comes up quit a lot.

My question is what does the COLREGS actually say. I was under the impression that it specified a distance that the lights must be visable under. This will depend on a number for factors like the light output the atmosphric conditions.

Now warious kinds of lights giveout different amount a elumination for different power inputs so you cannot say that the wattage must be X or Y.

The important factor must be the visibility of the light ie distance viuable under a defined kind of conditions. This may ne related to light output but not wattage.

Does anyone have referance to the correct IMO and US and anyother legal regs so we can see the actual legal requirements.

IMHO if an accedent occures it is up to the prosecution authroety to prove you did not comply with the regs not for you to prove you did and that also goes for any insurance company who trys to dissallow any claim

All IMHO

 

[Graham_Wright]

There is a specification for navigation lights which defines colour spectrum and other parameters but I can't remember where or whose.

 

[Thistle]

Surely if you are worried that something will invalidate your insurance you should contact your insurer before you do it. Only that way will you know if the change will or will not give the insurers a way out in the event of a claim.

 

[bedouin]

I believe that the specification of the lights, in terms of wavelengths, is laid out in an Annex to colregs. The tricolour I have is certified by USCG so I assume it is close enough.

I do however have convention bulbs in the sidelights and sternlight - so I retain the option and I tend to use the sidelights in preference to the tricolour when I am aware of shipping being about as I believe there are issues anyway with visibility of tricolours.

However, just complying with colregs is not the whole answer. The eye is a very complex device but it probably does not react to single-wavelength light the same way it does to a broader spectrum of light that has the same perceived colour. I think IMO / USCG / MAIB or someone really should be looking at this in more detail BEFORE it comes up in the MAIB report on the next OUZO or whatever.