Deck Level Navigation Lights. Optional Extra?

[DJE]

Earlier this year I crewed on a delivery of an Amel Super Maramu ketch which had done two circumnavigations. While getting to know the boat we were surprised to find that she had no deck-level navigation lights. There was a masthead tri-colour, masthead all round white and IIRC a steaming light. No switchgear, no cables, no sign that they had ever been fitted. And a few months later we bought a Swedish-built 39 footer second-hand and noticed that the masthead lights and steaming light are all wired via the original panel but the deck-level lights seem to have been added on at a later date and are wired through a separate panel. Is it common for sailing boats to be sold without the correct motoring lights?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Interesting, no pulpit R/G light either?

 

[pvb]

Don't the colregs allow a masthead tricolour in lieu of deck-level lights in yachts under 20 metres?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Yes but not when it's under power, IIRC

 

[Kelpie]

You can't use a tricolour and steaming light at the same time, because your starboard aspect (green over white) looks like a trawler, and your port aspect (red over white) looks like a fishing boat.

 

[Robin]

BIN a while but as I recall, there would be little wear and tear on a French boat's Nav light Switch:ambivalence:.

 

[Lucky Duck]

It's been the opposite in my experience with the deck level lights coming as standard and the tricolour being an extra. (Two Swedish and one French)

On my current boat all the nav lights are LED save for the steaming light which looks a bit odd as a result.

 

[Birdseye]

It's been the opposite in my experience with the deck level lights coming as standard and the tricolour being an extra. (Two Swedish and one French)

On my current boat all the nav lights are LED save for the steaming light which looks a bit odd as a result.

Interesting point that. The masthead combiined light isnt compulsory for sailing boats and I suspect that the only reason it was allowed was leccy consumtion issues with incandescent bulbs. So now we have low power led lights, we dont need the complication of masthead lights .

 

[Douglas T]

Masthead light does not disappear in the wave trough as deck level....... but I have done it.

 

[Robin]

Interesting point that. The masthead combiined light isnt compulsory for sailing boats and I suspect that the only reason it was allowed was leccy consumtion issues with incandescent bulbs. So now we have low power led lights, we dont need the complication of masthead lights .

That was my thinking and we no longer have a tricolour on our current boat. the bow and stern lights are all LED as is the plug in anchor light.The combined steaming light and deck flood is still incandescent but we can live with power consumption if the motor is on or the light gets infrequent use like a deck flood. Sure the tricolour was good for remaining visible in heavy swells but these days that is less of a factor for our sailing and mostly we need our nav lights for inshore or in the Intracoastal Waterway rather than way out in the ocean and we are transmitting our position etc by AIS anyway.We used to do lots of night sailing but now it is only needed if we cross to the Bahamas and want to arrive with daylight and a convenient sun angle for clear bottom watching ( seabed not bikini)

 

[JumbleDuck]

It's been the opposite in my experience with the deck level lights coming as standard and the tricolour being an extra. (Two Swedish and one French)

My boat has masthead tri, pulpit bi and masthead all round white, all switched separately. I'm planning to add a stern light so that I can sail without using the tri.

 

[Neeves]

We have a complete set of masthead lights we use offshore and deck lights we use in enclosed waters. The steaming light, common to both systems, is roughly halfway up the mast. But largely separate circuits. We specified the deck lights as an optional extra. We would seldom sail offshore without seas being 3m. Conversely visibility is commonly good. If anything fails - masthead is a difficult place to reach when at sea (in the dark).

Jonathan

 

[Robin]

We have a complete set of masthead lights we use offshore and deck lights we use in enclosed waters. The steaming light, common to both systems, is roughly halfway up the mast. But largely separate circuits. We specified the deck lights as an optional extra. We would seldom sail offshore without seas being 3m. Conversely visibility is commonly good. If anything fails - masthead is a difficult place to reach when at sea (in the dark).

Jonathan

steaming light plus tricolour is not legal however and could confuse with fishing vessel or pilot boat? Very 'French' solution mind as I recall, that or no steaming light at all under power. I did like having a tricolour however as it lit the masthead windex well too. Even though we had/have wind electronics I still look up instinctively.If we were night sailing regularly like we used to I would fita LED tricolour but as we do not expect to more than a couple of times a year now we are USA based wrinklies our LED bicolour and stern lights plus an incandescent steaming light/deck flood combo does the trick and keeps the amps use down under sail (alternator is charging if the steam light is on). For sure the deck level lights are far superior in close quarters inshore.

 

[Serin]

Masthead light does not disappear in the wave trough as deck level....... but I have done it.

True, but if the boat is rolling or yawing a lot it can be difficult to determine aspect in some cases. In a small boat, neither is ideal, I'm afraid. But at least the masthead light shows that there is something there.

We have three switches - masthead tricolour, sidelights and stern light, steaming light. This gives us the right combination for different circumstances, but doesn't solve the problem of being seen in big swells when motoring. Fortunately that rarely happens these days. If I had to, I would ditch the masthead light rather than the deck level lights. They are used much more often and I certainly wouldn't want to rely on a masthead light inshore or at close quarters.

 

[Neeves]

We were challenged by a large commercial vessel, bulk fuel, travelling in the opposite direction when crossing Bass Strait. We were using a tricolour and sailing about 1nm outside a traffic separation scheme intending to cross the 'scheme' as it turned north so that we could cross at 90 degrees. He demanded we should have our steaming light on as we were obviously a motor vessel as we were making an average of 10 knots (and did so for over 100nm). When assured our lights were legitimate and we were a sailing yacht he left the scheme and headed up toward us - and put a search light on us. Scary.

He then apologised.

Jonathan

 

[Robin]

We were challenged by a large commercial vessel, bulk fuel, travelling in the opposite direction when crossing Bass Strait. We were using a tricolour and sailing about 1nm outside a traffic separation scheme intending to cross the 'scheme' as it turned north so that we could cross at 90 degrees. He demanded we should have our steaming light on as we were obviously a motor vessel as we were making an average of 10 knots (and did so for over 100nm). When assured our lights were legitimate and we were a sailing yacht he left the scheme and headed up toward us - and put a search light on us. Scary.

He then apologised.

Jonathan

BLoody WAFM just showing off, though we did average something similar on a windy passage in our then 41 foot mono.:encouragement:

 

[prv]

We have three switches - masthead tricolour, sidelights and stern light, steaming light. This gives us the right combination for different circumstances, but doesn't solve the problem of being seen in big swells when motoring.

Being under 12m, we're allowed to use an all-round masthead white as combined steaming light and stern light (together with deck-level sidelights). I have this combination wired in my cunning lighting controller as "Motor High", though I don't think I've ever used it:

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

We were challenged by a large commercial vessel, bulk fuel, travelling in the opposite direction when crossing Bass Strait. We were using a tricolour and sailing about 1nm outside a traffic separation scheme intending to cross the 'scheme' as it turned north so that we could cross at 90 degrees. He demanded we should have our steaming light on as we were obviously a motor vessel as we were making an average of 10 knots (and did so for over 100nm).

I knew people who were flying an ASH25 glider who got a very inquisitive reception when they asked to transit a Yorkshire MATZ (Military Air Traffic Zone) when they were (a) 25 minutes away and (b) near Carlisle. It's amazing how fast you can cross the ground when you're in a glider which will cruise at 150 kt with a 75 kt high altitude tailwind ...

I had a 15m span wooden glider at the time. The ASH-25 reached V_ne before its glide angle fell to my modest 34:1.