Fishing boats lit up with very bright flood lights.

[haydude]

Q

It's always been hard to determine what the dickens a specific fishing boat is doing, or even that it IS a 'vessel engaged in fishing, trawling'. I've worked on the basis of 'if it is lit up like a christmas tree such that one cannot discern type, aspect, status, then it is most probably a 'trawler, trawling'. How on earth is one supposed to suss in which direction the gear is lying, and keep clear, if one cannot make out the nav lights?

Perhaps the most puzzling in recent years was a string of 5 boats encountered off the Spanish west coast, at night. These each had a pair of extremely bright yellow sodiums, visible throught the drizzle for many miles, and they seemed to be strung out in a line, with 3 or 4 miles between them. They were probably tuna-fishing, but whetehr with drift nets or long lines, I couldn't determine. There was nothing to indicate they were pair-trawling, or each using a small boat guarding one end of a drift net, or that they were physically linked to each other in any way.

We couldn't raise them on VHF, and puzzled over how to pass them safely.

Despite inquiries, I still don't have a clue what they were doing.... or rather, how they were doing it.

It I likely they were fishing for pelagic fish attracted by light with 'lampare' the large lights. Lampare emulate the effect of the full moon to which fish are attracted when looking to mate.

 

[prv]

I'd still like to know which rule is being broken by these working boats,

20(b), presumably.

Pete

 

[jwilson]

Q

It I likely they were fishing for pelagic fish attracted by light with 'lampare' the large lights. Lampare emulate the effect of the full moon to which fish are attracted when looking to mate.

Anything northern European trawlers use to light their working decks is a glow-worm besides squid attractor lights in the Pacific. Huge banks of very high power lamps on booms stuck out the sides....

 

[ripvan1]

20(b), presumably.

Pete

Presumably yes, however that rule doesnt say you cant have deck lights or be lit up like a football stadium

 

[DJE]

Presumably yes, however that rule doesnt say you cant have deck lights or be lit up like a football stadium

How do you make that out then?

...no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights as cannot be mistaken for the lights specified
in these Rules or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the
keeping of a proper look-out

Your football stadium would have to be very carefully arranged to comply with that!

 

[ripvan1]

Except such that cant be mistaken etc, Well i dont see how a one can mistake working lights or cruise lights for red green etc look and you will find them eventually or do you want to black out. every one of these. I would suggest specsavers if you cant work out which way ship is going when all lit up.

 

[Fantasie 19]

How do you make that out then?

...no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights as cannot be mistaken for the lights specified
in these Rules or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the
keeping of a proper look-out

Your football stadium would have to be very carefully arranged to comply with that!

Does that refer to navigation type lights specifically though? Otherwise how do cruise ships/ferrys with myriad lit up cabin lights, deck lights and whatever get away with it..

 

[jonjo]

Can we expand the discussion to my neighbour's backgarden security light oriented to illuminate the Apollo 11 landing site and all those Audi car led running lights that attack my retina daily.

 

[chanelyacht]

Jeez - get off your 'arris and give 'em sea room they're doing a hard enough thankless job as it is, and if you can see them from distance why go close.

Wouldn't have put it quite like that, but what would you expect them to do - trip around the deck in the dark?

Shipping having its lights on in the Fal harbour area is a port requirement.

 

[DJE]

Does that refer to navigation type lights specifically though? Otherwise how do cruise ships/ferrys with myriad lit up cabin lights, deck lights and whatever get away with it..

Well the cruise ships, tankers, container ships, etc that we meet in the Solent manage to keep their nav lights visible even when showing deck and cabin lights. And presumably they keep their bridge and foredeck dark to enable them to keep a proper lookout at night. The rule does allow them to show other lights subject to the conditions that I highlighted above. Many fishing vessels don't seem to observe those conditions.

 

[npf1]

Mrs M now says that we need AIS,

Radar might be a better choice if you're going shopping.

 

[KevB]

I agree with some of the above comments. Lights are probably nothing to do with working on deck but are for attracting crab, shrimp, squid or similar.

 

[Wandering Star]

I agree with some of the above comments. Lights are probably nothing to do with working on deck but are for attracting crab, shrimp, squid or similar.

I assure you lights definitely are to do with working on deck, only once the nets are shot will the boat be making way whilst it's trawling, at which time those big deck lights will be extinguished so the helmsman can maintain his night vision.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Radar might be a better choice if you're going shopping.

I think I mentioned how I assessed the other boats course and CPA from our radar.

 

[prv]

In Stavros the wardroom lights are always left on overnight. On one voyage we had some eco-minded person who kept turning them off - nobody ever owned up but the watchkeeping officers were getting quite aerated about it. The reason is that Stavvy usually travels at about yacht speeds, and they feel rather vulnerable to being rammed from astern by faster ships. The wardroom is in the aft end of the after deckhouse, and has a row of large portholes across the stern. By leaving the lights on all night, they were supplementing the stern nav-light for improved visibility.

Pete

 

[laika]

Radar might be a better choice if you're going shopping.

FMCW would probably be better than pulse for navigating the Morrisons cheese aisle in poor vis. Soup almost never has a transponder.

 

[jimi]

Recently at night I was finding it difficult to judge the distance of a single red (tricolour) radar showed no target but it had AIS and that showed it. Just a footnote to say that radar ain't the answer to everything.. partic when old wooden yachts are incvolved!