flashing LED or fixed?

[Pye_End]

Maybe, but any additional lighting at sea and at night is confusing.

How often have you looked a group of lights and not understood them?

Happens too regularly, especially when you see other lights that should not be there - eg deck lights etc.

I remember seeing my first tow at night some years ago. It is a good job I worked them out (in spite of the 'extra' lights) as I would have been running over the cable otherwise!

Also consider the insurance, and the legal position - important, but only second to above.

 

[BrendanS]

It's difficult enough at night to work out light signals, without everyone making up their own variation. The chances of confusion are too great, and people/boats not conforming to standard lights should be prosecuted. My opinion

 

[Ships_Cat]

We carry a masthead strobe but is for SAR only and that is the only use I would encourage.

Lots of other choices before using it to attract hit and run type ships' attention such as the spreader lights onto the sails and high powered lamp - would probably use the strobe before playing around with flares though, but that is just scaredy cat me /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

In my view those promoting running a strobe/flashing light all the time/as a matter of course on yachts are quite a bit removed from reality (in fact there are special places to medicate and house such peeps /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif).

John

 

[BrendanS]

I can understand use of strobes for SAR, and possibly even those hundreds of miles out at sea single handed where there are few other vessels. What I can't see is use as standard.

 

[Benbow]

But you know that if they became yotty fashion accessories, James and Jocasta would use them in the Solent 'to be safe'; thet already turn on everything else they have including masthead tri with steaming light and deck-level nav lights.

 

[BrendanS]

I think that's my concern. Once it's fashionable......

 

[BruceDanforth]

I would have thought if people were running a strobe all the time it would stuff up their night vision too.

 

[Ships_Cat]

For those on the boat there is no problem with night vision with a white strobe at the masthead as it should be mounted out of the field of vision (assuming a sailboat, of course) - although in our case it is around 16m up, shorter mast may be a problem.

That aside I certainly wouldn't want one flashing where it was in the field of vision, would drive me around the twist pretty quickly I think as is very bright.

John

 

[BruceDanforth]

I reckon the masthead would be worse as I spend a lot of night watch hours looking at the stars - one of the best bits of night sailing - and also I usually steer by them. For purely SAR then maybe a good idea if you still have a mast and power..

 

[BruceDanforth]

It could also cause confusion as a long way off it could look like a North Cardinal.

 

[Ships_Cat]

The following is purely academic as we are both saying strobe not for general use but in our case it is mounted so that it is not visible from the deck, as is the tricolor and anchor light. Only indication any light at the masthead is operating (if not in rain or fog) is the reflection on the small reflectors on the Windex which, of course, one wants to see in any event.

So is good for looking at the stars as I do too. Perhaps we are both the same (heaven forbid /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif). I am averse to having piles of gear on the masthead so VHF antenna is a ss whip which can't be seen and the wind instrument sensor is set down below the level of the nav lights.

Quite agree that power has to be available in the case of SAR, in our own case we have two independent supplies neither of which is in the bilge and both have a high flooding level. Of course the mast could have fallen down /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif.

John

 

[rogerthebodger]

I think strobes should only be used to attract attension to you and in fact any lights at night should be used . Deck lights, Spreader lights, Spot light on sails, spot lights flashed on bridge of ship anything to attract.

Going back to the origional question I obtained some of there to go in my grab bag and in my lifejacket pocket at night to allow me to atract attension if I should go over the side. I also have strobe, whiste, HH VHF combined GPS, etc

 

[phiggins]

They do sell one here :