I cannot be only one with Nav Light angle problem ?

[Refueler]

Of course another solution is to put a Dual light and remove the individuals ....

I have one of these on my ex Soviet speedboat :

LED based ... but its light separation is not as good as the picture indicates. I have had to add a vertical flat plate extending forward to create full separation.

I would want it to be under the rail though and not sitting on top. When mast is down - I use the pulpit as support for mast.

 

[Refueler]

I hobbled down to boat .... (will pay price of pain for it later !)

OK ... nav lights as now with wedge that has basically failed ...

Wedge as can be seen is now not enough angle ... I measured the angle needed and its 32 degrees off from boat C/L with a mount plate length of 12cms.

The original stainless lights and only one has the original base plate and rubber seal left .. no real hardship to 3D print replacements. But the lamp fittings fell apart and lost ...

I could most likely modify the existing Hella style lights lamp parts to fit these original lights ... but first I need to see if glass in each will clean up.

Here are the plastic replacements I've bought trying to find a good solution ..

The larger more rectangular are too big as the mount on the rail is not square .. but angled. The smaller oval are more suited.

This is large opened up ad are with short festoon bulb ..

While the oval are a sealed LED version.

Not here - but I have had suggestion to mount new lights on cabin sides ... which I do not like. Its fine when motoring - but as soon as foresail is up - you lose at least one light behind sail - if not both. I prefer on pulpit so always clear of sail.

 

[William_H]

I have something similar to the small oval shaped ones. I love em very bright low current. One did fail and I tore it apart got water inside nut managed to repair it. Mine are on cabin siode and as you say are sometimes covered by biggest jib but really they are so bright light shines through the sail. Lights on pulpit are more susceptible to damage or am I a terrible driver? ol'will

 

[Refueler]

I have to admit that I have smashed the port light in the past. Really daft as well.

Steve and I had just exited past the breakwaters of Ventspils .... we knew the Ferry was due to depart about then .... boat was on autohelm .... and we both were looking astern .. Steve taking photos of the Ferry ..... next was almighty BANG !!

WTH !! .... then realised we had hit the fairway buoy ..... which bent slightly the pulpit and smashed the port light.

Its one of those incidents that you feel an absolute idiot !!

On arrival Gotland ... I bought another light and fitted it. The pulpit rail had to wait till back at home ... local Fishing Boat workshop straightened it ...

My previous boat Snap 23 had lights on the cabin side and I replaced two lights due to accidently 'kicking' when moving about. I think whichever way you mount ... there's pros and cons.

Dual light on top of pulpit rail ... easily caught by ropes etc ...
Dual light fixed hanging under pulpit rail ... could be awkward when handling anchor ??
etc.

 

[Boathook]

The oval lights look smart. Make plastic wedges and paint silver and also paint the light silver (trying to avoid the coloured lens). The paint should last a few years if the prep is done correctly.

 

[Wansworth]

Surely really only a problem in flat water if the boat is jiving about at sea as long as it’s green or red more or less it will be ok

 

[Refueler]

The oval lights look smart. Make plastic wedges and paint silver and also paint the light silver (trying to avoid the coloured lens). The paint should last a few years if the prep is done correctly.

I have mid grey 3D filament - so once I can sit upright and at my workbench ... I shall be printing base wedges for the oval lights. Being LED .. it will save a bunch of mA's ...

Not too worried about the white cases ... but maybe .. I have a tin of Silver Hammerite smooth ... I use to touch up other stuff ..

 

[noelex]

Surely really only a problem in flat water if the boat is jiving about at sea as long as it’s green or red more or less it will be ok

If offshore I am more likely to use a tricolour that eliminates the problem, but when inshore and motoring up a channel I want my direction of travel to be clear. This is when the lower navigation lights must be used.

The overlap from some bow mounted navigation lights can be significant making it hard to determine the true heading.

Try turning on the bow navigation lights of many production boats and observe the confusing overlap for yourself. This can be done when tied up at a marina.

A pity when the problem is easily fixed.

 

[VicS]

If offshore I am more likely to use a tricolour that eliminates the problem, but when inshore and motoring up a channel I want my direction of travel to be clear. This is when the lower navigation lights must be used.

The overlap from some bow mounted navigation lights can be significant making it hard to determine the true heading.

Try turning on the bow navigation lights of many production boats and observe the confusing overlap for yourself. This can be done when tied up at a marina.

A pity when the problem is easily fixed.

If the lights are fitted so that there is an appreciable overlap between red and green there will also be appreciable dead bands between their visible arcs and the visible arc of the stern light.
I think I would be more concerned about the 32 degree arcs on the quarters in which I would be invisible than the confusion that the overlap forward would cause.

 

[noelex]

If the lights are fitted so that there is an appreciable overlap between red and green there will also be appreciable dead bands between their visible arcs and the visible arc of the stern light.
I think I would be more concerned about the 32 degree arcs on the quarters in which I would be invisible than the confusion that the overlap forward would cause.

Yes, good point.

However, I would not dismiss the confusion that the central overlap causes. On many yachts you can move in a considerable arc in front of the yacht before it is reliably apparent that the heading is to port or starboard. I would encourage everyone to try this test on their own vessel.

Once the lights are correctly aligned the demarcation is much clearer.

The problem is easily fixed with some simple wedges.

 

[VicS]

Yes, good point.
However, I would not dismiss the confusion that the central overlap causes. On many yachts you can move in a considerable arc in front of the yacht before it is reliably apparent that the heading is to port or starboard. I would encourage everyone to try this test on their own vessel.
Once the lights are correctly aligned the demarcation is much clearer.
The problem is easily fixed with some simple wedges.

I once saw a yacht with a bicolour incorrectly mounted so that it showed red to stb'd and green to port, fortunately moored in a marina , but I bet that caused some confusion at sea at night.

.

 

[Refueler]

Seems my wish to correct a light problem has created interest !!

 

[penfold]

A solution that I did consider ... but when I aligned a straight edge to see angle .... it would mean backplates with ends outside rail .... the angle to correct is too great to keep plate within rails

The lights stick out anyway, what difference does it make if the bracket sticks out too?

 

[Refueler]

The lights stick out anyway, what difference does it make if the bracket sticks out too?

Just trying to minimise amount outside rail ...

The square Hella lights I have now - I have already caught one and needed to replace. The original and proposed tear drop lights were shaped so most slid over the curved shape.
If you go back and see the photos - you can see what I mean.

 

[penfold]

It's quite common to see "cissy bars" protecting the housings, as you've experienced they're just plastic and not very robust. One alternative that seems quite common is recessing them so they are inside the line of the tubing; this can be unsightly depending on how it is arranged and is sometimes disguised by combining it with a pulpit seat, which also protects against snagging from spinnaker or genoa.