Incorrect Navigation Lights

[[10753]]

Moored in Portsmouth last Saturday evening and was shocked at the number of incorrect Nav lights displayed, mostly by yachts.

We saw

1) Tricolour, steaming light, and red/green bow.

2) Tricolour with lower white strern light

3) Tricolour with Steaming Light

In fact almost every combination, only about 1 in 5 yachts were correct.

Fishing boats, power boats and a rib full of beered up lads went past and they showed the correct lights. Admittedly it is easier for them as they don't have a motor config and a sailing config but is it really that difficult?

Come on yachties, get it right please.

 

[sailorman]

Moored in Portsmouth last Saturday evening and was shocked at the number of incorrect Nav lights displayed, mostly by yachts.

We saw

1) Tricolour, steaming light, and red/green bow.

2) Tricolour with lower white strern light

3) Tricolour with Steaming Light

In fact almost every combination, only about 1 in 5 yachts were correct.

Fishing boats, power boats and a rib full of beered up lads went past and they showed the correct lights. Admittedly it is easier for them as they don't have a motor config and a sailing config but is it really that difficult?

Come on yachties, get it right please.

any anchor lamps visible

 

[Chrusty 1]

any anchor lamps visible

Plenty of wanchor lamps visible by the sound of it!

 

[snooks]

More anchor lights than anchor balls this weekend.

I did see one combination which got me thinking:

w​

w​

r______w

It wasn't moving across the horizon, at first I thought it was a ship over 50m coming straight for us, which had me a bit worried as we were anchored in Osborne bay at the time!! Then I realised it was an anchored yacht from abeam with steaming lights on....have buttons will press.

 

[Chrusty 1]

More anchor lights than anchor balls this weekend.

I did see one combination which got me thinking:

w​

w​

r

w​

It wasn't moving across the horizon, at first I thought it was a ship over 50m coming straight for us, which had me a bit worried as we were anchored in Osborne bay at the time!! Then I realised it was an anchored yacht from abeam with steaming lights on....have buttons will press.

Wear something bright, be seen at night!

 

[prv]

3) Tricolour with Steaming Light

Certainly seen that one a few times lately. Also a noisy (sounded like a student party) yacht with just a steaming light motoring out of Southampton Water.

Not that it would solve the problem, given the working life of fibreglass boats, but it would be nice to see the big manufacturers fit a more user-friendly control than just a series of individual switches. Say, one switch for nav lights as a whole, another which chooses between high and low level lights, and a connection to the engine panel which automatically selects low-level nav lights and steaming light when the engine is started.

Or alternatively, a simple rotary dial that selects "Off", "Anchor", "Sail - masthead", "Sail - deck" or "Motor".

I have something like the first option on my boat. One switch for nav lights, which also turns on the instrument and compass lighting and a small LED at the masthead to illuminate the burgee. When the engine panel is switched on, it also energises a relay that turns on the steaming light (from the nav light circuit, so that also has to be on). I only have the one set of nav lights (bicolour on the front of the mast above the headsails, and stern light on the mizzen masthead) so don't need the additional switching to avoid looking like a fishing boat with tricolour over steaming light.

Pete

 

[st599]

We saw a Mobo on Saturday night which had the correct lights switched on, but the owner had put them on his boat the wrong way around. Green on port etc.

 

[GruffT]

...and a connection to the engine panel which automatically selects low-level nav lights and steaming light when the engine is started.

Nice idea but not much cop if you fire up the donk to charge on a long passage....

 

[DJE]

Just me then who switches on the nav lights then walks around the deck to check that they're working.

 

[prv]

Just me then who switches on the nav lights then walks around the deck to check that they're working.

No, not just you.

Just not any of the numpties with wrong lights (or perhaps they don't know they're wrong?)

Pete

 

[Rigger Mortice]

It's for that reason that I don't assume that nav lights are correct. I generally interpret lights as meaning "There's a boat here. Keep clear". To assume that I have right of way (yes, I know!) simply because the lights tell me so can be a recipe for disaster. Lights on small boats seem to be no more than a clue as to what is happening.

 

[lustyd]

any anchor lamps visible

I use an anchor light when motoring which is correct for my boat. All around white on the mast. When sailing I switch that off and use the tricolour

 

[VicS]

We saw a Mobo on Saturday night which had the correct lights switched on, but the owner had put them on his boat the wrong way around. Green on port etc.

Ive seen similar except that it was bicolour with the lens fitted upside down

 

[Tricia]

Come to sunny SE Asia, where the local fishermen are quite happy to use battery power float marker strobes as their nav lights. In any colour from white, red, green and blue and in any combination. That's not too bad, but the ozholes who manage to sail this far, have adopted these lights as both nav lights, cockpit lights and anchor lights. Even the red and green ones, which can make entering channels at night (which they never do) quite an interesting experience.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I use an anchor light when motoring which is correct for my boat. All around white on the mast. When sailing I switch that off and use the tricolour

I too have used an anchor light when motoring with port and starboard red and green nav lights. Entirely correct for small vessels and as per the regulations. I still got shouted at by a know-it-all yachstman who pointed out I'd left my anhcor light on.

To the OP - yes it is frustrating - but its not unique to the Solent. I saw all sorts of light combinations on yachts in Scotland over the last couple of weeks.

 

[Koeketiene]

3) Tricolour with Steaming Light

I must admit I've been guilty of this one at times.
When our increasingly temperamental bow LED red/geen refuses to play.
Underlying thought: incorrect navlights are better than no navlights.

 

[onesea]

Must admit unless sailing on the boat I have bought I cannot show the correct navlights.

She has no anchor light and no steaming light....

She has been used like this for 30 years so do I really need them?

I do carry a battery powered camping light that will double as steaming light or anchor light.

Most likely it would depend on where I am, If I felt guilty I would rig that.

Will see what happens when nights start drawing in.

My last boat had no steaming light, had been like that for 40 years. She had masthead anchor light so I just obscured the stern light and put that on when motoring. Not good practice. I recall restrictions for length and hieght on this system, but as you say better than some of the lights you see .

 

[john_morris_uk]

I must admit I've been guilty of this one at times.
When our increasingly temperamental bow LED red/geen refuses to play.
Underlying thought: incorrect navlights are better than no navlights.

We carry some of these:http://www.marinesuperstore.com/posit/shop/index.php?selectedpartno=3162420280374

 

[prv]

We carry some of these:http://www.marinesuperstore.com/posit/shop/index.php?selectedpartno=3162420280374

Better than nothing, I guess, but I've heard some very uncomplimentary things about their light output.

Pete

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I find my all round red useful for all situations.