Lights while sailing at night

What can easily be seen from this and the multitude of previous threads on this subject is that no set up is perfect to all viewers of a situation. As the master of your boat it is up to you to display the appropriate lights for your own given location (mid ocean, costal).

It is also the responsibility of all to proceed at safe speed. At night I see too may going too fast and not keeping appropriate look out either with tech or good old Mk1 Eyeball.

I do a lot at night on the water and wherever I am, I am conscious of the probable scenarios with other water users in that location. It's not rocket science to adapt, to masthead lights or powerboat lights.

I do agree about hidden and obscured lights but then they just put themselves in the running for Darwin Awards.:)
 
Belgian & French customs will get the hump if you do not display them when visiting.

The flag or the nasty little stick?
The French have never taken issue with our ensign on the backstay.
Although a class 1 flag seems to be equally acceptable, along with GBR nnnn on the dodgers.
 
As viewed from the bridge of a big ship there is a very good chance that your trilight will be hidden amongst the background of shore lights.

On the other hand, from the cockpit of a yacht it's deck level lights on other yachts which are more likely to be lost in shore clutter. In the anchorages I use (quiet one) masthead lights are just fine.
 
When close to shore, I use green/red and white stern light. When offshore, I turn the deck light on to flood the deck and the genoa to make sure I can be seen. Green/Red navigation lights are not enough.
 
When close to shore, I use green/red and white stern light. When offshore, I turn the deck light on to flood the deck and the genoa to make sure I can be seen. Green/Red navigation lights are not enough.
Won't doing that ruin your night vision? It would mine. I don't like any visible lights on deck, and have often moved sternlights in particular to avoid reflections from shiny rails etc. Or put some matt black paint on as well.
 
Won't doing that ruin your night vision? It would mine. I don't like any visible lights on deck

Agree.

Turning on my very bright deck lights is a planned option for me as an emergency anti-collision warning - the equivalent of setting off a white hand-flare in the days before reliable electrics and super-bright LEDs - but I certainly wouldn't be sailing around with them on just in case. They give excellent visibility of everything within a ten-metre radius all round (so can be handy when mooring up to an unlit pontoon on a dark river) but everything outside that bubble disappears.

Pete
 
You must be one of the few.
Aren't 99.9% of Solent sailors tucked up in a Marina by the time it gets dark! :)

Must admit we don't end up sailing in the dark, in the Solent all that often. We're likely to be past the Nab or at least halfway to Weymouth by dusk.
 
Won't doing that ruin your night vision? It would mine. I don't like any visible lights on deck, and have often moved sternlights in particular to avoid reflections from shiny rails etc. Or put some matt black paint on as well.

I agree - I've had boats with deck lights coming on going blindly towards me as I give way and they can't see I've done that. If you think you haven't been seen then lights towards the other boat is a better option (not a very bright light at their eyes for obvious reasons.)
 
That when you are close to the land there is a very high probability that your trilight will not be seen by watchkeepers on commercial ships.....

Would any others?
How do we know that they were showing tri lights if you could not see them? The one motoring would/should have been showing deck lights & they are not visible either.
 
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