Nav. Light failure. What would you do ?

[blackdogsailing]

Expanding on Fireball's thread re incorrect nav. lts. I would be interested to know whatt people would have done in this situation which happened to me many years ago.

Approaching Portsmouth about a quarter of a mile off the entrance, skipper of a 33 foot sail training yacht with 5 crew all doing 'competent crew'. It's night time, there is a lot of traffic about, you have the mainsail up allthough there is very little wind. You are showing bicolour, steaming and stern lights when the bicolour suddenly gos out. Tapping the surround does not work so you are left with a number of choices. You have a spare bulb but no emergency nav. lights. You have a tricolour, a deck light and a powerful torch. What are you going to do ? Change the bulb yourself, at night, which requires you to lean over the pulpit and try and undo 2 screws which are almost certainly half siezed. Get a crew member to do it or show some other forms of light ?

Chris

 

[sighmoon]

You have a tricolour, a deck light and a powerful torch. What are you going to do ?

Erm.. turn the tricolor on, right? Failing that a torch on the mainsail would be preferable to deck lights as it will effect your night vision less.

Assuming we didn't have any any of the above and were invisible, I think I'd keep a damn sharp eye out and try to limp into the harbour, outside the channels where possible. If possible, letting everyone know on the VHF

1/4 mile at 5 kts is about 3 minutes. It would surely take much longer than that to try to effect a repair.

 

[DJE]

Switch to an all round white, which is effectively what you're showing already and is acceptable for smaller vessels (up to 7m isn't it?), then inform QHM on Ch 11 which all other traffic in the entrance should be monitoring. Go straight in to Haslar and change the bulb.

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

Carry on. I lost all my nav lights passing Falmouth when delivering my last boat back home. Reasonably moonlit night so we carried on round Lands End and up to Padstow. Reasoned that we could take steps to avoid anyone else we might meet and use a hand held spot to warn them if necessary.

Wouldnt be the first time if we met a tramp steamer with no nav lights turned on.

 

[snowleopard]

I would switch on my 2nd set of lights :smug:

 

[misterg]

I would switch on my 2nd set of lights :smug:

Don't tell me you've got a set on each hull ??

Andy

 

[fireball]

If bicolour goes out - then OFF with decklights and steaming light - ON with Tricolour would be my call. Then I'd contemplate trying to fix the bicolour - but not at that distance from the entrance.

 

[bbg]

Why is this even an issue? I would go with sighmoon's answer.

 

[bbg]

If bicolour goes out - then OFF with decklights and steaming light - ON with Tricolour would be my call. Then I'd contemplate trying to fix the bicolour - but not at that distance from the entrance.

Interesting. I assume you would turn lights off in order to comply with Colregs. Why not leave extra lights on like freighters, fishing boats etc. do? The more lights, the more visible the boat is.
I am not advocating showing incorrect lights on purpose, just that Colregs identify mandatory lights. I don't think they prohibit the showing of additional domestic lights (e.g. decklights, interior lights).
And why even contemplate fixing it at sea? Do it in the morning, on the pontoon.

 

[stafs]

Same as DJE and if available QHM may send the old mod plod to escort you in safely.

 

[fireball]

Er - yes - turn off the stern and steaming lights so I can show the tricolour.
Some ppl can get very confused seeing odd light combinations. I could see that it was a yacht with no sails, but not all the crew could.

 

[bedouin]

I would probably continue under tri-colour and steaming light - yes I know it is wrong but you are still showing red/green in the right sectors and it should be obvious to most people what you are (although most will think there's another **** who doesn't know his lights .

Probably take a bit more care when approaching other boats in case confusion over your status makes their reactions unpredictable.

 

[snowleopard]

Don't tell me you've got a set on each hull ??

Andy

That would be silly.

I have 2 full sets, 10w for sailing, 25w for motoring. That gives me backup except for the steaming light and it wouldn't be the end of the world to motor under sailing lights.

 

[dt4134]

If you can get the cover off easily, take it off, shine the torch through it, tape it together with duck tape and tape it to the pulpit.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Switch to an all round white, which is effectively what you're showing already and is acceptable for smaller vessels (up to 7m isn't it?), then inform QHM on Ch 11 which all other traffic in the entrance should be monitoring. Go straight in to Haslar and change the bulb.

I would go with this :-

Correct for under 7 meters it is visible at the greatest distance and if
you see a white at sea the person seeing it doesnt know it's an all round white except perhaps at close quarters, which means it would look like a stern light, and the seeing boat has to keep clear on all points

 

[fireball]

Red over white, or Green over white .... you'll be a fishing/trawling boat then.

At least just the tricolour indicates you're a sailing vessel underway - even if you're not sailing.

 

[fireball]

AH - lateral thinking ... you'll be the bugger that makes a cup of tea, splices a few ends and ties a new turks head all at the same time too!

 

[Krusty]

........re incorrect nav. lts. I would be interested to know whatt people would have done in this situation which happened to me many years ago.
.........when the bicolour suddenly gos out.
............ You have a tricolour, a deck light and a powerful torch. What are you going to do ?
Chris

A very long time ago I read (probably in PBO!) some very good advice: always carry two good torches, and two offcuts of spinnaker cloth; one red, one green.

My sailmaker was happy to oblige, and I've had them tucked into my sail-repair zip-bag, always in the busun's locker (port side, next main bulkhead) ever since. They can be in use within one minute, but have never been needed.

 

[bbg]

A very long time ago I read (probably in PBO!) some very good advice: always carry two good torches, and two offcuts of spinnaker cloth; one red, one green.

My sailmaker was happy to oblige, and I've had them tucked into my sail-repair zip-bag, always in the busun's locker (port side, next main bulkhead) ever since. They can be in use within one minute, but have never been needed.

If the only reason you're carrying two torches and a couple of pieces of spinnaker cloth is for use as emergency nav lights, wouldn't it just make more sense to buy a set of battery powered emergency nav lights?
Edit - your torches won't give the correct field of view. Purpose built emergency nav lights will.

 

[awol]

"You don't think" ....

Interesting. I assume you would turn lights off in order to comply with Colregs. Why not leave extra lights on like freighters, fishing boats etc. do? The more lights, the more visible the boat is.
I am not advocating showing incorrect lights on purpose, just that Colregs identify mandatory lights. I don't think they prohibit the showing of additional domestic lights (e.g. decklights, interior lights).
And why even contemplate fixing it at sea? Do it in the morning, on the pontoon.

PART C. LIGHTS AND SHAPES
Rule 20

Application
(a) Rules in this Part shall be complied with in all weathers.

(b) The rules concerning lights shall be complied with from sunset to sunrise, and during such times 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.

Basically I think the OP should consider his responsibilities as a skipper of an under-equipped training yacht i.e. with no back-up nav lights and god knows what else lacking.