Nav Lights question

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Sadlerfin

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Just completed a crossing from Jersey to Dartmouth, all went well and was delighted with my recently installed AIS
My only issue (other than lack of wind) was around midnight in the shipping lanes we spotted a vessel showing red over red. I found him on AIS with a CPA too close for my liking but no vessel details we then saw red, white red and altered course. Turned out it was a yacht under motor showing all his lights and what I saw was the port side of his tri-colour, then his steaming light then his port side bow light. As I was seeing his port side I did right to alter course but it was confusing.

What is the view of the forum? Visibility was good but it was very dark and I did not expect him to be showing a tri-colour along with other lights under motor.
 
Can't say I'm surprised I see it all the time in the Solent area. Recently left Yarmouth before dawn on a bank holiday weekend for a channel crossing - so there were about 10 other yachts doing the same. About half of them were showing incorrect lights.
 
If you had him on AIS, perhaps a VHF call might have been in order. If you end up spending too long trying to work out an incorrect light display your attention may be drawn away from something else important. If it doesn't cause you a problem, then next vessel may not be so lucky.
 
I had a similar experience entering L' Aber'Wrach with a cat showing deck lights plus tricolour. All I saw was two fixed greens which sent me into a mild panic.
People who think their, generally limited, knowledge trumps the centuries of accumulated experience invested in the Colregs should ponder long and hard about why they may not be necessarily best placed to unilaterally rewrite the rules for safe navigation.
Bizarre anchor light configurations spring to mind, as well: a quick flashing white, what could that possibly be mistaken for??
 
I had a similar confusion approaching Dartmouth just after midnight on a dark, wet, night. Out of the murk loomed blue over white over blue!

It turned out to be a yacht showing me his forward starboard side with tri-col, steaming light and deck level nav light.

The blue? I suspect he’d put an ordinary white LED bulb inside lenses designed and coloured for incandescent bulbs. Not the first time we’ve noticed very poor colour and not, I suspect, that easy to spot from your own boat unless you make a point of checking. We should all check our lights at least once a season, but do we all?
 
Yes. At the start of every season and before any passage when they might be used. I also leave them on for some time when testing to dry out the non-LED light fittings. Doesn't everyone?
 
Sandy said:
Better than no lights at all.
Click to expand...

I think it's a bit like hazard lights on a car, the internationally recognised signal for 'I have parked like an arse' or I am driving like an arse'.
If you see a boat with the wrong lights lit, it's probably best to avoid them.
 
lw395 said:
I think it's a bit like hazard lights on a car, the internationally recognised signal for 'I have parked like an arse' or I am driving like an arse'.
If you see a boat with the wrong lights lit, it's probably best to avoid them.
Click to expand...

I have to own that when I bought a yacht I checked the tri-light was working from the cockpit. It was not, despite the label on the switchboard, a tri-light but the anchor light. Fortunately, we only motored at night on the way to my home port.where I discovered the error. The PO had never used canvas at night.

On a similar note, the other night, we were sailing up the Bristol Channel with a following wind and sea. Agreeing a port-to-port passing with a large ship, they hailed us to say that our tri-light (Super Nova) was showing a changing red to green and sometimes white. In port I checked it was ok. The conclusion I came to is that the red to green and back was the yaw and heel of the boat in the following sea. But I noticed too that the very bright LEDs show dead ahead a slight whitening effect in the very middle. Normally, this would not matter as ships would give each other a wide berth - especially, if not in communication. however, the Bristol Channel is and interesting place to sail and I am very glad of AIS and VTS.
 
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