Navigation lights for a day sailer?

rwoofer

rwoofer

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I'm looking into what I could do if I was to be caught out in the dark and need to get somewhere. This would be only very occasionally, so I don't want to put holes in the boat for wire runs etc.

What do people do in small boats for navigation lights? Do those in-built battery powered nav lights actually work?

Boat is a Jeanneau Sun 2000 and it does have a 70ah battery which only powers internal lights and a depth sounder, but must be charged from home.
 
You're under 7 metres, so legally you can display an all-round white if under power and just have a torch handy if under sail. Although the rules do say that this is allowed only if proper sidelights etc are "not practicable". If your night sailing is going to be limited to the odd misjudged tide and the boat would need to be modified to add lights, you might claim it's not practicable to display them.

Pete
 
prv said:
You're under 7 metres, so legally you can display an all-round white if under power and just have a torch handy if under sail. Although the rules do say that this is allowed only if proper sidelights etc are "not practicable". If your night sailing is going to be limited to the odd misjudged tide and the boat would need to be modified to add lights, you might claim it's not practicable to display them.

Pete
Click to expand...

+1
 
I just have a battery powered lantern that I hoist on a spare halyard,
Yes, the mast may prevent a true 360° coverage.

(On my current motor boat just pop it on the top of the cuddy.)
 
You might consider a pack of those solar-powered garden lights. No, don't laugh.....

They'd provide an all-round white light capable of being seen from a few hundred metres. It would need only some coloured perspex and some black tape to make them sectored. No-one is going to give a monkey's that they're not ICOMIA/IMO Approved if they are used in 'emergency'.

They're also quite pleasant when one sits/eats/drinks in the cockpit of an evening, and I know one very capable ocean-crossing 'Jester' who has them fitted permanently.

A web search will show lots available at under £10. :)
 
LED bicycle lights?

I use a set of clip-on battery lights as an emergency back-up. As said earlier they are only good for close range but in a river that would be sufficient. Use a white all-round light to be sure that you are seen but look in a bike shop for those very bright LED ones that some cyclists use, You might need two, facing different directions. Otherwise shine a bright torch onto your sail. The main idea is to be seen and lighting up the sail while motor-sailing gives a pretty obvious target and information to other water users.
 
RB Stretch,

it's worth remembering nav lights usually work in 2 ways; those feeble self contained nav lights might be handy at close quarters in a river or marina etc, where it's useful to show others which way you're pointing etc.

However I've never heard a good word spoken for them when talking about spotting the boat at any distance; a bright white light would seem best for that, and if a torch type would be handy for spotting things ahead like buoys too.

Halfords & Homebase etc sell some phenomenally powerful hand lanterns, snag is one has to keep them charged up; one can buy simple 12v sockets to wire up to the boats' battery, that may complete a useful set-up covering most eventualities.
 
I use a Navisafe with my Sun 2000 which I reckon was perfect. However are you sure there is no mast head all round white at the top of yours? Mine has one but I guess it could have been fitted later.
 
Looks like it's the same size as mine. I have a tricolour and all round white at the top of the mast. Don't see a reason you can't have proper lights on there, 20 feet is a proper size boat and can be cruised as well as a bigger boat as you'll see from my blog. I've done a fair bit of night sailing in it too.

Dave
 
We to have a small sail boat 7.14m. I bought some of those useless navigation lights and mounted Port and Starboard on a board that pipe clips onto the pulpit, the stern light, pipe clips onto the pushpit, the the fwd white light affixes to the mast. At the top of the mast we have a tricolour if under sail. The lights may be useless but I think they would satisfy any insurers should the need ever occur as they were purchased from a reputable chandlers. I also carry a powerful search light.
 
I've just bought 2 sets of 4 white LEDs from Maplins @ £6.99 per set. They're car accessories, so 12v. Am fitting them into an old glass all round white light and then wiring to the main battery.

I too have the battery emergency lights - you could use the white one as a base for an all round white with the LEDs and keep the green and red as is?

Otherwise, I think Force 4 do an all round white anchor light with a cigarette lighter fitting, which would also do the job easily
 
FairweatherDave said:
I use a Navisafe with my Sun 2000 which I reckon was perfect. However are you sure there is no mast head all round white at the top of yours? Mine has one but I guess it could have been fitted later.
Click to expand...

The Navisafe looks just the ticket. I only reminded my self of navlights as I was looking at the top of the mast and only seeing the mounting plate.
 
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