Navigation Lights

[beneteau_305_553]

I have a masthead tricolour and a Masthead white allround above the tricolour. not seperate bow and stern lights.

When motoring, if the masthead Tricolour light and the masthead white allround are used together does this conform to the IMO regulations for a yacht under 12 M length?


<hr width=100% size=1>Richard

 

[discovery2]

No it doesn't.

When motoring, the white masthead light needs to be at least 1 metre above the red/green navigation lights. In small power vessels with a max speed of 7 knots the masthead and stern light may be in a combined all round white lantern, but again needs to be at least 1 metre above the red/green lights.

The actual regulations are more detailed, but the above is a very brief summary as I understand them!

David

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[snowleopard]

for a boat under 7m an all-round white can be used on its own. in your case the only way to be legal when motoring would be to have separate P & S lights lower down, eg. a pulpit bicolour, in conjunction with the all-round white.

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[chrishewett]

Motor sailing is the same as power boat therefore under 12m mast head and stern may be all rnd white but you still need nav lights unless under 7m. All round white is probably meant to be mainly for use as an anchor light. Personally if I used all my lights when I strictly should my battery would soon run down!
Chris

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[Peppermint]

This combination you describe makes judging your distance of difficult for other boats.

Professional watchkeepers on commercial vessels often moan about masthead lighting in general causing yachts to appear further away than is the case.



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[duncan]

not just a problem for the commercials!
Often results in the delivery of a wash from me much closer than I would intend !

Suppose I really must get that radar......../forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[Mirelle]

In a word, no.

You need to fit port and starboard lights lower down, and use them in conjuction with your all round white light.

The cheapest solution is a bicolour mounted on the pulpit.

This is worth while from the safety point of view anyway - you do not want to go changing a masthead bulb under way in the middle of the night!

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