bbg
Active member
Last weekend I did a couple of overnight sails. Despite testing my nav lights at the dock on Friday night (the Nasa Supernova was very bright), it failed to light up on Saturday or Sunday night. Checked the wiring as best I could but still didn't work. Thought that some of the reported failures of Nasa units must have now included me.
So I fitted my emergency nav lights. Three individual filaments, each powered by a D cell. Absolute ****. Hard to fit properly and dim as can be, even with new batteries. Pretty much shot by the morning. And needed new batteries for the next night. So that is my first observation. If you are planning any serious offshore passage, the D Cell filament bulbs are next to useless, but might save your bacon with an insurance company if you have an accident.
On the return passage on Sunday night, I switched on the SeaMe, which I have fitted inside the boat next to the mast. On two occassions fishing boats a couple of miles away lit up their searchlight and swung it around my direction. I am convinced they saw the target on radar but couldn't see my dim, crappy and quite low to the water emergency nav lights. So I swung my own high powered spot back at them, then lit up the sails with it for 10 seconds or so, then back at them. On each occasion they then switched their spotlight off. Second observation - I think the SeaMe probably works pretty well.
Third observation - there is nothing like having the cockpit to yourself on a starry night with eased sheets, going in the right direction at pace and little on the horizon to cause any concern.
So I fitted my emergency nav lights. Three individual filaments, each powered by a D cell. Absolute ****. Hard to fit properly and dim as can be, even with new batteries. Pretty much shot by the morning. And needed new batteries for the next night. So that is my first observation. If you are planning any serious offshore passage, the D Cell filament bulbs are next to useless, but might save your bacon with an insurance company if you have an accident.
On the return passage on Sunday night, I switched on the SeaMe, which I have fitted inside the boat next to the mast. On two occassions fishing boats a couple of miles away lit up their searchlight and swung it around my direction. I am convinced they saw the target on radar but couldn't see my dim, crappy and quite low to the water emergency nav lights. So I swung my own high powered spot back at them, then lit up the sails with it for 10 seconds or so, then back at them. On each occasion they then switched their spotlight off. Second observation - I think the SeaMe probably works pretty well.
Third observation - there is nothing like having the cockpit to yourself on a starry night with eased sheets, going in the right direction at pace and little on the horizon to cause any concern.
