Riding lights

[A_7]

Which of you owns and regularly uses a riding light? Came into the Solent the other night at about 0200 having crossed from St Peter Port. Decided to pick up one of the moorings outside Yarmouth for a kip. Literally did not see the three or four boats already on the moorings until we were on top of them! I suggest you use one before you get a rude awakening one night! I suspect your insurance company might also ask if a riding light was in use..... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[LadyInBed]

If you are on a mooring buoy and not at anchor you are not required to have an anchor light, but I agree it is good sense to put one up on those buoys outside Yarmouth. Especially if you are expecting some tired old salt to come and pick up another buoy after a long C/H passage who doesn’t expect that any other boats will also be using the buoys /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Sorry, couldn’t resist the last bit /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[l'escargot]

Is there any requirement to have a riding light on when you are on a mooring?

 

[Toutvabien]

nahhhhhhhhh never. How do you know that there was anybody aboard those boats?

I do not use a light when tied to a mooring bouy. You hit me it's your fault mate, should not be out at night if you cannot see in the dark

 

[A_7]

So I take it you don't carry one then.

 

[A_7]

Do you need a requirement to do anything sensible?

 

[landaftaf]

y e s /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif f f s

 

[A_7]

Dear Lady, quite right, 'good sense'. Or in other words, seamanship!

 

[landaftaf]

drongo thinking there matey - an unlit object is a navigation hazard and you could be fined ......

 

[landaftaf]

I am 100% certain you are mistaken ....... being on a mooring buoy is exactly akin to being at anchor.

in fact I bet a case of beer - however the likelyhood of actually slurping it together is remote.

please can you advise me what makes you think you are not at anchor whilst moored to a mooring buoy ? just for interest sake /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[landaftaf]

quite right

rule 30

A vessel of less than seven metres in length, when at anchor, not in or near a narrow channel, fairway or anchorage, or where other vessels normally navigate, shall not be required to exhibit the lights or shape prescribed in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Rule.

otherwise an anchor light is required

however ...... I am suprised anyone can sleep on an unlit boat thinking its as safe as houses ....... amazing /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Robin]

There is no requirement to show a riding light when on a mooring buoy in a recognised indeed charted mooring area. As has already been said you should have been able to see well enough and if not should be using a good lamp when you approached what you knew was a mooring area in darkness to find a buoy yourself. We frequently use the Yarmouth buoys and often arrive in darkness but I have never needed to use our 1 million candlepower lamp to find them.

Now if the other boats were anchored and not in a recognised and charted mooring area it would be entirely different.

To answer your 1st question we do own several riding lights, a paraffin hurricane lamp that is my first choice, two separate hanging electric ones and of course the masthead one which I rarely if ever use as it is too high IMO to be seen from close by. We do regularly use a riding lamp at anchor, frequently consuming more paraffin than outboard fuel on our summer cruise. I will admit though we didn't have a light showing last weekend in Swanage Bay, in mitigation we were inshore and inside the 5mph limit buoys and out of paraffin and the batteries were being reserved to watch The Open golf on TV and keep the ice cubes a coming. Mea culpa and I have already said 3 Hail Marys and one bloody Mary.

 

[Toutvabien]

I have three riding lights, one parrafin, one dry cell and one that runs from the ships battery.

You seem to be suggesting that whenever I leave my boat on it's mooring I should set a riding light? It would result in some very flat battries when I am away from the boat for a couple of weeks, or perhaps one should employ a "man" to row out with a bottle of parrafin every couple of days.

Sorry, whilst I agree that boring is safe, the rivers on the east coast would be ablaze every night if we followed this advice. If I am serious I do understand the issue, going up the Orwell or Crouch at night, both of which are full of swinging moorings, I have had a couple of near misses, a torch in the cockpit to illuminate ambiguous shadows helps.

 

[LadyInBed]

Was on an exposed swinging mooring buoy for sixteen years - I and no one else left a light on their boat (didn't have a long enough wick either)

where does it say that 'little' boats should display a light when tied to a perminant trot of mooring buoys?

 

[Toutvabien]

Is there a polarisation here between marina wallahs and those of us that hang around in the middle of rivers?

 

[l'escargot]

I think it would probably be sensible for you not to go out in the dark.

To expect every boat on a mooring to have a light on for your convenience is a bit extreme.

 

[l'escargot]

[ QUOTE ]
...please can you advise me what makes you think you are not at anchor whilst moored to a mooring buoy ? just for interest sake /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You haven't got your anchor out? Do you think everyone on a mooring should have a black ball up as well? I think you are confused.

 

[Micky]

I have a garden solar light on my boat, very handy when the dark evenings arrive.

 

[jonjo]

[ QUOTE ]
To answer your 1st question we do own several riding lights, a paraffin hurricane lamp that is my first choice, two separate hanging electric ones

[/ QUOTE ]
A riding light is currently an omission in my yacht's inventory.

Robin could I trouble you for some makes and/or model numbers? Someone at Scuttlebutt suggested a solar powered garden decoration light.

 

[bigmart]

I have never heard anything so bloody ludicrous, as to suggest the use of a riding light, on the Yarmouth Mooring Buoys. I moor there regularly, on boats that are required to comply with the MCA Guidelines & I have never seen or heard of any one using a light there. After all it is a well charted Mooring area & you would definitely be in the wrong if you hit another vessel moored there.

I think your suggestion can only be ranked with those over cautious idiots who,won't venture out of the Marina without 4 GPS's, 6 Sarts & 3 radars, 2 to work as backups.

Grow up & stop being so pompous.

Martin