Steaming light?

KristiferColumbus

KristiferColumbus

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I have a white light about a quarter of the way down from the top of my mast facing forward that I'm not sure I know the purpose of.

I also have a masthead light Red/Green/White.A light at my spreaders & deck navigation lights Port/Starboard on the bow & a white stern light.

Can someone explain under what circumstances you use the white light in question & in conjunction with what other lights please as I am in the process of wiring them all up & I need to know the combination of lights for the switch pannel :)
 
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1) ¼ way down mast - steaming light
2) Stern light - Steaming light
3) Forward nav lights used when steaming (or sailing)
4) Mast head tricolour used when sailing

1) - wired separately
2) and 3) - wired together
4) - wired separately
3 switches needed - Nav1 (mast head), nav 2 (bow and stern lights) and nav 3 (Steaming light)

navlight12m.jpg
 
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awol said:
I hope this is a joke - if not you really should not be out in the dark until you understand the lighting part of the IRPCS. May I suggest you print off, read and understand MSN 1781.
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sailorman said:
quite
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FFS get a life the pair of you - the OP didn't know so he asked the question - better he asks than make a balls of things - I suppose both of you knew everything when you started and never had to ask a question and never have to even now coz you know it all.
 
cliff said:
FFS get a life the pair of you - the OP didn't know so he asked the question - better he asks than make a balls of things - I suppose both of you knew everything when you started and never had to ask a question and never have to even now coz you know it all.
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You gave him the fish, I gave him a handbook on fishing. I find it unlikely that the OP's ignorance of the lighting regs is not continued into other areas of the IRPCS.
 
awol said:
You gave him the fish, I gave him a handbook on fishing. I find it unlikely that the OP's ignorance of the lighting regs is not continued into other areas of the IRPCS.
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I have managed to sail single handedly for the most part in one of the most conjested areas of the sea without hitting anyone so far for something like 20 years not in some outback like Scotland so you keep reading your books & making asumptions.I don't need them.
 
kristifercolumnbus said:
I have managed to sail single handedly for the most part in one of the most conjested areas of the sea without hitting anyone so far for something like 20 years not in some outback like Scotland so you keep reading your books & making asumptions.I don't need them.
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I cannot think of a better argument for compulsory training and licensing. Please print off the MSN and read it. If nothing else it might throw light on some of the posts on these fora.
 
kristifercolumnbus said:
I have managed to sail single handedly for the most part in one of the most conjested areas of the sea without hitting anyone so far for something like 20 years not in some outback like Scotland so you keep reading your books & making asumptions.I don't need them.
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There's a lot of margin for error built into the rules, so one person being cheerfully ignorant of them doesn't mean instant collisions and death like it might on the roads. Nevertheless, if your sailing area is as busy as you say, you might be causing a lot of stress and inconvenience to everybody else by sending false messages and manoeuvring unpredictably.

Pete
 
kristifercolumnbus said:
I have managed to sail single handedly for the most part in one of the most conjested areas of the sea without hitting anyone so far for something like 20 years not in some outback like Scotland so you keep reading your books & making asumptions.I don't need them.
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it doesn't matter if you've sailed to the moon and back. If you are sailing on water covered by the IRPCS you need to know and understand them.

Take off the arrogant twassocks hat, down load a copy, read them and be sure to understand the relevant parts.

Glad however you found my diagram that Cliff found a link to useful. Must point out though it was only drawn as a guide for owners of boats less than 12m. It is not a fully comprehensive guide.
 
cliff said:
3 switches needed - Nav1 (mast head), nav 2 (bow and stern lights) and nav 3 (Steaming light)[/IMG]
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This is good although a slight variation which I have on my boat adds a little more complexity for a little more idiot-proof user operation. There's a nav light on/off switch and a separate (presumably DPDT) switch for toggling between *which* nav lights are switched on (i.e. masthead or sidelights+stern). This means there's no possibility of accidentally having both sets on together.

Doesn't prevent someone from switching the steaming light on when the masthead is on though which, it goes without saying, should never be done.
 
laika said:
This is good although a slight variation which I have on my boat adds a little more complexity for a little more idiot-proof user operation. There's a nav light on/off switch and a separate (presumably DPDT) switch for toggling between *which* nav lights are switched on (i.e. masthead or sidelights+stern). This means there's no possibility of accidentally having both sets on together.

Doesn't prevent someone from switching the steaming light on when the masthead is on though which, it goes without saying, should never be done.
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I have 3-position switches.

1. Up = masthead tri, middle = off, down = deck level nav lights
2. Up = Anchor light, middle = off, down = steaming.

I did work out a system where starting the engine with the masthead or deck level nav lights on selects the deck level lights and turns on the steaming light, but didn't think that was really necessary, as I normally remember the lights. What I really need is a system that takes the anchor ball down for me when we leave an anchorage...
 
Stemar said:
I did work out a system where starting the engine with the masthead or deck level nav lights on selects the deck level lights and turns on the steaming light, but didn't think that was really necessary, as I normally remember the lights.
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As well as added complexity you're always going to get some smart alec come along and say something like "ah but what if you only want the engine on to charge the batteries and don't put in gear?" (which presumably leads to some lengthier debate about the virtues of putting load on the engine when charging...)
 
laika said:
As well as added complexity you're always going to get some smart alec come along and say something like "ah but what if you only want the engine on to charge the batteries and don't put in gear?" (which presumably leads to some lengthier debate about the virtues of putting load on the engine when charging...)
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Thanks, Alec :)

On a Snapdragon, a bit of extra go is always useful, so I can't imaging a situation where I'd charge the batteries and not put the engine in gear.

OTOH, on another thread, I just fessed up to starting the engine in case I might need to manouvre in a hurry, but leaving it in neutral until I do. Ah well, another good idea down the drain.
 
A small but powerful speedboat came past me at dusk last week.
No white light fwd or stern or all round, just a fwd facing Red light on the stbd side and a fwd facing Green light on the port side !!!!
Think about it :(
 
Stemar said:
Thanks, Alec :)

On a Snapdragon, a bit of extra go is always useful, so I can't imaging a situation where I'd charge the batteries and not put the engine in gear.

OTOH, on another thread, I just fessed up to starting the engine in case I might need to manouvre in a hurry, but leaving it in neutral until I do. Ah well, another good idea down the drain.
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But as my yachtmaster examiner nearly failed me on this, I was told in no uncertain terms that steaming light goes on the moment the engine goes on. I had the engine in neutral for a mile just in case. Seems that meant I had all the manouvring options of a Mobo so should be lit as one.
 
kristifercolumnbus said:
I have managed to sail single handedly for the most part in one of the most conjested areas of the sea without hitting anyone so far for something like 20 years not in some outback like Scotland so you keep reading your books & making asumptions.I don't need them.
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On the contrary, the fact you asked the question suggests you do need them
There is no problem asking the question on the forum, asking questions is one way of learning,but considering the time you claim to have been sailing & the fact that you have still not understood this particular basic item suggest that you might be one of those that could actually benefit from a bit of training but are too inward thinking to realise it
 
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