temporary nav. lights? for occasional use

[FairweatherDave]

Blimey. I've got to start thinking about something else...its doing my head in..... I was all set to go for fixed aquasignal p and s series 25 etc etc and now I've done a 180 turn. I think Alfie has got my night sailing status right (minimal and sheltered) and I've just looked at piks of my boat. I really don't want to fit anything permanent ...I can imagine the kids (or me) clambering around and standing on a fitting . I need a proper all round white anyhow and fancy a hoistable one, therefore the Aquasignal series 40 at £60, that covers that job properly. Then the battery Navilight I can use as a bi-colour (sailing or motoring) and emergency back up if the allround white failed. Finally the stern for sailing I suspect will be a battery LED quality-bodge. If I was going to do more night sailing then bbg's mast head solution is clearly good value, but it is more likely to be brief night motoring. I will try and fix the masthead light too.Thanks all. I'm going to have a lie down

 

[electrosys]

Blimey. I've got to start thinking about something else...its doing my head in.....
[...]
I really don't want to fit anything permanent ...
[...]
I need a proper all round white anyhow and fancy a hoistable one
[...]
Thanks all. I'm going to have a lie down

Before you lie down Dave, here's a solution I found for my junk mast - which had no wiring or masthead fitting. Also < 7m.
It requires an uncluttered masthead, and preferably a spare halyard.

Find yourself a length of broom-handle or similar - around 3ft is ideal.
Attach the halyard about a foot from the top, and secure a light line (c. 6mm) to the bottom. Fix whatever white light you have (folded fluorescent (my favourite), incandescent lamp or LED unit) to the top, and hoist it up as if it were a dinghy burgee, until the light is clear above the masthead. If you want to run the light from batteries (he's here again with his AA's !!), then replace the broom-handle with a suitable tube, and install the batteries in the lower portion. However, if you want to drive the light from your 12v 'house' battery, then attach a lead along the tensioning line - either by using cable ties, or thread it through the 3-strand every 6 inches or so - ensuring that the lead is not under tension when the line is pulled tight - with the lead exiting the line just above the cleating point. Then simply run the lead to your battery.
It seems to me that such a 'lighting wand' would be a useful bit of emergency kit for anyone to carry - even if you're over 7m. Even if it doesn't comply with Colregs, I'm sure that in an emergency displaying an all-round white would be far preferable to showing nothing at all.

 

[lw395]

An all round white on a stick could be quite effective.
It needs to be at such a height that the angle obscured (eg by the mast) is small.
i.e. not obscured by boom or people in the cockpit. mount it far from the mast to minimise the masked angle.
This can be better than some people's 'proper' navlights when they persist in obscuring a large sector of the sternlight with an ensign.

On the whole though, I would plan to make the masthead light reliable.

 

[FergusM]

I remember an article in PBO (I think - it might have been YM) some years ago by a merchant naval officer from Australia. He said his experience from the bridge of his ship was that masthead lights on yachts are best out in the open sea, as they are visible for a greater distance, but, close inshore with typical illuminated coastlines, pulpit lights were better as masthead lights got lost in the light pollution from the shore. It was easier for him to see deck/pulpit mounted lights against the darkness of the water.

IIRC he then fitted both to his own sailing cruiser, and used the deck-level lights in inshore waters.

I know this is not exactly exhaustive research, but it made sense to me.

I really like the look of those Navisafe lights on the video. I think I'll get some as back-up.