Tricolour v sidelights

[Guest]

Does anybody have an opinion as to when it is more appropiate to use the masthead tricolour as opposed to the sidelights (pushpit/pullpit). should you ever use both at once? I generally use my masthead light at sea and my sidelights when in marinas/rivers.............

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[Oldhand]

A tricolour must only be used while under sail. Tricolour and "side" lights must never be used together. "Side" lights should be used with a steaming light when motoring and the steaming light must be the higher. Keep in mind that in close situations, a tricolour may not be seen by another vessel as the crew may not be looking that high.

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[Rich_F]

Agree with everything that Oldhand said. But worth emaphasising that when sailing you have the choice of tricolour (less amps) or side+stern lights (more amps, but better visibility, especially when there are lights on the shore among which your tricolour light might hide).

When motoring, it's always side+stern+steaming lights.

Rich

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[peterb]

If the other vessel is a ship, then it's likely that your tricolour will be just about level with her bridge. To the bridge lookout, you will seem to be on the horizon. What makes it worse is that if you are close then your radar echo may well be lost in the sea clutter. On the other hand, if you use the low lights (side and stern) then the lookout will be looking down on you, and it will be obvious that you are close.

Use the tricolour when ships are more than a mile away. If they get closer, then switch to the low lights.

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[kingfisher]

Pro Tricolour

I have a tricolour with an anchorlight on top.
Sailing: just the tricolor
Motoring: Tri-top

I know that this is against colregs, where the steamlight should be a certain level above the nav lights but this is why I do it:

1. My bow light were continously getting swamped and corroded. With the lights 10 m above the spray, no problems.
I prefer nav lights that work above navs that don't

2. When the boat is hard on a reach, sidelights hav a tendency to shine into the sea, instead of giving off light

3. Yes indeed, it is difficult to estimate the distance from a masthead light. But my prime concern is getting spotted. And then they can started discussing about their course of action on that bridge. So I like my nav lights to be on their deck height.

The bad?
Having a short circuit or blown bulb 10 meters high isn't fun.

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[Jacket]

I've met too many "big ship" men who won't use masthead lights on their boats, and once almost bumped into a yacht using a masthead light which was invisible against the shore lights. So I just stick to sidelights. They're easier to repair at that level as well.

I do like the idea that was used on a yacht called Easter during the 60's. He had sidelights munted on short poles mounted to pull and pushpits, which raised them about 5 feet off the deck. High enough to be keep above the waves, but low enough to be easily seen.

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[sailorman]

Re: Pro Tricolour

Hi kingfisher
u might try buying a good set of lights ,say "Hella" these seem bullit-proof

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[Reap]

Re: Pro Tricolour

To use tricolour and masthead together for steaming is a bad idea, apart from being totally illegal and in the event of a collision you would not have a leg to stand on, the lights used together would just give a totally confusing picture of what kind of vessel you are and what diection you are heading in.
Just try getting some decent side lights or maintaining the ones you have properly, everybody else seems to manage.
There is no excuse for this bad practice!!

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[VicS]

Fit sidelights rather than a bicolor as they dont get bashed in crowded harbours, a steaming light on the mast, a stern light, and a combined allround white and tri color at the mast head. You can then use either side + stern or tri when sailing and side with either steaming and stern or all round white when motoring. This way you can select the most appropriate for the situation you are in and in most cases have a backup in the event of in accessible bulb failure. You can use low level lights in harbours etc avoid the situation in which the high level light is lost amongst the shore lights when viewed from the bridge of a ship while having lights well above sea level for maximum visible range when at sea.

With a bit of clever wiring you can also devise a switching arrangement which eliminates illegal combianions of lights being shown.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>Ne te confundant illegitimi.</font color=purple>

 

[kingfisher]

what totaly illegal?

If I'm motoring, Im showing a red, a green, a white stern, and a white steam, with the exact sectors as under colregs.

The only thing that's incorrect is the distance between the nav lights and the steam light.

But let me join you in a walk on the pontoon, and I'll point out all the MoBo's and RIBs that also fail to apply this rule. Oh and also, I hope you have your masthead light forward of your nav lights as Rule 23 a) clearly prescribes. The arrangement of nav lights on the pullpit and the steam light on the mast is also "bad practice"

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Motoring Colregs rule 23
(i) A power-driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may in lieu of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule exhibit an all-round white light and sidelights.

By the way, Rule 23
(iii) the masthead light or all-round white light on a power-driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may be displaced from the fore and aft centerline of the vessel if centerline fitting is not practicable, provided the sidelights are combined in one lantern which shall be carried on the fore and aft centerline of the vessel or located as nearly as practicable in the same fore and aft line as the masthead light or all-round white light.
implies that a power-driven vessels less than 12m can have all lights combined in one lantern.

As for sailing: rule 25
(b) In a sailing vessel of less than 20 meters in length the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen.

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
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[Robin]

Re: what totaly illegal?

Sorry but when seen from a distance your all round white will be brighter than and will effectively obliterate the red/green, your combination is frequently seen around French ports and it is not a good one.

Illegal lights on other boats surely cannot be used as an argument, otherwise I could break speed limits unchallenged!

The real solution I'm afraid is good quality deck level nav lights, either bicolour or separate red/green, plus proper stern light and steaming light, plus a Tri-White as well. The all round white at the mast top then is a back up should either stern or steam fail. (the steam should be switched off if the ARW is for a failed sternlight, the sternlight should be switched off/covered/bulb removed if the ARW is used for a failed steam light). We have had poor contacts in both Aquasignal and Hella lights, the former often the solder pips on the bulbs being too small, the latter corrosion. Selecting bulbs with big pips (no comments pls) and cleaning/greasing contacts cures the problem mostly for some time.

I agree with others that in close quarter situations I use deck level lights to avoid confusion over range, shore lights etc. Out at sea under sail I use the tricolour for maximum range, clear of waves and lower consumption, if I feel it necessary I would switch to deck level and/or use our 1.5 million candlepower white to light up the sails. The latter has resulted in a VHF call 'OK Johnny I see you OK!'



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[squidge]

Hi all , looks like the majority is for side lights , sounds good to me as i don't have a mast head tri. I do have a steaming light which decided to stop working 1/2 way across the north sea .If you do not have a tri or ARW what is the recomended replacement? (i used a battery torch type white lamp stern light + duck tape as high up as i could get it.)

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[kds]

How long before there is an effective side light which uses LED s ? It would solve the problem of the higher current needed to supply two traditional bulbs.
See you !

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[duncan]

If you are sailing at night under this combination remember that you will be expected to be a vessel under power by anyone viewing you from 135 degrees round to ahead, and therefore have to give way accordingly!
However we seem to have drifted off the original thread to well trodden ground.............

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[brianhumber]

Re: View from a Ships bridge

If you had been on a ships bridge trying to confirm a weak radar echo with your Mk1 eyeball against a mirad of shorelights you would NEVER use a tri.
Even worse when people use a tri with a steaming lgt.

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[Chris_Robb]

Re: Pro Tricolour

You shouldn't have trouble with a decent pair of side lights - mine are 27 years old - there is no sign of corrosion. I take them apart once a year - squirt WD40 and reassemble - 5 minutes the pair.

IMHO tricolours are not good locally - ie up the Hamble, you should make sure others have a proper chance to see you.



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[Reap]

Re: what totaly illegal?

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

But let me join you in a walk on the pontoon, and I'll point out all the MoBo's and RIBs that also fail to apply this rule.

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I fail to see why it should make it okay to break the law just because some MoB's do.
A vessel under 7 metres (probably most RIBs) only need to show an all round white light (unless practicable to fit sidelights etc) so to fit them anywhere on vessels under 7m is better than not at all.
Read Robins post why you should not use tri with masthead. You cant see the green/red because the white drowns it out.
Couldn't agree with your post more Robin.

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[duncan]

Re: what totaly illegal?

I too fail to understand the point relating to rule 23 as he seems to be interpreting it.
nothing seems to refer to the relative positioning of the allround white to the 'side lights' along the fore/aft axis of the craft only that the allround should be on that axis or, if not possible, then the 'side lights' should preferably be mounted together on it, or together on the sime axis as the all round white.

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[peterb]

Re: what totaly illegal?

That rule allowing boats under 7 metres to just show a single all-round white also specifies that the maximum speed must not exceed 7 knots. How many RIBs do you know that can't do more than 7 knots?

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[BrendanS]

Re: what totaly illegal?

Not a single sub 7 rib that I know shows just an all round white. They also have side lights.

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