Visibility of nav lights

[oldbilbo]

I've been pondering the details of 'Intensity Of Lights' as published in Annex 1 to the ColRegs, with particular reference to the requirements for sailing vessels 12 > 50m. and for < 12m. - which would apply to a majority, I think.

"2 miles for sidelights and sternlight" and "1 mile for sidelights and 2 miles for sternlight" respectively.....

I would want the OOW of a merchant vessel, required to Give Way, to have seen us and made his alteration of course well before 1 mile, and at that close range I'd probably be initiating my own actions under rule 17a.ii and17b - and have done, more than once, recently.

Given that 'we' little 'uns are now not so constrained for electrical power consumption as in the past ( LED lights ), would the team think it now appropriate to fit lights that, under the Range of Visibility calculations in Annex 1, Section 8, should cause our sidelights to be seen at, say, 3 miles instead of 1....?

 

[PetiteFleur]

In theory I only need the lights for up to 12m(My boat is 10m) but it came fitted with next size up - up to 20m? the usual Aquasignal ones about 10cm tall. I'm not going to change them but will fit led lamps next year.

 

[macd]

"2 miles for sidelights and sternlight" and "1 mile for sidelights and 2 miles for sternlight" respectively..... would the team think it now appropriate to fit lights that, under the Range of Visibility calculations in Annex 1, Section 8, should cause our sidelights to be seen at, say, 3 miles instead of 1....?

Those figures are surely minimums? "The lights prescribed in these Rules shall have an intensity as specified in Section 8 of Annex I to these Regulations so as to be visible at the following minimum ranges:."

However, Annex 1 goes on to state that "The maximum luminous intensity of navigation lights should be limited to avoid undue glare."
I suspect any nav light would have to be unfeasibly powerful to risk causing glare, and surely any light specifically permitted on any (larger) vessel is not deemed excessive from this point of view.

So you can fit more powerful if you wish.

Or just put a battery of working lights on your stern and blind everyone to your 'official lights.

 

[johnalison]

Most of my night sailing has been done pre-LEDs and my impression is that the average yacht is usually visible from around two miles. I imagine that most of these have been using 25w tricolour lights. Some older yachts with small bow and stern lights are less conspicuous but I don't normally have any anxieties about my tricolour being seen.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Might it not be the case that the big stuff will see you on radar long before they see your lights ?

That said, it can't hurt to have the brightest lights possible.

 

[Minchsailor]

I agree. My boat is 11m, and was fitted with the smaller nav. lights for <12m. In the course of the usual rolling maintenance programme I have re-fitted with the larger <20m lights.

 

[oldbilbo]

Might it not be the case that the big stuff will see you on radar long before they see your lights ?

I'm hoping that's the case, but we know that small craft built of GRP do not provide the strongest of 'returns' and are often missed/not discriminated by the clutter-suppression software. That said, and assuming a vigilant OOW spots us/you on his ARPA set, then next thing he'll do is look through his ( her? ) binos to see what lights can be perceived, which should give him ( her? ) some idea of what he's encountering and what his Responsibilities under the ColRegs should be. After all, that's what the ColRegs expect of him....

That said, it can't hurt to have the brightest lights possible.

That's the view I'm hoping to encourage.

 

[Topcat47]

My LED sailing light at the masthead, which is the smaller Lopolite (one ring of LEDs) is much brighter than the "old money" filament bulb unit it replaced, even when the old unit was new. I can see the reflection of my deck lights on the water, but I reckon they're to as bright as the masthead lamp.