Why have a mast head flashing white?

[tim_ber]

I read that there is a mast head light with red, green, white and then flashing white.

What is the point of the flashing white?

Can anyone cast illumination upon this?

Thank you

 

[VicS]

This sort of thing?
http://www.aquasignal.info/ecat/htd...=1&subcategory_id=1&product_id=48&item_id=330

Used on (certain) inland waterways ???

 

[tim_ber]

This sort of thing?
http://www.aquasignal.info/ecat/htd...=1&subcategory_id=1&product_id=48&item_id=330

Used on (certain) inland waterways ???

thanks,

Yes, that sort of thing.

Certain inland waterways require a strobe do they? Never done CEVINI or whatever it's called and have not been inland. When do they use a strobe?

Didn't know if boats were trying to act as a North cardinal or something !

 

[VicS]

thanks,

Yes, that sort of thing.

Certain inland waterways require a strobe do they? Never done CEVINI or whatever it's called and have not been inland. When do they use a strobe?

Dont know. Just a guess.

 

[mcframe]

I read that there is a mast head light with red, green, white and then flashing white.

What is the point of the flashing white?

Can anyone cast illumination upon this?

Thank you

Perhaps so that you can get on the radio and do a:
"Securite, Securite, Securite. All ships, all ships, all ships. This is $SMALL_BOAT in $POSITION deploying my masthead strobe in contravention of Rule 36 'cos $BIG_SHIP is about to run me down!"

 

[testmonkey]

Masthead strobe out on open ocean more easily seen than fixed light. Can be useful to attract attention in case of an emergency. Apparently also an official distress signal on inland waterways in some areas like the U.S.

 

[fisherman]

I have a rotating orange beacon, a la council/breakdown vehicle, for use only in extremis, very effective.

 

[Billjratt]

That turns you into a hovercraft.

 

[l'escargot]

That turns you into a hovercraft.

Or a dustbin lorry

 

[alant]

I have a rotating orange beacon, a la council/breakdown vehicle, for use only in extremis, very effective.

Or a submarine.

 

[david_bagshaw]

I read that there is a mast head light with red, green, white and then flashing white.

What is the point of the flashing white?

Can anyone cast illumination upon this?

Thank you

ours is wired to the burglar alarm.

 

[Ric]

a single all round white light became the regulation for an anchor light only because that was all that an oil lamp could do. If the regulations were to be redesigned to take advantage of modern technology then I expect a flashing light would be the best choice for an anchor light. They are much easier to spot from a distance against a shoreline. Also, a masthead strobe is much more likely to be picked up by peripheral vision of boat drivers at close range who are generally looking straight ahead, rather than 40ft in the air.

I put my anchor light into strobe mode sometimes if I am concerened about motorboats running into me in some Med anchorages on moonless nights.

 

[KellysEye]

We had a white strobe above the tricolor for scaring off ships. We and the previous owner only used it once each. I have never seen a ship turn so fast.

 

[affinite]

Agree with Ric, although they do apparantly contravene colregs they are much easier to spot in an anchorage than a fixed white. There is certainly a significant number of them in use as anchor lights where we sail. - Dodecanese Greece. I havent fitted one for fear of issues with my insurance company if I ever had a claim for incident at night.

 

[Searush]

The eyes of "Man the Hnter" are finely attuned to detect movement just like any predator. Flashing lights are perceived as movement or change by our brains & so are far more likely to attract our attention.

It may be illegal, but I'd rather be alive than right.

 

[sailor211]

We had a white strobe above the tricolor for scaring off ships. We and the previous owner only used it once each. I have never seen a ship turn so fast.

Its a good thing as a last resort to show a light that the Officer does not understand He will go away

 

[wadget]

Its a good thing as a last resort to show a light that the Officer does not understand He will go away

Do you really think that a deck officer does not understand what a north cardinal light is? Because that's what your showing him.

 

[nigelmercier]

Flashing lights are perceived as movement or change by our brains & so are far more likely to attract our attention. It may be illegal, but I'd rather be alive than right.

Quite.

I think it is time that the regulations were changed to allow strobes to be used to attract attention. When they were drawn up it was impossible to create the short duration multiple flash that is now ubiquitous, for example the red-eye reduction on digital cameras or in a night club.

Furthermore, the same device could be used as a distress signal by modulating the flashes to spell SOS.

 

[Conachair]

I'm half way through building a really bright all round masthead white using some high power LED's, which will be able to strobe if all goes well. Prob hardly ever strobe it but might come in handy offshore if you really need to get noticed. Also maybe more often for showing which boat is yours in a busy anchorage for friends coming over for drinkies in a dinghy.

Only time I've ever seen them other than on north cardinals is marking the ends of long lines set along the continental shelf.

 

[Conachair]

The eyes of "Man the Hnter" are finely attuned to detect movement just like any predator. Flashing lights are perceived as movement or change by our brains & so are far more likely to attract our attention.

It may be illegal, but I'd rather be alive than right.

Isn't there something about a very short double flash being more visible?