Nav lights

[Bogan 8]

My understanding:

 

For boats under 12m, when sailing you can have masthead trilight or seperate nav lights lower down (eg: on pullpit and pushpit).

 

When motoring you must have the lower down lights, and a steaming light above.

 

In the past a trilight was good because it tended to draw less power than the seperate nav lights. But with LEDs this is becoming less of an issue.

 

The mast is out of my boat at the moment, and I was going to replace my trilight with a less humgry model. Now I'm tempted just to remove it.

 

Views?

[Bimini Babe 0]

I like the idea of having a masthead tri for sailing in big seas. It will increase the range of visibility by... um... a lot anyway. Might not be so much of a consideration if you don't plan to sail offshore/in big seas.

[Island Time 1,235]

I agree with BB, Its the most visible light while sailing. Put it back!!!

[Farrari 4]

I know when I'm out sailing at night even in the local harbour the tri lights can be seen further than lowers. The other advantage of the tri's is that they can be considered a backup set to your lowers so you don't necessarily have to carry emergency nav lights.

 

I have both and when I'm out at sailing at night I will always choose to put the tri on over the lower navs. IMHO better visibility and lower power consumption is worth the price of a new LED bulb.

[Guest]

You can have both. I would have both given the choice.

 

Low are good but damn near impossible to see in Akl Harbour for example.

[Guest]

Ships won't see you anyway, no matter which lights you have. Especially if they are Korean.

[PaulR 3]

Put an LED bulb in your masthead and another in your anchor light as well, perhaps even the same fitting.

 

Be careful your LED through the green glass shows a real GREEN, not a blueish light as some LEDs tend to do so.

 

There was an artcle in a boating mag about a year ago discussing this, with the different spectrum readings (& graphs) for different LED bulbs through different green lenses.

 

Biggest lesson was to TEST some different LED's as they are knot all the same. Some have more LEDs; some have RED & Green LEDs.

 

The Topolight (meets Lloyds / German standards from memory) has different distance options and you can build what you want by adding to a simple RED/GREEN/WHITE sectored for sailing, an add on unit for anchor all round white, a top cover plate that has a light for the windex, and I think a strobe as well, that the americans fancy.

 

See your fitting manufacturer as they may have the right LEDs to meet the colour standards.

 

Wait for a dark night and test. Having somebody a nautical mile away across the harbour is a simple easy system, especially as we all have mobile phones now.

[Murky 1]

You can have both. I would have both given the choice.

 

Low are good but damn near impossible to see in Akl Harbour for example.

Another vote for both. I agree that the trilight has the better visibility at sea but - coming and going out of a marina, for example - I can never quite believe that the average launchie is keeping much of a lookout for a single light 45ft up in the air.

[Changed 10]

The top end of the range like to Lopolights look great but at $260 a side are expensive. I guess you do get what you pay for though.

[Jon 360]

To be Legal motoring even under 12 m you need your nav lights lower than your steaming light.

I have both and use the standard tri with a LED bulb for sailing as mentioned above but it also lights up the windex which you need to light if you go away from a tri.

As already stated I always turn on my lowers in a busy area eg, marina, entering a bay or busy channel as close up a tri can look like a star.

[Guest]

My Tri-colour has a bulb in the 1,000,000 watt range and I'm bloody sure gives off Gamma Rays. Don't wear a cap when it's on and you get radiation burns on your skull. No idea why it's so grunty nor why it looks like my boat has been Cat 2 at some stage. But that bulb is the last one in need of changing. Would have by now but I'm to chicken sh*t to go up the mast, the fecking thing look only about 10mm in diameter up the top.

 

Technically you should be using 'approved' LED bulbs rather than any old random from Dicky Smiths. The approved ones have all been colour checked etc. Also they should have been check to make sure they don't cause radio interference, as many do with low quality DC converters in them..... or something techo like that.

 

US Coastguard 5nm approved bulbs are easy to get, maybe knot always here but $20 odd in from Aussie is easy doable.

 

Had a quick suss and couldn't find any in NZ but they do have them in Aussie like here for example - http://www.ledshoponline.com/BA_15_D_LED_masthead_bulb.htm

 

There have been more than a few reports of radio issues, poor colour and low life span issues with random bulbs. And recently having sussed LED lights very deeply I can say that doesn't only apply to marine like ones, there are some shockers out there and they look feck all different to the good ones, including feck all in the price.

[Battleship 100]

Put one of these on my mast last time it was out, the price was up there but I no longer have to worry about wether it will go or not and is approved for cat 1 etc. completely sealed unit. Bloody brilliant.

 

 

http://www.hellamarine.com/?t=3&pcid=191

 

Also got some cheap led nav lights from burnsco for lower down that are wired to the steaming light switch, a bit bright for night sailing with but certainly aid visibility in the harbour.

[PaulR 3]

Put one of these on my mast last time it was out, the price was up there but I no longer have to worry about wether it will go or not and is approved for cat 1 etc. completely sealed unit. Bloody brilliant.

 

 

http://www.hellamarine.com/?t=3&pcid=191

 

Also got some cheap led nav lights from burnsco for lower down that are wired to the steaming light switch, a bit bright for night sailing with but certainly aid visibility in the harbour.

 

I disagree with wiring the steaming light to the lower sidelights (bow & stern). If sailing in the harbour, Wednesday night races etc then the steaming light should be OFF, not on. Lower sidelights are best for entering marinas and anchorages as well.

 

I prefer using an ON/OFF/ON switch, mounted vertically.

Push the switch UP, the Tricolour light UP the mast is ON.

In the middle lights are OFF

Push the switch DOWN, the lower side lights DOWN near the water are ON.

 

You cannot have both the trilight and lower sidelights on at the zame time.

 

Using another ON/OFF/ON switch,

UP for the Anchor light at masthead

Middle OFF

DOWN for steaming light.

 

So under motor, both switches DOWN in normal (NZ ON) position.

 

Bowlights:

Take off your pulpit and have an "L" shape fitted / welded at the height of the UPPER rail, with the corner of the "L" inboard of the pulpit. This way the bottom of the "L" and the tube of the pulpit act as side screens and there is no blinding red or green light comming back into helmsperson's eyes. There is some horizontal separation of the Red & Gren lights as well.

 

One can only see the red & green in the spray from waves or by sticking one's head or hand outboard at the pulpit. PM meed if you want to see a setup.

 

The Burnsco LEDs $50 or $60 for s/s covers work well and haven't leaked nor stopped working on several boats I have rewired.

[PaulR 3]

My Tri-colour has a bulb in the 1,000,000 watt range and I'm bloody sure gives off Gamma Rays. Don't wear a cap when it's on and you get radiation burns on your skull.

 

Is that why or because your head has swollen to size 112 and a half

[wheels 543]

The reason for a Sailing vessel (when under sail) having a mast head tri is because for lower rail mounted lights, when heeled over, another vessel will not see which ever light is pointing down toward the water. A mast head mounted set of lights can still be seen no matter what angle the boat is on.

[rigger 47]

If you are buying nav lights for a yacht make sure they are for a yacht and not a power boat.

 

10. Vertical sectors

(a) The vertical sectors of electric lights as fitted, with the exception of lights on sailing vessels underway shall ensure that:

(i) at least the required minimum intensity is maintained at all angles from 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below the horizontal;

(ii) at least 60 per cent of the required minimum intensity is maintained from 7.5 degrees above to 7.5 degrees below the horizontal.

( In the case of sailing vessels underway the vertical sectors of electric lights as fitted shall ensure that:

(i) at least the required minimum intensity is maintained at all angles from 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below the horizontal;

(ii) at least 50 per cent of the required minimum intensity is maintained from 25 degrees above to 25 degrees below the horizontal.

© In the case of lights other than electric these specifications shall be met as closely as possible.

[Bogan 8]

Things will be busy at the top of the mast: trilight, VHF, windex and wind sensor.

 

The windsensor will be an Airmar PB200. This mounts on a stick above the masthead. The stick will obstruct most trilights - except the Lopo, where it can mount on top of the light. The Lopo is a great looking light but plenty $$$$. This was one of the reasons to look at removing the trilight, and maybe moving the vhf to deck level as well.

 

I prefer the anchor light to be low down rather than at the masthead.

 

hmmmm. still thinking.

[Battleship 100]

Put one of these on my mast last time it was out, the price was up there but I no longer have to worry about wether it will go or not and is approved for cat 1 etc. completely sealed unit. Bloody brilliant.

 

 

http://www.hellamarine.com/?t=3&pcid=191

 

Also got some cheap led nav lights from burnsco for lower down that are wired to the steaming light switch, a bit bright for night sailing with but certainly aid visibility in the harbour.

 

I disagree with wiring the steaming light to the lower sidelights (bow & stern). If sailing in the harbour, Wednesday night races etc then the steaming light should be OFF, not on. Lower sidelights are best for entering marinas and anchorages as well.

 

I prefer using an ON/OFF/ON switch, mounted vertically.

Push the switch UP, the Tricolour light UP the mast is ON.

In the middle lights are OFF

Push the switch DOWN, the lower side lights DOWN near the water are ON.

 

You cannot have both the trilight and lower sidelights on at the zame time.

 

Using another ON/OFF/ON switch,

UP for the Anchor light at masthead

Middle OFF

DOWN for steaming light.

 

So under motor, both switches DOWN in normal (NZ ON) position.

 

Bowlights:

Take off your pulpit and have an "L" shape fitted / welded at the height of the UPPER rail, with the corner of the "L" inboard of the pulpit. This way the bottom of the "L" and the tube of the pulpit act as side screens and there is no blinding red or green light comming back into helmsperson's eyes. There is some horizontal separation of the Red & Gren lights as well.

 

One can only see the red & green in the spray from waves or by sticking one's head or hand outboard at the pulpit. PM meed if you want to see a setup.

 

The Burnsco LEDs $50 or $60 for s/s covers work well and haven't leaked nor stopped working on several boats I have rewired.

 

I Don't usually sail with the side lights on (only the tri colour), they are too bloody bright and ruin night vision, they are not on the pullpit but on the side of the coach roof, alot tidier and less likely to catch on spinnakers there.

I have flicked them on once whilst sailing however, when finishing the RNI and coming up the AKL harbour in the early hours of the morning I could hear a high powered fizzy coming towards us but couldn't see it as they had no lights on, I don't give a stuff if the rules say you can't in that situation.

[PaulR 3]

. . . early hours of the morning I could hear a high powered fizzy coming towards us but couldn't see it as they had no lights on, I don't give a stuff if the rules say you can't in that situation.

 

Quite agree. I was once in the English Channel sailing a half tonner towards CH1(?) buoy off Le Harve entrance. We were crossing the shipping lane just north of France, in almost calm conditions, with a big ferry approaching us.

 

Naturally we had our nav lights on.

We the tried a torch on the sails, and towards the ship but the ship held her course.

I then used a real genuine Aldis Signalling light, aimed at the bridge and fired a string of "A"s. The altered immediately, passing about 100m across our bow.

 

Pure horsepower or should that be "lumens power" worked.

 

The Adis was very bright

[Battleship 100]

Those aldis look like an awesome piece of kit http://www.safety-marine.co.uk/searchlights-and-torches/aldis-fsp127-(mkv)-signalling-lamp-(solas-approved)-aldis.htm?p5731-s33- sounds like you were lucky you had one.

I suppose they are common kit for boats crossing the Channel tho?