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Steaming Lights


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So the way I read this, yachts under 12 metres don't need a dedicated steaming light.

An anchor light with red and green on the bow will suffice when motoring.

 

Its just that I once got pulled up during a cat 3 inspection for not having the steaming light working. 

And who wants all that extra weight aloft anyway if you don't need it.

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Yes provided that it visible for from memory 2nm ?

Most old incandescent bulbs wouldn’t have complied but the latest LED would

 

The part that catches you out is where you have a tri light you can’t use your anchor light as a steaming light as you don’t have enough separation

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Yes provided that it visible for from memory 2nm ?

Most old incandescent bulbs wouldn’t have complied but the latest LED would

 

The part that catches you out is where you have a tri light you can’t use your anchor light as a steaming light as you don’t have enough separation

Yes, I can see anchor lights 6 miles away from our place, so I guess we have that covered. And the steaming light has failed again so I might as well just remove it. Never used the foredeck light anyway. Then bung on the bow lights and we’re legal. Don’t look forward to the debate with the inspector though. I’m getting a wireless tri lite and a wireless wind transducer so there’s a lot of wiring to come out of the mast. Starting to wonder about the VHF aerial now.
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Well thats bloody confusing,no difference whether sailing or motoring??

 

HaHa read the small print,If motoring refer to power boat rules!!

 

Couldnt see why they would do away with a forward facing white motoring light.

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Practical Sailor(?) going on about the vertical component, that I think we all fail.

Yes, I read that. Looks like we all need to check. They mentioned standing 100’ from the mast and if you can see the trilite you’re ok. If you have to step back further to see it, then the light isn’t shining through the vertical plane correctly and you may not be seen if you’re heeling away from an observer. Depends on the height of the mast I guess but it’s worth checking it out.

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Well thats bloody confusing,no difference whether sailing or motoring??HaHa read the small print,If motoring refer to power boat rules!!Couldnt see why they would do away with a forward facing white motoring light.

Yes there is a major difference, when sailing a yacht of 12m or less you need port, starboard and stern

When motoring you need port starboard and all around white above.

 

You never show a white forward facing light when sailing, if you do as I often see yachts doing racing to light up their windex usually, they have no rights as a sailing vessel and need to giveaway or stand on as if they were motoring eg give way to all sailing vessels

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Hope I'm not hijacking the thread? Twice now have come across vessels displaying RED lights as anchor lights. One anchored beside us ("Camilla"? A large old carvel planked launch) who didn't turn it off and steamed away from us with a red light on their coms mast that could be seen from almost all angles. She had port and starboard lit but could be confusing?

Mast head led anchor lights are also possibly confusing as the white blends well with stars and street lights in town. We have extra solar lighting lower down but have seen strobing (flashing) anchor lights too which I thought was restricted to navigation markers?

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Hope I'm not hijacking the thread? Twice now have come across vessels displaying RED lights as anchor lights. One anchored beside us ("Camilla"? A large old carvel planked launch) who didn't turn it off and steamed away from us with a red light on their coms mast that could be seen from almost all angles. She had port and starboard lit but could be confusing?

Mast head led anchor lights are also possibly confusing as the white blends well with stars and street lights in town. We have extra solar lighting lower down but have seen strobing (flashing) anchor lights too which I thought was restricted to navigation markers?

Red over White = Fishing tonight

Could it have been a commercial boat ? They display their dayshapes when tied to a wharf so can easily imagine they could forget to turn off the fishing light ?

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As for the strobe and blue lights wtf

To me a strobe is ideal to attract attention ie. I need assistance or I’m over here

Solid Blue light doesn’t have a place on the water imo. You see them as light blue anchor lights, some trendy LED ?

 

As for display extra deck lights I think this is a great idea, I always leave our led strip lights in the Bimini on or a lantern in the cockpit in a busy anchorage

 

Kiwis are bad for displaying the correct lights compared to most other places in the world that I’ve sailed, and they don’t like being told so I’ve found also.

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Couldnt see a MSA number, she could have been in survey. This from harbour master:

 

With regard to the vessels you observed apparently displaying forward facing red lights. There are no new provisions stipulating requirements for the displaying of such.

 

 

 

However, there are of course provisions for specific vessel types or vessels carrying out specific works to display all round red lights. For one reason or another they may have the appearance of being a forward facing light. Unfortunately, without knowing further details I can only offer speculation.

 

 

 

Apologies I could not be of more assistance.

 

 

 

Regards

 

Laurence Walkinshaw

 

Deputy Harbourmaster

 

 

I spose its a good way to be the night time stand on vessel at all times!! :-)

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Agreed Jon, plus there is a possible out for your insurance companies if you dont have compliant lights and are involved in an incident.

Imo, get proper colregs compliant lights. Good leds are virtually maint free. DON'T put led bulbs in incandescent lights, the lenses are different, the colors and dispersement of the lights change, and they are very likely to be non compliant.

A compliant masthead lamp can be seen, without looking up, from less than 2 boat lengths away.

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Try googling all round red lights? The only thing that pops up is they are becoming popular in the Med as anchor lights. There is no provision for them in maritime navigation regulations let alone forward facing red? Have seen quite a variety of different coloured lights on "wedding cakes" over the years, even one with multi coloured strobing lights on the stern. (Must have been Xmas!)

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Hi

 

Just a couple of thoughts on this lights. Depending how the sidelight (red) on the offending vessel was fitted it may be showing reflected light from the pullpit tubes. Our own sidelights sit within the pullpit and used to reflect off the tubing above meaning the green and red were visible on the wrong side. (solved by matt black on the SS tubing).

 

With regards the use of sidelights and an all round white at the masthead. There are requirements about the vertical seperation between a sidelight and the masthead light. When using a masthead anchor light you may find you do not comply. Additionally the stern light also has requirements on its location. We use the sidelights/anchor light sytem but are always aware of tits limitations.

 

I would personally prefer people showing lights that at least look correct rather than the often seen tricolour with a steaming light below, power boat with no steaming light or no lights.

 

As a small aside I judged the 'best of show' boat award at one auckland boat show and found only one new fizz boat that could show correct lights.

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no, those lights are absolutely correct.  

 

the discussion was around the option of having an allround white at the masthead for anchor or steaming & Stern.

You still need a stern light for when you are sailing.

So is it completely wrong to show a steaming light, port and starboard on the pulpit (correct sectors) and a stern light in a yacht under 12 metres if motoring? 

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