lights on 25'CDory
- Thread starter dwilks
- Start date
dwilks":2znvjvjl said:
Do you mean lights inside the cabin or external lights to see the environment (i.e. "headlights")? What is it you are trying to see? Maybe you are meaning external lighting so that your boat can be seen better?
If you are trying to see where you are going, you actually want less external (and internal) lighting to enhance/maintain your night vision.
FWIW, note that the CG ColRegs describe the types and kind of lights that are required. It also says what is not allowed. Driving around with lots of external lighting on your boat is generally illegal. There are exceptions for things like fishing boats actively involved in fishing activities.
I have a remote operated GoLight on the roof of my boat. Not counting the times I played with it when I first got the boat, I can count the times I've actually used it since I got the boat (about 7 years) on two fingers. I'd take it off, but then I'd have to fill the holes in the roof and the helm panel...
At night, you should be just making way. "Headlights" or other external lights are not legal due to the fact that you will be causing any other boaters in front of you to lose their night vision. I have used a small hand-held spotlight out the helm window to see and identify nav aids or when close to docking, always keeping it pointed low. And not on constantly.
In our home area, I often hear "Yeah, would you drive your car without headlights?" argument. That doesn't apply when on the water. Some people don't care - doesn't make it legal, though.
In our home area, I often hear "Yeah, would you drive your car without headlights?" argument. That doesn't apply when on the water. Some people don't care - doesn't make it legal, though.
dwilks, I had to look back to see where you are located --- because, much of my boating is up on the BC coast, and I often se "Headlights" on boats up there, especially on the water taxis. Yes the fishing boats with their 10,000 watt mercury vapor lights that are visible for 10 miles too, and I really, seriously thought about adding some lights, from up high, the radar tower, to have forward facing, narrow beam, driving lights, and some wider angled lights facing forward to light up about 45 degrees each way from the driving beams. And I was going to add side lights as well, "scene lights" we called them on the ambulance, but I didn't. It would have cost $$$$'s and for the amount of times I would have used them in the last 15 years with the boat, It was money well not spent.
Now, if you look at some of the Sea Sports, and most of the tin can boats up on the BC coast, they do have them, and use them. The thing is, you have to have them where the do not cause back splatter, (reflection off shiny surfaces), or you will not be able to see anything. The lights I have seen, for the most part are mounted into the hull, just under the bow deck and with varying distances from center, leaving space for the anchor (or not).
For recreational boating, rarely is that done after dark. For the fisherman, they seem to pay less attention to the clock, (or daylight) than cruisers, so they will run at all hours. (And I have seen them in thick fog, head down into the plotter, running WOT, following their GPS track or route and paying not one bit of attention to (and no radar) their surroundings. Maybe a pair of 10,000 watt MV 's would have alerted them to where I was, but I saw them first on the radar.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Now, if you look at some of the Sea Sports, and most of the tin can boats up on the BC coast, they do have them, and use them. The thing is, you have to have them where the do not cause back splatter, (reflection off shiny surfaces), or you will not be able to see anything. The lights I have seen, for the most part are mounted into the hull, just under the bow deck and with varying distances from center, leaving space for the anchor (or not).
For recreational boating, rarely is that done after dark. For the fisherman, they seem to pay less attention to the clock, (or daylight) than cruisers, so they will run at all hours. (And I have seen them in thick fog, head down into the plotter, running WOT, following their GPS track or route and paying not one bit of attention to (and no radar) their surroundings. Maybe a pair of 10,000 watt MV 's would have alerted them to where I was, but I saw them first on the radar.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon