wow
that looks good,does it come with an optional red/green lens?
Don’t really think you
– Last Updated: Oct-14-05 6:18 PM EST –
should be putting red/green running lights on a human powered vessel. You are sending the signal you are under motorized power or sail. White all around light 1 mile visibility is legal requirement for human powered craft. Recommend a strong rechargeable spotlight in addition to legal light. The spotlight shined toward but below vessel you want to notice you will be more readily noticed than portable running lights. Don't shine directly at vessel as you will likely tick them off and they will run you over.
I have
a white hulled thermoformed boat (Huricane Tracer) and have always wondered if a large 360 degree battery camping lanter in the rear hatch would be bright enough. I will have have to give it a try. . . Sure would look odd out on the lake.
my reading of regs
is that small human powered craft need a light to shine in order to prevent collision. Given that photons don’t have much repulsive power one is assuming a lot keeping a light off until collision time. I believe there can be variation in regs but I’m pretty sure a constant 360light isn’t a running light. It’s an anchor light. I don’t think there is a prohibition from using red/green/white lights for small craft.
There is a club in NY that did a test with various set-ups and the most effective one was red/green/white as it made you look like a boat, albeit a slow one.
LeeG
My sailboat has an anchor light/ it’s at the top of the mast. I bought a “u.s.c.g. approved” all around running light for my small boats. It looks the same but is much lower to the water,duh. If I am not under power, according to Chapmans book of small boat handling, U.S.C.G. regulations, and conversation with local marine patrol, my father(a licensed captain), and my 35 years experience on salt water and some lakes, including time as a boating safety and sailing instructor, the 360 degree, 1 mile visibility white light is what is required. If you want to be lit up like a powerboat at night you will lose right of way priveleges. If someone under power was in your danger zone(dead ahead to 2 pts abaft the starboard beam), assumed you were a power boat because of your red-green bow light, was aimed at you, hit you because you did not give way, you would have some explaining to do to the court system. If you have just the white light, you are assumed to be under manual propulsion and have right of way over all other non commercial vessels not under sail. You will also have right of way over unburdened commercial vessels , but I wouldn’t be pushing that privelege w/o vhf contact.
ummm
Guess I will turn off my Guardian Green/Red lights after that post!! I can always keep the red one clipped to my pfd to use for map reading to avoid losing night vision.
As to the green one, I will keep that one as my inside my tent light or “search through my hatches for the right widget” light.
Had to read 24 posts just to get it right I guess.
explaining to do
ok, so I have running lights, I’m visible from 360 and I’m paddling at 3mph,and I don’t give way in time for a powerboat going 20mph and it hits me. I have a small white light on a post behind my back that’s shaded by my body because it’s lower than me and the power boat a few degrees off my starboard bow doesn’t see it until he’s 100’ away at 20mph and I can’t give way in time and he hits me.
I’d rather be as visible as possible at 3mph from all directions and operate according to right of way than rely on a light that has to be mounted vertically and stay attached through all manner of rescues and may be shaded for a boat straight in front of me. Unlike your small boats a kayak has a greater likelyhood of being inverted with objects dragged across it. Once that happens the ONE light is knocked off and then it’s back to holding a flashlight while paddling or having one dangle around one’s pfd.
I feel the
best method is still the rechargeable hi powered spotlight,million candlepower. I read numerous stories about boats getting run over after dark with appropriate lighting, much larger boats than kayaks. The nav. lights are not really all that noticeable in an environment with background lighting, or by the skipper with alcohol in him,or by someone not looking.Best thing is to keep your eyes open, assume no-one sees you, and shine the spotlight briefly toward anyone coming your way
You’re both right
See U.S. Coast Guard Nav Rules for vessels under sail or oars:
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules/Rules/Rule25.htm
Yeah
I get concerned about small vessels feeling that they’re being seen because they have appropriate lighting. The skipper in his flybridge sportfisherman is not looking for kayaks with lights a foot off the water.I have sometimes not seen kayaks when out sailing, and I’m only about 6 feet off the water, eye level.Depth perception is sometimes tricky at night as well(sometimes I think a large boat 300 yards away turns out to be a smaller boat 40 yards away, because all you see are 2 little lights in the dark.) When I sail after dark I have the spotlight available at all times, and general practice among sailors is to shine the spotlight on your own boat,so approaching vessel gets better idea of what and where you are.
Yep
I was paddling back with a group of folks in the SF bay and a fisherman raised holy hell with us because we were nearly invisible with our collection of “legal” ACR 2AA 360lights turning yellow plus other dimming incandescent lights. The LED set-up I’ve got is bright but I"ve got a 4AA 1watt LED on the deck to shine if neccessary. I used to use a 4C cell xenon dive light or a 2watt 4AA cell light,it had a VERY tight and bright beam but the batteries would dim out after 4hrs. For a killer waterproof headlamp there’s a 3watt LED light ,Petzl I think. It’s Very Bright. My other light is an 8cell Pelican flashlight,kinda big though. For screaming light and expensive batteries there’s some c123 lithium lit flashlights.
green and red
means there’s vessel on the water. Especially in urban areas, when even the brightest deck light has lots of competition and can get visually mixed in with the street and building lights. A green and red light will stand out because that’s what a captain’s eye is scanning the water for.
Lyn
you hope the captains
eye is scanning.
if not
– Last Updated: Oct-16-05 7:20 AM EST –
I can always pull out my white torch at the last second to avoid collision. Er,no,,I did that once when crossing a channel in the S.F.Bay and realized that I was invisible to the 120' ferry going 25mph. You're right that depth perception is dicey,,but the more information the other vessel can glean over time watching those lights is more time to fix your position. Have you been on the water with a kayak rigged with the techlight and compared it to a solo white light?
Lee
– Last Updated: Oct-16-05 8:21 AM EST –
When out at night I am generally on my sailboat in an anchorage area, or out in my dinghy. Everyone seems to carry a 1,000,000 spotlight, kayaks in little narragansett bay or over on shelter island long island area. Lot of skippers out there who've been drinking all day, combined with the sun and the carbon monoxide, it seems to take a large spotlight to get their attention. Well I'm off for some whitewater canoeing now, first sunlight in 10 days.Nav lights a foot off the water don't get noticed unless it's pitch black,i.m.h.o.
hydration backpack with light
While in Kalamazoo at Lee’s Sporting goods I found Platypus (spelled wrong) hydration packs that have a strip down them that holds something that appears to be a plastic strip that is attached to a battery. When it is on it lights up.
I thought it lighted up in either red or clear but so far I’ve only managed to turn it to red or blinking red.
My brother, got a new job and consequently needed transportation. He took strings of holiday lights that operate off of a battery pack and lit up his dashboard.
It gave me ideas for my kayak but I have not worked them out in my mind yet.