Nav lights for dinghy

[gjorgensen]

Check out MarineBeam. Their portable dinghy kits are pretty solid from what I can see.

[a64pilot]

Same light, just lots more money, but Marine Beam does I think do a flat rate shipping that is hard to beat, I have lots of their stuff.

[CarinaPDX]

A tricolor light is not legal for a power boat. A power boat (<7m) that is not capable of 7 knots can use an all-round white light, plus sidelights (or bicolor) "if practicable" (with LEDs and batteries it certainly is). For planing RIBS the sidelights are a requirement. (See Rule 23 of Rules of the Road). The all-round white light should be 1m above the sidelights (see Annex I of the Rules of the Road). This isn't just the law, and a matter of liability, it is also just good, safe practice.

I use an all-round white light on a tall pole, which mounts into a socket I mounted on the inside of the transom on my RIB. The light is above my head so isn't obstructed and doesn't blind me. I also have a bicolor (red/green) mounted on a bit of teak which snaps onto my Sunbrella tube cover. Both are powered by a light kit added to the engine (I believe it is not suitable for LEDs). When I buy a new outboard I will switch to LEDs and batteries.

Greg

[jhstacy]

The Navisafe Dinghy pack was perfect for my Caribe inflatable. Only I add a string attached to the boat in case the bow light were to accidentally come off.
Navisafe Inflatable Boat LED Navigation Light Pack

[Nicholson58]

https://store.marinebeam.com/portabl...nghy-or-kayak/


We have one of these - quite nice.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

A tricolor light is not legal for a power boat. A power boat (<7m) that is not capable of 7 knots can use an all-round white light, plus sidelights (or bicolor) "if practicable" (with LEDs and batteries it certainly is). For planing RIBS the sidelights are a requirement. (See Rule 23 of Rules of the Road). The all-round white light should be 1m above the sidelights (see Annex I of the Rules of the Road).

This is my understanding. A tricolor may get you by on a dinghy but does not comply with regulations.

[ggray]

As suggested to me by the folks that sold me my Navisafe, attach the white light to your hat by putting the magnet inside.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by ggray

As suggested to me by the folks that sold me my Navisafe, attach the white light to your hat by putting the magnet inside.

And a magnet in your head to attach the hat?

[jacktheflyer]

I just saw in Australia's Cruising Helmsman magazine a three light LED set that clip onto the side of a dinghy. $30 AUD. I'll be buying a set this week.
Scrubby

https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_s...rical/Lighting

[jacktheflyer]

Originally Posted by jacktheflyer

I just saw in Australia's Cruising Helmsman magazine a three light LED set that clip onto the side of a dinghy. $30 AUD. I'll be buying a set this week.
Scrubby

https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_s...rical/Lighting

The link doesn't take you to the product. They are DRiPRO though I can't find them on their website.

[ausaviator]

Thanks everyone, a good thread with lots of options.

I'm thinking a cheap telescopic pole would be good for the all-round white (whilst the hat idea is commendable!) with a couple of kayak style clip-on's for the red and green - then I can probably do away with the rear white light.

It won't get used much at night but should be legal to keep the water Police happy.

[ggray]

Originally Posted by skipmac

And a magnet in your head to attach the hat?

Even better, because you wouldn't need the hat!

[poiu]

I have a bi-colour light by Perko. It completely destroys my vision with glare so I am not safe to use it and go over 5kts. Things work better when I turn it off and I strap a powerful torch to the bow with a narrow beam shining well forwards onto the water. I have only little glare and can motor at a useful speed and still be seen easily by others. Not legal, but I'm sure it is safe and much safer at speed. If a boat is on a reciprocal heading I dim the light right down so as not to blind them.

An awful lot of dinghies use no lights at all. Quite a few fast, heavy fishing skifs too. A lethal mix.

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

A tricolor light [by itself] is not legal for a power boat...

Rule 23 requires a masthead light, sidelights, and a stern light. Under 12m an all around white light is allowed in place of the masthead light and the stern light.

Rule 21 says the sidelights on a vessel less than 20m may be combined into a single lantern carried on the fore-and-aft centerline of the boat.

Rule 21 requires that the stern light be placed as nearly as practicable to the stern.

There is nothing in all of that that forbids a tricolor installed near the stern. The sidelights are installed in a single lantern and can be near the centerline, the stern light is near the stern. You do still require a masthead light to be above the tricolor (unless you are <7m and <7k).

So, at a minimum you need two light fixtures; the tricolor and a masthead light. Your alternative (<12m) is a bicolor (or two sidelights) and an all around white light. Either way, your minimum light fixture count to comply with the rules is two fixtures.

No reason you can't use a tricolor as one of your fixtures, but there is no legal way (except <7m and 7k) to get away from two fixtures, a tricolor by itself does not count.

[CarinaPDX]

That is true, I did mean to say by itself. To be clear to all, a "masthead" light is not an all-round white light, but a white light with the same arc of visibility as the bicolor or both sidelights or the red & green sectors of the tricolor. Formerly it was called a steaming light. It also must be located at least 1m above the other lights.

The problem with using the tricolor is that it will be obstructed somewhere in the 360 degree arc unless mounted above the heads of the occupants, which puts the masthead light very high (+1m). Also, if mounted low it will blind the operator when looking aft. But technically it would be legal if unobstructed and separated by 1m vertically from the masthead light. It just doesn't seem like a good alternative.

Greg