Steaming lights

[MicHughV]

Ha, too true....I'd venture a guess that the majority of sailors are NOT familiar with all the Colreg rules.

[El Pinguino]

I have always considered the term 'masthead light' to be the strangest thing in the rules as they are rarely if ever displayed at the masthead and in many instance not even on a mast. I'm surprised it survives. Mind you what would would we use instead. Although 'steaming light' is in universal use in the anglophone world what percentage of the world's fleets - mercantile, fishing or recreational - are still in steam?

Mind you plenty of people on CF get steamed up on these 'right of way' threads.

[Bowdrie]

As my work has taken me to countless marinas and boats, I've noticed that a VERY common violation is in the mounting of the bow lights.
Far too many boats seem to have the bow lights mounted where they follow the curve of the bow or the curve of a railing that they are mounted on,
As a result, there is no "cut off" of the light at the centerline, and the red and green frequently can shine many degrees across to the opposite side/across each other.
That is a no-no for sure.
As an aside, the "combo" type bow lights, (at least with the incandescent bulbs,) generally seem to be "blobs" of light at not that far of a distance, they lack the spatial definition that separate lights give.
I guess they're ok for little boats, but I think that for other boats to have good recognition/ascertainment of your course/bearing you should have separate red/green lights.

[Phyrcooler]

I don’t even have bow lights. Many boats, including mine have an anchor light at very top. Tri-color just below that (Sailing). I then have a red/green on the forward mid-mast where you’d normally see the “steaming light”. When “motoring” switch is activated, the mid-mast R/G and the Anchor light are both activated. Pros - no broken R/G or aft motoring lights from banging them up, sea spray or other abuse. Cons… they’re all a trip up the mast if any issues. Hopefully since they’re all LED, that will be seldom.

[MicHughV]

Much truth in the above statements.
Boat manufacturer's seem to take the approach of " stick some lights over there" to be compliant with basic navigational lights.

[capt jgw]

Oh jeez. Now do we have to get started on "bow lights"? True, the SIDELIGHTS do perform better if they are separate fixtures mounted to the sides (hence the name) and shimmed to be parallel with the vessel's centreline. And if you look at larger vessels, (the illustrations in the US NavRules book show this very well) they are often not at the bow, sometimes all the way back to the stern. It's wherever they can be mounted and give the proper visibility. The combined fixture is allowed up to 12 meters (39.4 feet) but maybe would be more appropriate limited to 7 meters (23 feet). Combining the masthead light and stern light as well. Most boats equipped that way are under 25 feet or so, mostly runabout type.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I have always considered the term 'masthead light' to be the strangest thing in the rules as they are rarely if ever displayed at the masthead and in many instance not even on a mast. I'm surprised it survives. Mind you what would would we use instead. Although 'steaming light' is in universal use in the anglophone world what percentage of the world's fleets - mercantile, fishing or recreational - are still in steam?

Mind you plenty of people on CF get steamed up on these 'right of way' threads.

On ships and power boats in general, the masthead light usually is at the "masthead". That mast's primary purpose is a place to mount that light, no need it make it taller than necessary. In teaching my Master's courses, the power boaters get that name right away. It's the sailors that have trouble, they've been calling that light by the wrong name and maybe using it incorrectly for years, maybe decades.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

A case in point. It's often amusing to be in the B'mas to hear some or other yachtie get on the vhf to provide a blistering lecture on the correct use of the vhf. The Bahamians and most of the cruisers there consider the vhf as a telephone. Nightly restaurant menu's, taxi service and other entertainment and or events are broadcast on the vhf willy nilly with no thought as to "correct" procedure.

That may be amusing to you, but that ends when people are dying and some yanks keep yepping on the channel about nothing because they have had no radio operator education and don’t understand the official French pronunciation of “silance mayday”.
One time this got me mad enough to tell them in seaman’s language to clear the channel and got thanks from every boat who witnessed the events after rescue had been completed (1 dead, 2 survived) incl. the coastguard.

In that case the death would not have been prevented but the rescue of the survivors was endangered by people who <self censured>.

[boatman61]

It's very simple really...
At the head = at the front.. so the mast head light is the light at the front of the mast, not at the top.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by Phyrcooler

I don’t even have bow lights. Many boats, including mine have an anchor light at very top. Tri-color just below that (Sailing). I then have a red/green on the forward mid-mast where you’d normally see the “steaming light”. When “motoring” switch is activated, the mid-mast R/G and the Anchor light are both activated. Pros - no broken R/G or aft motoring lights from banging them up, sea spray or other abuse. Cons… they’re all a trip up the mast if any issues. Hopefully since they’re all LED, that will be seldom.

Unconventional but sounds perfectly legal. Under sail with no engine, tricolor only is lit. Motoring, sidelights on the mast and anchor light lit. Ticks all the boxes, and all the lights are up high for better visibility. Only problem I see is if you were motor sailing with a jib up the sidelights would be obscured. But then again with the usual set up the masthead light would be obscured, so not much different. I guess we just shouldn't have a jib up when motor sailing at night.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Phyrcooler

I don’t even have bow lights. Many boats, including mine have an anchor light at very top. Tri-color just below that (Sailing). I then have a red/green on the forward mid-mast where you’d normally see the “steaming light”. When “motoring” switch is activated, the mid-mast R/G and the Anchor light are both activated. Pros - no broken R/G or aft motoring lights from banging them up, sea spray or other abuse. Cons… they’re all a trip up the mast if any issues. Hopefully since they’re all LED, that will be seldom.

The major disadvantage is that the sidelights will be blanketed by the foresail if motorsailing at night. They will also chafe the genoa.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

But then again with the usual set up the masthead light would be obscured, so not much different. I guess we just shouldn't have a jib up when motor sailing at night.

An obscured masthead light could lead another boat to conclude that the vessel is under sail when it is motoring, an inconvenience, but unlikely to result in a collision or even a close call.


An obscured sidelight and masthead light could lead another boat to conclude that the vessel is at anchor when it is in fact motorsailing. That's bad.

[Be Free]

Originally Posted by boatman61

It's very simple really...
At the head = at the front.. so the mast head light is the light at the front of the mast, not at the top.

Exactly! Is anyone confused because the headlights on their car are not mounted on the roof? Both are called that because they face ahead.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

That may be amusing to you, but that ends when people are dying and some yanks keep yepping on the channel about nothing because they have had no radio operator education and don’t understand the official French pronunciation of “silance mayday”.
One time this got me mad enough to tell them in seaman’s language to clear the channel and got thanks from every boat who witnessed the events after rescue had been completed (1 dead, 2 survived) incl. the coastguard.

In that case the death would not have been prevented but the rescue of the survivors was endangered by people who <self censured>.

saly the lack of training in VHF usage amongst American boaters shows regularly like you say , They have no real clue about how to use the equipment

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by boatman61

It's very simple really...
At the head = at the front.. so the mast head light is the light at the front of the mast, not at the top.

'Masthead - Upper part of the mast above the rigging. ' Admiral W. H. Smyth, 'The Sailor's Word Book'.

So - riddle me this, What 'masthead' is this ship's after 'masthead' light mounted on?Her frd light is mounted on top of a samson post so I guess that is a 'samson post head light'.