Strobe Lights

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by cal40john

Strobe on a vessel is only legal when operating on Inland waters in the U.S.

The same rule is in Canmods, so the white strobe 50-70 fpm is a legal distress signal in all Canadian waters and fishing zones.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by cal40john

Strobe on a vessel is only legal when operating on Inland waters in the U.S.

Inland rule 37, distress signals, is the same as International with this additional section.

Well, one wonders why so many life jackets and life rafts have a strobe on them. Where's the Police when you want someone shot! Arrest everyone at Westmarine! NOW!

<--- Just so some folks don't think I am advocating a rampage...


I also agree with the earlier point about fishing nets. Each country (and sometimes locality) has some different idea about lights on nets. After Aisa and the Gulf of Aden we never want to see another fishing net light again! Much less stressful just to jun over the buggers! Do it at high speed with fingers crossed!

the worst place in the world was the Malacca Straits we were well inside the shipping lane.... andd so were the fishing markers!!!!!! All unlit, of course.


Mark

[David M]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Thats what we use... and if he still doesn't notice a quick zap at the bridge will rev the cabin boy right up!

By the way, when dealing with ships we often think the Captain is on the bridge.... Ho ho, young friends, the Grave Yard shift is probably run by some teen who is far too scared to wake the Mate, let alone the Captain!


We now give way to ships as a matter of course


Mark

In the US, midwatch (12-4) is traditionally done by the second mate....one with at least a second mates license.

[Eleven]

ok, ok, flashing white light is not the best idea.
Neither is getting run down. I like the xmas lights idea best.
None work if the oncoming vessel doesn't have some-one on watch and reasonably alert.
Mid-ocean is a place you don't want to be. Just ran the english channel with no problems, even if thick fog, because I knew where they were and could keep out of the way. Most were running at normal speeds in 100m fog because they had radar/AIS.
Getting back to the thread:
If you are soloing then a radar range alarm is your best defence but it does need power.
An AIS sender is a second best, any one use one? Comments please.
A second crew member is also an option.
Lighting the sails requires you on deck, not below and asleep. This is a solo sailor.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Well, one wonders why so many life jackets and life rafts have a strobe on them. Where's the Police when you want someone shot! Arrest everyone at Westmarine! NOW!

<--- Just so some folks don't think I am advocating a rampage...

Mark

You must have one strange looking boat to have life jackets and life rafts mounted on it to provide Inland distress navigation lights.

This thread was about navigation lights on a boat wasn't it?


John

[Paul Elliott]

I know what the rules say (strobe indicates an emergency), but the singlehanders around here often use a white masthead strobe when at sea. They either don't have the power available to run a continuous tricolor, or feel that having the enhanced visible range of the strobe is a safety advantage. These days, with good LED tricolors the power drain isn't nearly as much of an issue.

I'm not saying that the strobe is a good idea, but the singlehanders seem to think it provides a benefit. By the way, the Singlehanded Transpac (San Francisco to Hawaii) starts this coming Saturday, June 19. If you see a strobe out there, it might be one of them.

[GordMay]

Single handers typically break all sorts of rules & conventions.

[Banjo]

Good evening all,

Thanks for all the info. That's exactly what I wanted. Yep, I might as well burn the correct COLREG lights in LEDs.

Now I can see why nobody in my neck of the woods bother with strobe lights.
I will not bother with a strobe light either. I take note that it will simply confuse a ship.

For those who posted bits on trans-ocean sailing and watch keeping. Thanks, but I am okay in that department. Crossed the Atlantic East-West, West-East and South Atlantic to North Atlantic about 7 times, fully crewed, solo, small boat, big boat.

Now I'm back to minamalist sailing again. No radar, no AIS, no generator, no chartplotter. Just solar power and handheld gps(x2), epirb and sat phone and a sound boat.

We're sailing two-up, racing from Cape Town to St Helena island. Traffic in the South Atlantic is not too bad and its usualy nice and sunny weather with clear skies at night.

Thanks everyone.

Regards,
Banjo.

[holmek]

Hi ELEVEN, You mention AIS, Is there a really simple unit that only gives an alarm of shipping in your vicinity? I don't like to have too much electronics on my boat and try to keep as good a watch as poss. but it would be good to have an alarm if you're down below just to tell you to gopher up and have a look around. I don't have chart plotters and navigate the old way. Thanks.

[David M]

An AIS system requires some sort of display. This will either be a chart plotter/radar screen or a computer or a dedicated AIS screen. If you want something really inexpensive to interface with a screen then look at Nasa Marine or Milltech marine

Nasa Marine Instruments
Welcome to Milltech Marine - your AIS experts

For your own safety, don't depend on AIS to tell you there is a boat or ship out there. Not every large vessel out there is using an AIS transceiver.

[Paul Elliott]

For AIS alarms, look at Standard Horizon's new GX2100 VHF radio. Just add GPS and you have a small, fairly low-power combo VHF transceiver and AIS proximity alarm. (standard AIS disclaimers apply)