Adequate or rather inadequate lighting
Submitted by sunshine on Tue, 2013-04-02 19:28
Went out of Friday very early, dark but with good moonlight. Passing through the GI /Carnac channel I could clearly see a boat at anchor with correct anchor light and nav lights illuminated and deliberately ensured I was well south of him only to find a virtually unlit boat directly in my path and also anchored with one tiny red flashing single low intensity led located somewhere low on the hull
What gives, but for the moon and a spotlessly clear windscreen could so easily have slammed into it ...........there are some absolute idiots out there
Vinesh87
Posts: 2751
Date Joined: 02/04/11
Yeh all to common. I always
Yeh all to common.
I always see boats with no light anchored and even moving at speed. Pretty annoying
Georgejungle
Posts: 354
Date Joined: 25/03/09
Just to clarify sunshine you
Just to clarify sunshine you should NOT display navigation lights when anchored (red green) only and all round white light. But some small boats do put under way lights on as well.I assume they want the more the better which is good compared to the wood ducks with no lights on.
One trawler or crayboat is going to ruin your day pretty quick in that case if they hit you at 18 knots or 30 tonnes
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
How was that boat heading out
How was that boat heading out of Point Peron Friday morning in the dark with no nav lights on only it's blue transom (underwater) lights on... very hard to see them too.
pricey10
Posts: 486
Date Joined: 07/01/12
That's half the reason why I
That's half the reason why I don't run clears on my boat. It's good being able to have a clear vision at night, you never know what's out there. I just put on a pair in clear saftey glasses if I start getting sprayed
Karratha. WA
troy fuller
Posts: 411
Date Joined: 30/08/10
We are always traveling out
We are always traveling out like 40 minutes before first light and always see idiots anchored on the lead with no lights in a small boat.. Seriously some one will get hurt one day, we have clears where the front one can unzip and fold up, and a spotty out the widow to check almost hit a pot yesterday
sunshine
Posts: 2645
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Yes also saw the blue lighted boat
Vanished in a blink - I always anchor with both nav and anchor light illuminated - better to be safe than sorry and have converted all to high intensity leds - never liked spot lights as they always destroy night vision by reflecting off waves or bow rail and always back off when in cray pot territory, just wish some pro's would shorten their ropes when potting shallow
carnarvonite
Posts: 8691
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Offence
Not 100% sure but I think its an offence to show your nav lights while at anchor.
If you are drifting its nav lights on and anchor light off.
sunshine
Posts: 2645
Date Joined: 03/03/09
A lot of boats have both wired to same switch
And I am talking recently manufactured ones so if it is illegal (though a bloody sight safer) someone should tell the boat manufacturers !