Lights

walruz · 21 April 2010, 18:37

I would like to put lights on to my SR5.4 would I need to fit port, starboard and higher white or, as it is not that big, would one all round white mounted on a pole suffice legally?

Many thanks

Ian

Poly · 21 April 2010, 18:44

if your boat is CAPABLE of >7 knots its requires all 3.

Mollers · 21 April 2010, 18:46

I'm putting seperate Perko P&S lights on the SR4 with an all-round top white.

Lets go boating · 21 April 2010, 19:02

put 3 on mate

port
starboard
all round white

camtheribman · 21 April 2010, 19:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

if your boat is CAPABLE of >7 knots its requires all 3.

Then how come the rnli d classes only have a white? I thought it was if your boat was under 12m then a white only was fine?

Nos4r2 · 21 April 2010, 19:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by camtheribman

Then how come the rnli d classes only have a white?

Practicality at a guess.

Lets go boating · 21 April 2010, 19:30

that might be because its under 7m although they go quicker than 7 knots, so thats strange unless they can't put the nav lights anywhere on board

Sonar · 21 April 2010, 19:30

I would go for all three navigation lights.

Better safe than sorry.

Poly · 21 April 2010, 19:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by camtheribman

Then how come the rnli d classes only have a white? I thought it was if your boat was under 12m then a white only was fine?

do they not have a red/green on top of the bow dodger at the front?

mchapelow will be able to confirm.

m chappelow · 21 April 2010, 20:05

[QUOTE=Polwart;348769] do they not have a red/green on top of the bow dodger at the front?

mchapelow will be able to confirm. [/QUOTE
yes thats right ,they started to fit both red/green as a small bi light on the dodger and the all around white on a stainless mast,,which was removeble ,, around 8 or 9 years ago so they can be used for night time rescues ,,before that they were limited to day light only ,,... the smaller Y boat inflatables carried on the severn /tamar lifeboats have no nav lights fitted but the helmsman can use his lifejacket light fixed to the velcro strip on top of his helmet if needed at night .

Channel Ribs · 21 April 2010, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by walruz

would one all round white mounted on a pole suffice

Nope. And having the right lights is pretty important when it comes to collision avoidance in poor visibility, it is well worth getting the other two colours on yer tree.

9D280 · 22 April 2010, 10:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by camtheribman

I thought it was if your boat was under 12m then a white only was fine?

Only <7 Knots. Faster than that & you need the lot.

m chappelow · 22 April 2010, 17:27

just as a matter of intrest the clip shows a D class in poor light conditions with both p/s nav lights on and a big difference it makes to having just an all around light.
://

walruz · 22 April 2010, 17:42

Thanks all.

I guess I'll look round for a tricolour single light and then figure out how to mount it on a light pole as I can't afford to fit an A frame.

Ian

Poly · 22 April 2010, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by walruz

Thanks all.

I guess I'll look round for a tricolour single light and then figure out how to mount it on a light pole as I can't afford to fit an A frame.

Ian

Ian - your really supposed to have an all round white with separate coloured lights (ideally 1m lower) rather than a tricolour single light - which you would find on a yacht. I've got an all round white on a pole, and then coloured lights on the side of the console. You can combine the coloured lights.

m chappelow · 22 April 2010, 21:58

you could mount them on a single pole but as polwart said whatever you do the white needs to be at least 1 mtr higher than the red/green,,,,if you look at the pic below i had a combined red/green bi light on one of my boats with a white above ,,best though if you can switch the navs off and just have the white one lit for when/if at anchor ,,,and no its not jack cousteu in the pic ,,

Mollers · 22 April 2010, 22:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

and no its not jack cousteu in the pic ,,

Jimmy Durante?

willk · 22 April 2010, 22:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Jimmy Durante?

I think it's a partially inflated AutoPilot

The Grocer · 22 April 2010, 23:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

...the helmsman can use his lifejacket light fixed to the velcro strip on top of his helmet if needed at night .

So if we all wear this, with a red light on our left elbow and a green light on our right elbow we should be OK? As long as a) we're going forwards, b) we're taller than average* and c) we know our elbows from our donkeys. Or something.

Thinks:
Velcro? Helmet?

B
i
l
g
e
s
.
.
.

* Count me out...

9D280 · 23 April 2010, 10:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by walruz

I guess I'll look round for a tricolour single light

Unfortunately they are only legal for yachts (well, sailing vessels to be strictly accurate!)

Light on a pole insn't too difficult. Easiest options are - buy one off the shelf, or I have used an alu aeriel pole, built a small wooden "plug" adaptor & screwed a deck mount ARW to it. Plan C is you get a "pole mount" off the shelf & bang it straight onto a length of Alu pole(as sold by every TV aeriel supplier in the country).

As for the anchor light idea, I've got two cables going to the Frame - one for the R/Gs and one for the ARW, Used a DPDT centre off switch, One set of contacts, both "on" terminals connected to the white, the other side only one to the R/G. One switch, two functions - means that if at anchor or on Aux (no charging capacity) I can run at 1/3 the power consumption of normal, and also means you can't get the sidelights without the white, which would be illegal on all counts.