Now you see me, now you don't...

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Polwart

...are your nav lights visible through the correct range of angles there?

Funny you should say that cos this evening I had two experiences regarding nav lights. Returning from Aberdour to Post Seton, bit bumpy sea with some swell through it from NE. Not quite dark but almost. A hundred meters or so off to port at about 45° suddenly a red nav light showed up, nothing on radar. As we closed it turned out to be a rib, profile looked like a Delta, then suddenly a white top light showed. As it passed beam on it showed two white top lights rather than an allround white. A very well lit boat, so why didn't I see them? The side lights too low down and mostly hidden by waves and the crew blocked out the forward facing light so it wasn't visible until somewhere about 50-60°.
It was too dark to see the crew individually but the lights looked to be on a frame but below head level when the boat was cruising bow up. The boat wasn't on the radar, even beam on at close range.

Lesson, get those nav lights high up and if you think your A-frame will show on radar, your jokin....

Next one. This has happened to me once before. Not too far from the above incident there was a solid target on the radar but nothing to be seen, slightly darker now and against the shore lights. Gave it a bit of space and kept looking, suddenly a xmas tree of lights! A fishing boat! Was its lighting completely matching the shore lights or, as I've experienced before in the same area, illegal fishing?
On the previous occasion there were a number of invisible targets which suddenly switched on their nav lights. Much later I was involved in a conversation where it turned out I wasn't popular that night cos a number of boats were fishing illegally and they thought I might be an official boat sneakin up in the dark.
I'd put money on tonight's boat doing the same.

It occurred to me that the rib invisible by light or on radar to the fishing boat passed close by the fishing boat invisible to the rib. Eeekk....
I suppose the rib could have had radar but it wusnae a very big rib so likely not.

Lesson, take care out there you never know what's in front of you.

[The Garfish]

Originally Posted by jwalker

it turned out I wasn't popular that night

i aynt sirprized yew nobbur. ifn i sorr yorr uggly fizog lewmin owt ov de darkniss wen i woz upp tto a bitt ov bizniss i wud av delt wiv yew wiv ekstreem prejudish


garF

[jwalker]

[tonymac]

Originally Posted by The Garfish

i aynt sirprized yew nobbur. ifn i sorr yorr uggly fizog lewmin owt ov de darkniss wen i woz upp tto a bitt ov bizniss i wud av delt wiv yew wiv ekstreem prejudish


garF

Fully agree Garfish!

On another note .. was out recently on Ribraid (see another post). On the way home with 12 other ribs. Three Plonkers had no white light and their reg/greens were not visible astern! Caused us no end of heart stopping and a lot of cursing at them! They kept trying to move further up the long snake of ribs heading up the Lough in single file! I mean if you are going out at night you should make sure your lights are visible and working - simple job. All on this trip were asked to sign that all lights were ok - these plonkers obviously just did not care.

[J S]

Originally Posted by tonymac

Fully agree Garfish!

Three Plonkers had no white light and their reg/greens were not visible astern! Caused us no end of heart stopping and a lot of cursing at them!

I can see the problem you were having but the red/greens shouldn't be visible astern so there is no reason why they should have been.

James

[Zubenelgenubi]

Originally Posted by tonymac

Fully agree Garfish!

On another note .. was out recently on Ribraid (see another post). On the way home with 12 other ribs. Three Plonkers had no white light and their reg/greens were not visible astern! Caused us no end of heart stopping and a lot of cursing at them! They kept trying to move further up the long snake of ribs heading up the Lough in single file! I mean if you are going out at night you should make sure your lights are visible and working - simple job. All on this trip were asked to sign that all lights were ok - these plonkers obviously just did not care.

Red & green lights should only be visible to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on their respective sides!

[tonymac]

Originally Posted by J S

I can see the problem you were having but the red/greens shouldn't be visible astern so there is no reason why they should have been.

James

Thanks - yes I know that there is a certain angle they should be visible at - even so when you are behind someone and moving in the pattern we were you should have been able to see white red or green AT TIMES! The other ribs could all be seen in this way - only these plonkers could not be - that is the main point.

[Bigmuz7]

Originally Posted by tonymac

Thanks - yes I know that there is a certain angle they should be visible at - even so when you are behind someone and moving in the pattern we were you should have been able to see white red or green AT TIMES! The other ribs could all be seen in this way - only these plonkers could not be - that is the main point.

IMHO you want your lights to be seen as much as possible so the higher the better .. but correct me If i'm wrong the white light is supposed to be an 'at anchor' light ?

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

but correct me If i'm wrong the white light is supposed to be an 'at anchor' light ?

ok - you're wrong...

...whilst that is one application of a white light its certainly not the only one...

[SPR]

Different Craft have different lighting characteristics:

But for most power boats from:

THE INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS FOR AVOIDING COLLISIONS AT SEA
Rule 23 -power driven Vessels Under way


(a) A power driven vessel under way shall exhibit:
(i) a masthead light forward;
(ii) a second masthead light abaft of and higher than the forward one;
except that a vessel of less than 50 meters in length shall not be obliged to exhibit such a light but may do so;
(iii) sidelights: and
(iv) a stern light.
(b) An air-cushion vessel when operating in non-displacement mode shall, in addition to the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule, exhibit an all-round flashing yellow light.
(c)
(i) A power driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may in lieu of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule exhibit an all-round white light and sidelights.
(ii) a power driven vessel of less than 7 meters in length whose maximum speed does not exceed 7 knots may in lieu of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule exhibit an all-round white light and shall, if practicable, also exhibit sidelights.
(iii) the masthead light or all-round white light on a power driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may be displaced from the fore and aft centreline of the vessel if centreline fitting is not practicable, provided the sidelights are combined in one lantern which shall be carried on the fore and aft centreline of the vessel or located as nearly as practicable in the same fore and aft line as the masthead light or all-round white light.

RULE 21 - gives you defininitions

Rule 21 - Definitions


(a)"Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore and aft centreline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.
(b) "Sidelights" means a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side each showing an unbroken light over an arc of horizon of 112.5 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on the respective side. In a vessel of less than 20 meters in length the sidelights may be combined in one lantern carried on the fore and aft centreline of the vessel.
(c) "Stern light", means a white light placed as nearly as practicable at the stern showing an unbroken light over an arc of horizon of 135 degrees and so fixed as to show the light 67.5 degrees from right aft on each side of the vessel.
(d) "Towing light" means a yellow light having the same characteristics as the "stern light" defined in paragraph (c) of this Rule.
(e) "All round light" means a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of horizon of 360 degrees.
(f) "Flashing light" means a light flashing at regular intervals at a frequency of 120 flashes or more per minute.

Hope this clarifies it.

S.

[SPR]

The min distances:

Rule 22 - Visibility of Lights

The lights prescribed in these Rules shall have an intensity as specified in Section 8 of Annex I to these Regulations so as to be visible at the following minimum ranges:

(a) In vessels of 50 meters or more in length:

a masthead light, 6 miles;
a sidelight, 3 miles;
a towing light, 3 miles;
a white red, green or yellow all-around light, 3 miles.

(b) In vessels of 12 meters or more in length but less than 50 meters in length;

a masthead light, 5 miles; except that where the length of the vessel is less than 20 meters, 3 miles;
a sidelight, 2 miles;
a stern light, 2 miles, A towing light, 2 miles;
a white, red, green or yellow all-round light, 2 miles.

(c) In vessels of less than 12 meters in length:

a masthead light, 2 miles;
a sidelight, 1 miles;
a towing light, 2 miles;
a white red, green or yellow all-around light, 2 miles.

(d) In inconspicuous, partly submerged vessels or objects being towed;

a white all-round light; 3 miles.

[wavelength]

illegal fishing?

a boat I have been on in the past is an ex fisheries patrol boat- beautiful bit of kit, like a mini destroyer. The mahogany lighting switch panel has a set of switches labelled "trawling lights" , "fishing lights" and underneath them a more prominent label for the two of them which simply says "DECOY LIGHTS".
It really must be tempting to creep up on a darkened fishing boat showing the decoy lights, and then switch its mass of searchlights on - Gottya!