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View Full Version : Suction Cup, Bi-Directional LED Nav Lights


BaitThrower
19-11-2007, 01:26 PM
Re: http://www.boatshop.com.au/prod43.htm

I assume these are ok to use (i.e. legal) on a small 3.4m boat for night nav lights?
Would be good to have removable nav lights on my boat and I have plenty of good D-size rechargeable batteries to power it!

Dean
TOPAZ
19-11-2007, 02:01 PM
Baitthrower,
You will still need an all-round white light about one metre higher that these to comply with the legal requirements.


Richard
BaitThrower
19-11-2007, 03:18 PM
Yup plan to get an all around too to fit on the stern. Does it have to be 1 metre higher? My boat is a small open dinghy really. I though it just had to not be obscured by any boat structures. Since I have no deck lights etc, it and the nav lights would be the only ones constantly operating at night.

I couldnt find anything in the MSQ Boatsafe book to strictly say it had to be 1m higher... only says not to be obscured by anything.

Thanks for the advice.
TOPAZ
19-11-2007, 03:32 PM
The International Rules on which ours are based, states a minimum of 1 metre higher.
The reason is that the all-round light (also used as anchor light) must be visible for 2 nautical miles, as opposed to 1 nautical mile for the red/green side lights.
As most of us now subscribe to the spherical earth theory, the white light has to be this much higher to be seen the extra distance. It is NOT a matter of brightness. (There is a mathematical formula for the distance to the horizon vs the height above the water surface, but I can't remember it!)

Richard