Running lights position

[FNQCairns]

Can anyone think of a legal reason why I would be disallowed to fit starboard and port running lights 2 feet forward of the transom, vertical placement on the side sheet of the boat just under the gunwale?? They would be at 700-800mm above the waterline when running.

cheers fnq

[Roughasguts]

Damn I can't think of any reason.
You just expect them half way down a boat, or on the wing tips of Aircraft. But that's the widest part so more likely to see the lights at various side angles coming from head on.

Mind you I have seen Nav lights way up the front of a boat. And I think that's your argument if you get asked about it.

[Kleyny]

as long as you can see them from infront.
from memory the lights pritty much have to come together.

i hope this makes sense

neil

[Kleyny]

i found this

[BaitThrower]

As long as they can be easily seen from directly in front, you should be fine. Assuming they are the proper nav lights, they should have a 135 degree light arc (off memory) so they can also be seen readily from side on, and a little behind that too.

[pubgolf]

gidday fellas
you cannot put the lights that far back because they are not visable from the front of the boat. the diagram in my recreational boating handbook shows that the lights must be able to be seen from the very front of the boat. if your lights are that far back they cannot be seen from 1 foot in front of the boat. check the picture out and note the computer skills i used the scanner. theres a first time for everything

Rod
;D ;D

[FNQCairns]

Ok so with the lights having a 2.4m gap between them means they cannot come together forward and centre:( so the only legal ones are the single unit bi colour lights?

cheers fnq

[BaitThrower]

Depends on your hull shape too I guess. Ideally they would be better closer to the front and at the widest point of the hull's beam. The trouble with having them too close together (ala those single unit bi-colour ones) is that the other boat looking at you really has no idea of the size of your vessel. You could be a 3m punt or even a kayak/canoe, or you could be an 8m vessel (or whatever size those bicolours are allowed to be used up to).

[FNQCairns]

MMmm, each lense would sit proud but that would mean crossover of colours from the front.

Glad to be of service with your puter tech learning curve pubgolf:)

cheers fnq

[FNQCairns]

So I have no choice but to fit them well forward all things considered, bit of a bugger!

Thanks glad I asked before drilling any holes! great help!!

thanks fnq

[BaitThrower]

Yeah best to put em up the front section. You got your anchor light up the back for everyone to see :) And I reckon they look cooler up forward ::)

[Outsider1]

Found this interesting link. Have not looked at the mentioned sections of the international rules yet.

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/sidelights.htm

Cheers

Dave

[TheRealAndy]

It is not illegal to fit them at the back. If you fit them at the front and they are 2metres apart what is the difference fitting them at the back 2metres apart. Infact, if you check out a lot of commercial ships you will find the port and starboard lamps fitted at the rear of the ship.

Looking straight down the centre of the boat, you would need to be within a few metres before you could not see both port and starboard. So unless you boat is 10 metres wide (or therabouts :) ), its not a problem. The whole idea of having different colours is so that if you can only see red, then you can get a rough idea of the angel of the boat relative to you.

One thing that you need to be aware of though, is if you are on the deck of a ship, can you see you lights within the prescribed distance? IF you have wide gunnels on you boat it may be a problem, but other than that its fine.

I need to point out that the link provided by outsider1 (no discredit to you dave!) is a US link. If you check the real US docs they are quite vague at best and open to interpretation if you are a lawyer as suggested. The australian maratime law for navigation is the same as the US law. For example, there is often mention of a narrow channel in regards to anchor lights for vessels under 7metres (you dont need an anchor light unless in a narrow channel) but exactly what is a narrow channel?

[Wahoo]

Scott, you have a C/C right? why dont you fit them either side of the console


Daz

[TheRealAndy]

Scott, you have a C/C right? why dont you fit them either side of the console


Daz

NO NO NO!!!!! Dont do that!! They reflect off the inside of the boat and blind you at night. Mine are fitted to the console and they are a dog. I intend to move them under the gunwhales at the front one day (dont say one day) or perhaps try and do something to minimise the light reflected back to me.

[FNQCairns]

Thanks Blokes, might give the rear mount a miss they will be obscured for a long distance foreward. Will do what everyone else does this time and again:)

Thanks Daz the thought is appealing to get it over and done with, I had a second boat for a lot of years, a little CC with the lights on the console and as mentioned above the glare was a right pain but still it got me everywhere I wanted to at night like that.

cheers fnq

[Reel Nauti]

The only possible problem I could see with mounting them that close to the transom is that other vessels would have absolutely no idea of your length. (boat of course!). You could have 20" of vessel in front of those lights and no one would have a clue at night. Would that matter though? I'm not sure.

Cheers

Dave

[FNQCairns]

The only possible problem I could see with mounting them that close to the transom is that other vessels would have absolutely no idea of your length. (boat of course!). You could have 20" of vessel in front of those lights and no one would have a clue at night. Would that matter though? I'm not sure.

Cheers

Dave

He He, might wait until I have my T top fitted then place them up top, 7ft above water, to put the wind up the odd stealth tinny when they spot both colours and I am doing 25kn :)

cheers fnq

[Wahoo]

Thanks Daz the thought is appealing to get it over and done with, I had a second boat for a lot of years, a little CC with the lights on the console and as mentioned above the glare was a right pain but still it got me everywhere I wanted to at night like that.

cheers fnq

Scott, thats where mine a mounted, have no problem whats so ever with the glare, ( maybe because the console is 1200mm wide:-/) dont know, i find them to be good there as i have the food/drink esky in front of the console, have you come up with anything else?


Daz

[FNQCairns]

No nothing else as nice as my original idea Daz, will probably fit them in the front quarter still below the rubstrip but bracket or block them out so they mount vertical and also parallel with the centreline, more buggerising around to achieve it so will worry about it sometime later.

cheers fnq