Navigation lights

[Scholar Gypsy]

 

19 minutes ago, bizzard said:

What colours do colour blind folk see red and green as?

As a red-green (slightly) colour blind person, I am not sure this is a logically sensible question. I can distinguish proper nav lights in the dark very easily. On the other hand grimy buoys at a distance on a murky day are much harder, so I rely on the shape.

[bizzard]

Mix red and green makes brown, so red and green nav lights too close together a long distance away look brownish.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

15 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Mix red and green makes brown, so red and green nav lights too close together a long distance away look brownish.

I’m, Red green brown colour blind,

the green of a navigation light to me appears towards white as does the green of a traffic light,

so I easily see the difference between the red and green,

Im more likely to get the green and white lights mixed,

 

now if you took a single poppy and placed it on a nicely kept lawn I’d not be able to find it,

Red apples in trees is another loss,

but green apples in trees I see because I see the different greens

and looking up at the stars is a loss on me, colour wise,

 

it’s all very odd but really very interesting,

 

 

[bizzard]

13 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

I’m, Red green brown colour blind,

the green of a navigation light to me appears towards white as does the green of a traffic light,

so I easily see the difference between the red and green,

Im more likely to get the green and white lights mixed,

 

now if you took a single poppy and placed it on a nicely kept lawn I’d not be able to find it,

Red apples in trees is another loss,

but green apples in trees I see because I see the different greens

and looking up at the stars is a loss on me, colour wise,

 

it’s all very odd but really very interesting,

 

 

What does white appear as then?

[Scholar Gypsy]

48 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Mix red and green makes brown, so red and green nav lights too close together a long distance away look brownish.

It's different for paint (subtractive) and light (additive mixing). Mix red and green paint and you get brown, mix red and green lights and you get yellow.

https://verywelltech.com/en-us/education/what-color-does-red-and-green-make/

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

10 minutes ago, bizzard said:

What does white appear as then?

dunno it’s always too bright I have to have me eyes shut

[bizzard]

2 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

dunno it’s always too bright I have to have me eyes shut

Reminds me of an old friend of mine that uses to stand in front of a mirror with his eyes closed trying to see what he looked like when asleep.

[Ewan123]

12 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

This is how I mount my stern light. Feel free to admire the handmade joinery.  I know semi-trad sterns differ in design, might this work?  This is the size required for a boat over 12m.

 

 

 

Thank you, that's a nice solution 👍

 

9 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Most people wouldn't dream of botching any other piece of navigational equipment on their boats so I'm not quite sure why we have so many  suggestions to that effect on this subject?

 

It's not about whether you're going to get into trouble for having an incorrect navigation light, it's a more about making sure the light is the correct colour and brightness to actually be seen and function as a navigation light.

 

For that reason forget about green bulbs, green paint, nail varnish, moulding your own lens 😂, and either replace the lens or the whole light with a new one.

 

To be fair, my question did rather open the door to botch suggestions. I've been happily convinced not to botch it though .

 

Sparkly nail varnish is probably the best type then I reckon? Certainly not matte.

[LadyG]

I'm sure we've had the discssion regarding the difficulty of making NB lighting comply with Colregs.

Compliance is important when sailing, or boating at night on open waters, including rivers.

I would not take a nb on commercial waters at night, and I doubt many leisure boaters would have sufficient knowledge of lights to mix it with commercial  traffic, which could include large vessels, towing vessels etc.

Im pretty sure the specifications for lights will relate to the length of the vessel, so a nb is not required to have the same light as a cruise ship, 

Insurance Is another aspect.

Edited March 15 by LadyG

[Momac]

On 14/03/2024 at 14:00, haggis said:

Are navigation lights now essential for a narrow boat on the Manchester Ship Canal? 

https://waterways.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Manchester-Ship-Canal-advice-for-small-craft.pdf

 

[DandV]

At all times whilst underway you are expected to keep effective lookout.

Relying only on having complying navigation lights, or anchor light,  is often inadequate to ensure you have been seen when threatened with a collision.

From talking to people who have faced this situation, A  torch flashed  in the direction of the navigating position on the threatening craft, plus then perhaps illuminating your sails, or structure, has then provoked the threatening vessel to  then making out your nav lights or anchor light,  and then making a required course change to avoid a collision. A solitary steady  little red light  on yacht slowly proceeding under sail in a vast empty ocean is easily missed by a big ship making good speed on the wide ocean. But a few flashes by a torch much less so. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16 by DandV

[Ewan123]

11 hours ago, Momac said:

https://waterways.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Manchester-Ship-Canal-advice-for-small-craft.pdf

 

 

11 hours ago, Momac said:

https://waterways.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Manchester-Ship-Canal-advice-for-small-craft.pdf

 

That's interesting, I wonder whether anything has changed since that. It rather assumes that everything will always go to plan. In fact by the same logic, I wonder why they would enforce the requirement for an anchor given that it shouldn't be needed either, unless things go wrong.

 

I'm crossing the Mersey as well so do intend to have things in place just in case things go awry.

 

4 hours ago, DandV said:

At all times whilst underway you are expected to keep effective lookout.

Relying only on having complying navigation lights, or anchor light,  is often inadequate...

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting otherwise are they?

[truckcab79]

46 minutes ago, Ewan123 said:

 

That's interesting, I wonder whether anything has changed since that. It rather assumes that everything will always go to plan. In fact by the same logic, I wonder why they would enforce the requirement for an anchor given that it shouldn't be needed either, unless things go wrong.

 

I'm crossing the Mersey as well so do intend to have things in place just in case things go awry.

 

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting otherwise are they?

I bet you’re glad you asked. 😂

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Ewan123 said:

That's interesting, I wonder whether anything has changed since that. It rather assumes that everything will always go to plan. In fact by the same logic, I wonder why they would enforce the requirement for an anchor given that it shouldn't be needed either, unless things go wrong.

 

 

 

Your suggestion appears to have no logic at all :-

 

Maybe its because an engine breakdown, and the need to drop the anchor, is unplanned, unexpected & can happen in a split second, whilst the hours of darkness are normally fairly predicable, also, bad weather (Fog, gales etc) does tend to be forecast at least a few hours before it happens.

[Ewan123]

3 hours ago, truckcab79 said:

I bet you’re glad you asked. 😂

 

I walked into this with my eyes wide open lol.

 

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

Your suggestion appears to have no logic at all :-

 

Maybe its because an engine breakdown, and the need to drop the anchor, is unplanned, unexpected & can happen in a split second, whilst the hours of darkness are normally fairly predicable, also, bad weather (Fog, gales etc) does tend to be forecast at least a few hours before it happens.

 

Something unexpected could happen towards the end of a day, delaying passage such that the boat ends up moving in the dark. That seems as likely to me as a sudden engine failure and need to drop an anchor. Maybe the engine fails late on the day and gets fixed but not before darkness falls.

 

Is that so much less likely?

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Ewan123 said:

 

I walked into this with my eyes wide open lol.

 

Is that so much less likely?

 

I think so - you'd pick up a tow. The coastguard wouldn't want an unlit NB drifting down the Mersey.

[Ewan123]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I think so - you'd pick up a tow. The coastguard wouldn't want an unlit NB drifting down the Mersey.

Fair enough. I still think it's an odd exception to allow.