Running lights

[roland elsdon]

Told a bloke today his headlight was on it was a block of 6 or 8 LEDs with a huge block of more below, maybe 16 or 20. looked like it came out of halfords designed for a youffs nova. He said it had it on all the time, I then asked if he worked in health and safety and drove a Volvo. He confirmed.

Waiting for him to put the main beam on in a tunnel when a royalty or town is coming the other way

[RichM]

Told a bloke today his headlight was on it was a block of 6 or 8 LEDs with a huge block of more below, maybe 16 or 20. looked like it came out of halfords designed for a youffs nova. He said it had it on all the time, I then asked if he worked in health and safety and drove a Volvo. He confirmed.

Waiting for him to put the main beam on in a tunnel when a royalty or town is coming the other way

 

I don't see the problem if it's not blinding or dazzling other users. At the end of the day it's making him more visible to other canal users and this will help to improve safety even if it's unnecessary 99% of the time. It's the same principle with daytime running lights on modern cars though I'd say it would benefit a car moreso than a boat, but each to their own.

[roland elsdon]

Um it will dazzle in a tunnel

[StephenA]

 

I don't see the problem if it's not blinding or dazzling other users. At the end of the day it's making him more visible to other canal users and this will help to improve safety even if it's unnecessary 99% of the time. It's the same principle with daytime running lights on modern cars though I'd say it would benefit a car moreso than a boat, but each to their own.

 

Bright lights on the front of vehicles can actually make them less visible in certain circumstances....

Edited June 15, 2016 by StephenA

[mross]

Adding to StephenA's post, I would say that a bright light can make it harder for someone to gauge your speed of approach because they don't see an object getting larger and larger, just a dazzling light. This is why, as a motorcyclist, I don't ride with my headlight on unless visibility demands it.

[OldGoat]

roland elsdon, on 15 Jun 2016 - 6:20 PM, said:

Told a bloke today his headlight was on it was a block of 6 or 8 LEDs with a huge block of more below, maybe 16 or 20. looked like it came out of halfords designed for a youffs nova. He said it had it on all the time, I then asked if he worked in health and safety and drove a Volvo. He confirmed.

Waiting for him to put the main beam on in a tunnel when a royalty or town is coming the other way

 

Oi (dunno why I bother - but it's all fun) - not all Volvo drivers are boring old farts and it's no longer an O.F. car - still if I protest too much, others will find how much fun driving a V** can be....

 

Armitage Shanks, on 15 Jun 2016 - 7:01 PM, said:

 

I don't see the problem if it's not blinding or dazzling other users. At the end of the day it's making him more visible to other canal users and this will help to improve safety even if it's unnecessary 99% of the time. It's the same principle with daytime running lights on modern cars though I'd say it would benefit a car more so than a boat, but each to their own.

 

On the OF topic and implied day running lights (which on my car are dipped headlamps - so a pain to me, if to nobody else), I'm beginning to be sympathetic (a bit) to having something on while navigating a boat.

There are occasions in deep cuttings (invariably just before and after a tunnel (!!) where some form of light can be helpful to others navigating in the vicinity.

Accordingly, fortified by SWMBO's very generously poured whisky Mac - methinks that - on occasion - some form of lights can be of use.....

 

Apologies for trying to make sense out of what seemingly could be a rant topic.

 

See and be seen is an object for me (saves a lot of faffing around with avoiding the other pillock who appears out of the gloom...

 

Common sense innit..

 

(Oh, BTW I drive a Volvo - lots of horses and very comfortable - see me off road...)

[dave moore]

More modern malpractice. The cut isn't a motorway. I drove Volvos with daylight running lights for years, never a problem, but the only time my headlamp is on outside of a tunnel is if I'm working at night or I've forgotten to turn it off.

 

On another topic, is there a trophy for the slowest exit from locks? I ask because recent boating forays have highlighted this phenomenon. On Monday I took Crane, 70' of unconverted Josher, down Hatton with owner Geoff, who obligingly worked locks while I had the boat. Uphill traffic seemed to crawl out of locks and eyed me cautiously because I hung back in the empty lock to pass in the pound, rather than being blown about by wind. I suspect it's me, and other old doodahs......

 

Dave

[sunny jim]

Adding to StephenA's post, I would say that a bright light can make it harder for someone to gauge your speed of approach because they don't see an object getting larger and larger, just a dazzling light. This is why, as a motorcyclist, I don't ride with my headlight on unless visibility demands it.

Gauge his speed of approach?its a canal he is on.

[Chertsey]

 

On another topic, is there a trophy for the slowest exit from locks? I ask because recent boating forays have highlighted this phenomenon. On Monday I took Crane, 70' of unconverted Josher, down Hatton with owner Geoff, who obligingly worked locks while I had the boat. Uphill traffic seemed to crawl out of locks and eyed me cautiously because I hung back in the empty lock to pass in the pound, rather than being blown about by wind. I suspect it's me, and other old doodahs......

 

Dave

You would be snowed under with nominations! There could be an associated prize for the slowest at actually getting onto the boat and starting to move into the recently vacated lock too - I find I'm often looking back over my shoulder at someone who is just starting to think about untying while their wife (nearly always that way round) is twiddling her thumbs on the lockside and the queue grows ever longer.

 

Returning to the OP, does a bloody great narrow boat really need lights to make it more visible?

 

And old Volvos are great.

[Tiggs]

 

Bright lights on the front of vehicles can actually make them less visible in certain circumstances....

 

It can certainly make other vehicles without lights on less visible.

More modern malpractice. The cut isn't a motorway. I drove Volvos with daylight running lights for years, never a problem, but the only time my headlamp is on outside of a tunnel is if I'm working at night or I've forgotten to turn it off.

 

On another topic, is there a trophy for the slowest exit from locks? I ask because recent boating forays have highlighted this phenomenon. On Monday I took Crane, 70' of unconverted Josher, down Hatton with owner Geoff, who obligingly worked locks while I had the boat. Uphill traffic seemed to crawl out of locks and eyed me cautiously because I hung back in the empty lock to pass in the pound, rather than being blown about by wind. I suspect it's me, and other old doodahs......

 

Dave

 

Yes I do this and find it very irritating that others exit so slowly.

Edited June 15, 2016 by Tiggs

[hovrin]

I can't speak for canal boats because I have never been on one. However, modern headlights in built up areas, whether at night or during the day, are a positive menace because they hide so much in the glare. For night time please bring back large but low powered side lights - they make it much easier to judge traffic conditions. During the day you don't need lights at all if you are looking at the road properly.

[roland elsdon]

Coming from the antipodes this year we picked up I think a fraud fester as a hire car. Now where we are from the average age of a car is 17 yrs, so if you buy a used car an airbag is considered a noteworthy feature.there are still Nissan Sunnys and triumphs in daily use.

With the dash lit up like a 70s disco and lights on the front ( it was dusk) couldn't work out why people were flashing me. (32 hr door to door trip no sleep) finally got out to check front lights blazing away rear off. Bloody unsafe finally found light switch

[gazza]

 

Be safe, be seen

[MtB]

How many boaters are killed or seriously injured in crashes per year?

 

How often do we hear the SMIDSY excuse ("Sorry mate, I didn't see you") after a serious injury resulting from a boat crash?

 

[StephenA]

I can't speak for canal boats because I have never been on one. However, modern headlights in built up areas, whether at night or during the day, are a positive menace because they hide so much in the glare. For night time please bring back large but low powered side lights - they make it much easier to judge traffic conditions. During the day you don't need lights at all if you are looking at the road properly.

 

The regs for lights on canal boats used to specifically state that they musn't put out a bright tight beam (i,.e. a focussed spot) but should put out a wide beam .. I don't think we still have the BW stuff from when our boat was built 30 years ago.

[cuthound]

Can't see the point of daytime running lights on a boat. It's not as though there are people constantly running across the cut or pulling out of side junctions is it?

 

All of the boats I have failed to see have been hidden by blind bridges or overgrown foliage, and a light won't help in either of these situations.

[RLWP]

All of the boats I have failed to see have been hidden by blind bridges or overgrown foliage, and a light won't help in either of these situations.

 

It would if it was really, really, really bright

 

Richard

[cuthound]

It would if it was really, really, really bright

 

Richard

Ah, I see what you mean, the light escaping through the cracks in the crumbling brickwork ☺

[RLWP]

Ah, I see what you mean, the light escaping through the cracks in the crumbling brickwork ☺

 

I can often work out where the sun is, even if I can't see it

 

Richard

[X Alan W]

More modern malpractice. The cut isn't a motorway. I drove Volvos with daylight running lights for years, never a problem, but the only time my headlamp is on outside of a tunnel is if I'm working at night or I've forgotten to turn it off.

 

On another topic, is there a trophy for the slowest exit from locks? I ask because recent boating forays have highlighted this phenomenon. On Monday I took Crane, 70' of unconverted Josher, down Hatton with owner Geoff, who obligingly worked locks while I had the boat. Uphill traffic seemed to crawl out of locks and eyed me cautiously because I hung back in the empty lock to pass in the pound, rather than being blown about by wind. I suspect it's me, and other old doodahs......

 

Dave

Dave you should know by now that modern thinking is you should exit the lock & proceed to near the next lock/lock landing, leap off & tie up for the approx 30 seconds you need to wait for the approaching boat to exit lock & pass you. a right old "Doodah" you are becoming.

[MtB]

 

I can often work out where the sun is, even if I can't see it

 

Richard

 

 

I'm intrigued now. Why do you need to work out where the sun is?

[RLWP]

 

 

I'm intrigued now. Why do you need to work out where the sun is?

 

Do you read these threads? In this case, the sun is an extreme example of a bright light, and if such a bright light was fitted to the front of a narrowboat you could tell where it was even the other side of a bridge

 

Or city

 

Richard

 

Or planet

[MtB]

Dave you should know by now that modern thinking is you should exit the lock & proceed to near the next lock/lock landing, leap off & tie up for the approx 30 seconds you need to wait for the approaching boat to exit lock & pass you. a right old "Doodah" you are becoming.

 

 

In my experience when the other boat in the lock expects you to do this, it is because they are planning on taking ten minutes to vacate the lock.

 

 

Do you read these threads? In this case, the sun is an extreme example of a bright light, and if such a bright light was fitted to the front of a narrowboat you could tell where it was even the other side of a bridge

 

Or city

 

Richard

 

Or planet

 

 

Yes I've been reading and following the thread.

 

Your comment created the impression in my mind that in addition to using this skill to locate the hidden boat with the bright light, you were also in the habit of locating the sun in cloudy conditions on a regular basis so I just wondered why.

 

Clearly wrong then!

[RLWP]

 

Your comment created the impression in my mind that in addition to using this skill to locate the hidden boat with the bright light, you were also in the habit of locating the sun in cloudy conditions on a regular basis so I just wondered why.

 

It's a kind of natural ability I have, I have never really thought about why I can do this. Is it unusual then - are you unable to locate the sun for some reason?

 

Richard

[MtB]

 

It's a kind of natural ability I have, I have never really thought about why I can do this. Is it unusual then - are you unable to locate the sun for some reason?

 

Richard

 

 

I can make a rough stab at it by judging which bit of sky is brightest when I need to know which way south is, for example, when lost without a map. But this no longer crops up since the advent of smartphones.

 

I wasn't suggesting it was an unusual skill, I was just idly wondering why you still need to do it.

 

It's not a big deal, I wasn't meaning this to turn into an inquisition!

On reflection, I was wanting to learn. I was wondering if there was a circumstance cropping up regularly in life that I hadn't noticed, where knowing where the sun is useful. That's all.