Stern light Q’s
- Thread starter fred1diver
- Start date
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 24,454
I just had the CG Auxiliary onboard for VSC. I told the inspector I’m not sure I can pass. He said let’s see. My stern light bulb just flashed out. So no stern light. He said no problem. Your tri-Nav light meets the inspection requirements.
I will still replace the stern light. Having them when in high traffic, especially around power boats is a better option as many boaters are looking at the water not the top of the mast. Especially when there are shore lights. They can confuse your tri-nav light with the traffic lights ashore.
Your stern light location is fine as long as it is visible through a 135 degree arc from your stern.
I will still replace the stern light. Having them when in high traffic, especially around power boats is a better option as many boaters are looking at the water not the top of the mast. Especially when there are shore lights. They can confuse your tri-nav light with the traffic lights ashore.
Your stern light location is fine as long as it is visible through a 135 degree arc from your stern.
I don't know what the inspection requirements are, but it would not meet the legal requirement if you were motoring at night.
Mark
Actually, this unit does all the combinations at the mast head.
dj
He was wrong. He should stop doing inspections.
The white all-around must be 1 meter higher than the side lights (<12 M). This can not be accomplished in an all-in-one. The white light cannot be combined because it would not be visible as separate at a distance. Kind of obvious, but sellers claim odd things.
---
The details of light spacing etc. are not in the body of COLREGS. They are in the Annex. Most people miss that.
The allowance for off-center mounting is in the annex to COLREGS. Same with a combo bow light at the bow.
That is where all of the location requirements are found.
Ah so @colemj is correct in that you can't have a masthead tricolor running under power - no matter what the marketing folks want to say...
From page 114 in the annex:
"(h) The sidelights, if in a combined lantern and carried on a power-driven vessel of less than 20 meters in length, shall be placed not less than 1 meter below the masthead light."
I'm also going to complain about the new google search function that won't come up with real data and information until you dig down several pages after all the youtube, marketing pages and such - I don't remember how many pages I had to page through to get to the actual data desired.... so I'm attaching the link:
@thinwater - I've read through the annexes a couple times and am not seeing where it talks about off-centered stern light. Can you point me to the section and paragraph? Maybe I'm just being blind...
dj
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 24,454
A “white all around” I understand is to indicate “at anchor “.
I believe we were discussing nav lights while under power or sail.
I believe that this is the colregs that identify the use of a “Tri-Color” light at the mast head.
83.25 Sailing vessels underway and vessels under oars (Rule 25).
(a) A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit:
(i) Sidelights; and
(ii) A sternlight.
(b) In a sailing vessel of less than 20 meters in length the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen.
(c) A sailing vessel underway may, in addition to the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule, exhibit at or near the top of the mast, where they can best be seen, two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower green, but these lights shall not be exhibited in conjunction with the combined lantern permitted by paragraph (b) of this Rule.
When the sailing vessel is under auxiliary power at night the then the light requirements are the same as a power boat.
§ 83.23 Power-driven vessels underway (Rule 23).
(a) A power-driven vessel underway 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 light but may do so;
(iii) Sidelights; and
(iv) A sternlight.
(d) 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.
It would appear that a sailboat of less than 12 meters could be under auxiliary power, running red & green sidelights on the bow , and an all around white anchor light at the masthead.
Perhaps someone with colregs understanding can clarify.
It depends on how you interpret "as nearly as practical." Many builders take this to mean that a few inches or a foot of offset are OK. For example, if a boat has davits, a CL sternlight is tricky, and a combined bow light is tricky for some boats with bowsprits.
- My cruising cat has a stern light on one of the amas instead of the bridgedeck, which would be blocked most of the time by the dinghy on davits or other toys carried above that on the stern.
- My trimaran has the stern light to one side because it has an open transom; the light would be only inches above the water, which would be terrible for visibility. At speed, with hull-sink, it could be above the water but below the true water level!
- The bow light combo is offset because if it were centered the folding bowsprit would block it.
- Outboards can block sternlights; something to be mindful of.
BTW, there is also an allowance for the all-around light to be blocked by up to 6 degrees, to allow for the mast and rigging, if not at the top of the mast.
—INTERNATIONAL—
Lights and Shapes
RULE 23—CONTINUED
(c) A WIG craft only when taking off, landing and in flight near the surface
shall, in addition to the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule, exhibit
a high intensity all-round flashing red light.
(d)
(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
centerline of the vessel if centerline fitting is not practicable, provided
that the sidelights are combined in one lantern which shall be carried
on the fore and aft centerline of the vessel or located as nearly as
practicable in the same fore and aft line as the masthead light or the
all-round white light.
In the context the OP brought, I can't imagine how mounting off center matters at all. Even for most boats, mounting off center means the light is a foot or two off of the centerline. This can't possibly matter for navigation, as nobody coming up from astern is going to pass one foot closer and hit the boat just because the stern light wasn't on centerline. Same for combo bow lights. Even on a wide boat like a catamaran.
Our steaming light is not on the masthead, although I guess I could use our anchor light for that. It is ~1/2 up the mast. It has been located there from the factory on every boat I've owned. This is the first time it has come to my attention that the steaming light is supposed to be at the masthead. And 360* not counting the sector provided by the stern light.
Mark
Our steaming light is not on the masthead, although I guess I could use our anchor light for that. It is ~1/2 up the mast. It has been located there from the factory on every boat I've owned. This is the first time it has come to my attention that the steaming light is supposed to be at the masthead. And 360* not counting the sector provided by the stern light.
Mark
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 24,454
My interpretation varies Mark.
The steaming light is a forward bearing light that is used to identify a boat under power. It’s position, shining forward and somewhere on the mast above the deck identifies it as a steaming light.
The all around white light is different. It may be at the top of the mast.
Sounds like your boat builders were complying with the COLREGS.
Here are the Light definitions:
§ 83.21 Definitions (Rule 21).
(a) Masthead light means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the 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, except that on a vessel of less than 12 meters in length the masthead light shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel.
(b) Sidelights mean a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side each showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 112.5 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on its respective side. On a vessel of less than 20 meters in length the side lights may be combined in one lantern carried on the fore and aft centerline of the vessel, except that on a vessel of less than 12 meters in length the sidelights when combined in one lantern shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel.
(c) Sternlight means a white light placed as nearly as practicable at the stern showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 135 degrees and so fixed as to show the light 67.5 degrees from right aft on each side of the vessel.
(e) All-round light means a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 360 degrees.
The steaming light is a forward bearing light that is used to identify a boat under power. It’s position, shining forward and somewhere on the mast above the deck identifies it as a steaming light.
The all around white light is different. It may be at the top of the mast.
Sounds like your boat builders were complying with the COLREGS.
Here are the Light definitions:
§ 83.21 Definitions (Rule 21).
(a) Masthead light means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the 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, except that on a vessel of less than 12 meters in length the masthead light shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel.
(b) Sidelights mean a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side each showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 112.5 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on its respective side. On a vessel of less than 20 meters in length the side lights may be combined in one lantern carried on the fore and aft centerline of the vessel, except that on a vessel of less than 12 meters in length the sidelights when combined in one lantern shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel.
(c) Sternlight means a white light placed as nearly as practicable at the stern showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 135 degrees and so fixed as to show the light 67.5 degrees from right aft on each side of the vessel.
(e) All-round light means a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 360 degrees.
Until you fix your Stern light use this...
or just a light on a stick.!!!!
Masters Licensed Sailor delivered our boat and the Stern Light was not working, since he motored most of the way to Gulfport MS, he used the Anchor light at night.
A few years later the USCG asked me to "Heave to" for inspection. I ask them about a broken Stern Light and told them about the Anchor Light delivery.
USCG Answer : "That will work in a Pinch"
Jim...
or just a light on a stick.!!!!
Masters Licensed Sailor delivered our boat and the Stern Light was not working, since he motored most of the way to Gulfport MS, he used the Anchor light at night.
A few years later the USCG asked me to "Heave to" for inspection. I ask them about a broken Stern Light and told them about the Anchor Light delivery.
USCG Answer : "That will work in a Pinch"
Jim...
