On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 02:45:36 +0000, Pete Verdon
d wrote:


Required to have one *or* the other, as far as I know, as otherwise
you'd be showing the lights of some other type of vessel.

Correct. The hull lights are for boats like mine, or for entering
harbours because they are more visible, being low, than from out in
the lake against town lights.

In practice,
though, I'm sure anyone watching would be able to tell the difference
between you and a fishing boat/dredger/pilot boat or whatever.

It's primarily large lake freighters, power boats, other sailboats,
and jet skis around here. A small amount of police/Coasties, military
and the odd dredger or barge under tow, but not usually at night. My
main concern here in Toronto are charter "party boats" and lake
frieghters under way: the first are frequently driven by idiots and
have morons as passengers, and the second can't turn or react quickly
enough to give way to me if I don't make myself absolutely visible to
them. On an overnight lake crossing, it can be an issue, although the
middle of the lake is usually dark enough so that a good trilight
stands out well.

There is still commercial fishing on Erie and the Upper Lakes, but
not, I think, in Lake Ontario, although it's clean enough to swim in
off the boat in most places and at most times.

R.