Take a good look at the Colregs, which answer most of your questions
-- you do have a copy of the Colregs, don't you? They're required
aboard boats longer than 12 meters.
Big Grin Not only do I have several copies of the Colregs, I have
practically memorized them and can tell you where they differ from the
Inland Rules and the special rules for Western Rivers. Obviously a
lot more time dreaming about sailing than really sailing recently. :-)
Rules below are paraphrases...
Annex 1, 2.(i)(ii) one meter vertical separation on vessels less than
20 meters long
Annex 1, 9.(b) all around lights must not be obscured more than 6
degrees
(as a practical matter this requires two lights, one on each side of
the mast, unless the mast is very skinny -- distance away from mast
needs to be roughly 10 times the diameter of the mast.)
Is your "10 times the diameter" a calculated figure or a general
estimate? If it is a calculated figure and we assume that the light
is a point source, this would mean that a light on a one-inch diameter
extension would still have to be 10 inches away from the extension.
Having seen many green over white lights on fishing boats around here,
they do not seem to comply with this. The all-round lights seem to be
only about six inches from rather substantial masts.
As for using two lights, one on each side of a large mast, wouldn't
that cause even more confusion? Or would they merge visually from a
distance?
Rule 25(c) at or near the top of the mast and may not be used with a
tricolor (nothing here about two masts)
Rule 25 says to me a) you can't hoist them from a spreader and b) you
probably can't put them on the mizzen.
Your point is well taken on this. The wording of the regs does
indicate the peak of the mast which would imply the highest point. I
may have to do some in-depth research on this question. The mizzen
arrangement would be easier, but may not be legal.
Now, with the rules out of the way, some thoughts....
They came on Swee****er (Swan 57) when we bought her. We were in a
marina in downtown Boston and an old man came along, said he was a
retired USCG CPO, and challenged the lights -- said they were illegal.
I got the Colregs, he read them and apologized, saying that he had
never seen them. So much, I am afraid, for your "most casual
observer". I've never actually seen them in use, although I have seen
them installed on a few large vessels (that includes about 40,000
miles at sea).
We took them off, before our circumnav, figuring that they would
confuse rather than enlighten.
I am really surprised that you went to the trouble of taking them off.
When you say that the lights might confuse more than enlighten, I
think about who I am trying to inform - skippers of larger commercial
vessels primarily. They are the ones who can hurt me the most. I
have to assume that they will be familiar with the Colregs and know
what the lights mean. But, even for the most ill informed
recreational boater, the lights would at least communicate that there
is something different out there that they need to pay attention to.
I am not as concerned that a small boat skipper will immediately know
what my vessel is from the lights as I am concerned that I get his/her
attention.
Since your sailboat was equipped with red over green lights, how were
they designed and installed? Were they two lights for each color on
opposite sides of the mast? Or where they all-round lights on a
separate stalk above the peak of the mast. Since your vessel was a
Swan 57, I feel that I can assume that the installation was well
engineered and executed and completely legal.
At sea, the tricolor is your best bet -- it's on top of the mast and
can be seen at a distance -- I'd much rather have it than a red over
green and red/green and stern at deck level.
I certainly agree that on the ocean the tricolor is better than the
lights on or near the deck. But think about what a freighter captain
would see. If he sees a red light about all he knows is that some
kind of vessel is out there. He probably can safely assume that he is
looking at the starboard side of a vessel. IF he assumes that the
sighted vessel has all its proper lights working, he might correctly
conclude that it is a sailboat under sail to which he must give way.
But, of course, a single red light could be a lot of other things if
we assume that the vessel's lights are NOT all working properly.
If, on the other hand, the freighter captain sees a red light over a
green light off in the distance, he knows that the vessel can only be
one thing, a sailboat under sail. There is not another series of
lights, even with some of the lights not working, that could give that
combination (other than a sailboat on its side G). Also, two lights
of different colors increases the chances of at least one of them
being seen.
In close quarters, particularly in rivers or crowded harbors, masthead
lights are too high -- many observers will miss them -- so we ran with
the lower lights on.
I certainly agree with this and almost got run down on an inland lake
once when I was using a tricolor light on an O'Day 25. A pontoon boat
had a canopy that blocked the skipper's vision of my tricolor.
If you're really concerned about being seen, I would turn on the
steaming light and act like a power vessel. (Run the engine if you're
really worried.)
First of all, turning on the steaming (masthead) light while
proceeding under sail alone would not be legal. If I got into a
situation where I was unable to maneuver I would be held liable. So,
I either have to forget about being a sailboat and run the engine all
the time as you suggest, or I have to turn on the best combination of
legal lights to fit the occasion - deck-level lights for close
quarters or mast peak lights for ocean.
I question the wisdom of installing optional lights and, because
they're optional, not installing them in accordance with the rules. I
suspect that if you had an accident, the other side would use that
against you, "Your honor, I was confused by the lights because they
were hsowing red and green and they were too close together and....."
On reflection, you are right. If I am going to install such lights, I
need to do so in strict compliance with the regs.
Because the green would be a meter below your masthead, it will show
up on the job, which is always a nuisance.
Except that by shining into the jib it might be even more visible.
Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
Lee Huddleston
s/v Truelove