Night Sea kayaking
 

Hello all...

I'm writing from Switzerland and this is my first post on this
newsgroup...but I've been reading you all for a long time and got plenty of
tricks that helped me improve my poor skills...

Most of the time, I paddle on Lake Leman but I travel every year to Brittany
and put my kayak to rougher seas !!

I just wanted to hear from you about seakayaking at night...do you use any
light so other boats could see you ?

Thanks..

JB

Night Sea kayaking
 

JB,

I would certainly recommend standard boat lighting (red and green), however,
I would not wish to rely solely on same. Some device to provide a radar
profile would also be useful, as would additional safety and signal
equipment should something unexpected occur. While collisions with a kayak
are unlikely, you are in a very exposed and unprotected situation and should
take reasonable safety precautions.

Rick

"JB" wrote in message
...
Hello all...

I'm writing from Switzerland and this is my first post on this
newsgroup...but I've been reading you all for a long time and got plenty
of
tricks that helped me improve my poor skills...

Most of the time, I paddle on Lake Leman but I travel every year to
Brittany
and put my kayak to rougher seas !!

I just wanted to hear from you about seakayaking at night...do you use any
light so other boats could see you ?

Thanks..

JB

Night Sea kayaking
 

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:25:28 GMT, "Rick" wrote:

"JB" wrote in message
...
Hello all...

I'm writing from Switzerland and this is my first post on this
newsgroup...but I've been reading you all for a long time and got plenty
of
tricks that helped me improve my poor skills...

Most of the time, I paddle on Lake Leman but I travel every year to
Brittany
and put my kayak to rougher seas !!

I just wanted to hear from you about seakayaking at night...do you use any
light so other boats could see you ?

I would certainly recommend standard boat lighting (red and green), however,
I would not wish to rely solely on same. Some device to provide a radar
profile would also be useful, as would additional safety and signal
equipment should something unexpected occur. While collisions with a kayak
are unlikely, you are in a very exposed and unprotected situation and should
take reasonable safety precautions.

Rick

In the US, any craft on the water at night is supposed to display the
standard basic lights, regardless of propulsion. Obviously the US
Coast Guard rules do not apply elsewhere, but your equivalent agency
may have similar policies.

There are many inexpensive lights available, which attach in a variety
of ways..

For radar, there are things called "corner reflectors" which do a fine
job of reflecting radar back to its source. These dramatically raise
your visibility on their radar for little cost and no power.

Any marine supply store will have these.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Night Sea kayaking
 

I'm not going to bother to try to look up the actual regulations right now,
but I seem to recall that kayaks, for whatever reason, are exempt from the red
and green light thing when out at night. We are required to carry a
"directional beam light," i.e., a flashlight, and that's about it. The purpose
of the directional beam light is to be able to use it to signal boats as to
your position in the event one looks like it is going to pass near you. Of
course that's in the US, I have no idea what the regulations are in
Switzerland.
When I am out paddling at night I usually tape a couple of chem lights to
the paddle shaft out towards the paddle blades to make myself more visible. You
want to avoid having any brighter lights on your boat as they will ruin your
night vision.
As for radar reflectors, it is my understanding (and once again I am going
from memory here, which is not as good as it used to be :-) that anything you
can carry in a kayak is, for the most part, useless. If you stick close to
shore then boat traffic should be not much of a concern.

Scott
So.Cal.

Night Sea kayaking
 

I think Scott has it right. The 72 COLREGS (international rules to avoid
collisions) states that kayaks can either use the same light pattern as a small
sailboat (red/green) or just a white light that can be shown to avoid a
collision. The picture in the regulation shows a sailor using the light to
shine on their sail to make them more visible.

You may also be required to have a night visual distress signal. The most
common for kayakers would be three aerial flares (three count as one device) or
a strobe. According to international rules, the strobe must automatically
flash SOS in Morse Code. Fortunately with tiny computers, you an get a light
to do that for about $35US.

Hope this helps.
Brian Blankinship

Night Sea kayaking
 

"Blankibr" wrote in message
...
I think Scott has it right. The 72 COLREGS (international rules to avoid
collisions) states that kayaks can either use the same light pattern as a
small
sailboat (red/green) or just a white light that can be shown to avoid a
collision.

Does the white light have to cover 360 degrees?

Night Sea kayaking
 

Check out:

http://www.connyak.org/Public%20Affa...ng_Lights.html

paddle safe,
doug m

Night Sea kayaking
 

On 01 Oct 2003 00:58:52 GMT, (Blankibr) wrote:

I think Scott has it right. The 72 COLREGS (international rules to avoid
collisions) states that kayaks can either use the same light pattern as a small
sailboat (red/green) or just a white light that can be shown to avoid a
collision. The picture in the regulation shows a sailor using the light to
shine on their sail to make them more visible.

You may also be required to have a night visual distress signal. The most
common for kayakers would be three aerial flares (three count as one device) or
a strobe. According to international rules, the strobe must automatically
flash SOS in Morse Code. Fortunately with tiny computers, you an get a light
to do that for about $35US.

I wasn't sure about the exemption.

No harm in having the same lighting as a small sailboat.

I would still behave like a bicyclist on the same road as trucks:
assume you are invisible no matter how many lights you have, and
always be prepared to get out of the way.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Night Sea kayaking
 

The white light must be at least 2-3 feet above the water. I forget which.

Gary S. wrote:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:25:28 GMT, "Rick" wrote:


"JB" wrote in message
...

Hello all...

I'm writing from Switzerland and this is my first post on this
newsgroup...but I've been reading you all for a long time and got plenty

of

tricks that helped me improve my poor skills...

Most of the time, I paddle on Lake Leman but I travel every year to

Brittany

and put my kayak to rougher seas !!

I just wanted to hear from you about seakayaking at night...do you use any
light so other boats could see you ?


I would certainly recommend standard boat lighting (red and green), however,
I would not wish to rely solely on same. Some device to provide a radar
profile would also be useful, as would additional safety and signal
equipment should something unexpected occur. While collisions with a kayak
are unlikely, you are in a very exposed and unprotected situation and should
take reasonable safety precautions.

Rick


In the US, any craft on the water at night is supposed to display the
standard basic lights, regardless of propulsion. Obviously the US
Coast Guard rules do not apply elsewhere, but your equivalent agency
may have similar policies.

There are many inexpensive lights available, which attach in a variety
of ways..

For radar, there are things called "corner reflectors" which do a fine
job of reflecting radar back to its source. These dramatically raise
your visibility on their radar for little cost and no power.

Any marine supply store will have these.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

Night Sea kayaking
 

lcopps wrote:

The white light must be at least 2-3 feet above the water. I forget which.

No, there is no height requirement by the USCG. According to
http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/fed_reqs/equ_nav.htm the only required
lighting for sailboats under 7 m in length and "vessels under oars" (I
think paddles and oars are considered synonymous by the USCG) is a white
flashlight or lantern which can be used to signal when necessary to avoid a
collision. Other lights, such as red/green side lights and a 360 white
light, may be displayed but are not required. I prefer to use a headlamp
as my white flashlight so I can use it to signal while still being able to
paddle.

Gary S. wrote:
In the US, any craft on the water at night is supposed to display the
standard basic lights, regardless of propulsion. Obviously the US
Coast Guard rules do not apply elsewhere, but your equivalent agency
may have similar policies.

There are many inexpensive lights available, which attach in a variety
of ways..

For radar, there are things called "corner reflectors" which do a fine
job of reflecting radar back to its source. These dramatically raise
your visibility on their radar for little cost and no power.

Night Sea kayaking
 

"WebKatz" writes: Does the white light have to cover 360 degrees?

No. The light is to be shined to avoid a collision. I personally would flash
it across the "target" (hazardous vessel) and then back to my illuminating my
boat.

This could have the unintended effect of implying you want them to come closer.


Also keep in mind a large vessel like a ferry or barge is not going to be able
to change course or stop to avoid hitting you. As someone else posted, act as
though no one else sees you and avoid them.

Brian Blankinship

Night Sea kayaking
 

Thanks for your answers....I think I'll go for the white flashlight...and
btw, in Switzerland, you apply the international rules, which means a
flashlight, at least...

For the emergency flare or lights, I carry 3 red flares (1 in the PFD and 2
on the boat) and a parachute flare. I will soon purchase a strobe but for
now I have a Photon 3 with SOS strobe...usefull only when weather conditions
are not too bad, of course
(http://www.photonlight.com/products/photon_3.html)

Another question, did everyone have a problem because of the lack of light
while navigating by night ?

Night Sea kayaking
 

"JB" wrote in message ...
Hello all...

I'm writing from Switzerland and this is my first post on this
newsgroup...but I've been reading you all for a long time and got plenty of
tricks that helped me improve my poor skills...

Most of the time, I paddle on Lake Leman but I travel every year to Brittany
and put my kayak to rougher seas !!

I just wanted to hear from you about seakayaking at night...do you use any
light so other boats could see you ?

Thanks..

JB

in canada , canadian coast guard regs. state a light visible from 360
degrees. a flash light that can be pointed will pass.
we paddle at night all the time here. there is little power boat
traffic so collisions are not such an issue.
radar reflectors aree not much use unless they are 6 ' up. so a kayak
would not make a very good platform. the reflector would become a
hazard in a roll if you need to do one or wind would make the
reflector and mast a hazard.
i paddle alone occasionally at night. it is wonderfull.
i choose the weather very carefully and double check things i would
not even think about in the day.
i would recommend you never paddle alone but i like to hike and paddle
; often prefferring to be alone.
I always put a chemical light on my back deck. i use red because it
does not effect night vision as much as white. i have at least two
flashlights , one tied to my deck and one in my PFD. i use pelican
lights.
be carefull , you might want to check your local regulations. you have
higher traffic so they will likely be different than ours.
have a ball.
Fiona

Night Sea kayaking
 

JB wrote:


Another question, did everyone have a problem because of the lack of light
while navigating by night ?


Can be more difficult if there is no dominant landmark (light) to which
you can orient.

Also, have found in very dark conditions that equilibrium can be
affected and that I probably brace more than needed due to feeling that
I'm about to dump. Odd sensation.

doug m

Night Sea kayaking
 

doug m wrote:

Also, have found in very dark conditions that equilibrium can be
affected and that I probably brace more than needed due to feeling that
I'm about to dump. Odd sensation.

This is a variation of the condition known as "kayak angst". It can occur
whenever you're in a situation where you lose the ability to distinguish the
horizon. That usually means flat water with fog, heavy overcast or darkness,
and no landmarks or objects in the water. Basically, without any reference
points, your inner ear goes haywire and you can't maintain balance.
Fortunately, all it takes is ripples in the water or another paddler within
sight to eliminate the problem.

--
Regards

Brian

Night Sea kayaking
 

in article , Brian Nystrom at
wrote on 10/4/03 6:09 AM:



doug m wrote:

Also, have found in very dark conditions that equilibrium can be
affected and that I probably brace more than needed due to feeling that
I'm about to dump. Odd sensation.

This is a variation of the condition known as "kayak angst". It can occur
whenever you're in a situation where you lose the ability to distinguish the
horizon. That usually means flat water with fog, heavy overcast or darkness,
and no landmarks or objects in the water. Basically, without any reference
points, your inner ear goes haywire and you can't maintain balance.
Fortunately, all it takes is ripples in the water or another paddler within
sight to eliminate the problem.

What your inner ear contributes to balance should not be affected by your
ability to see the horizon. A perfectly normally wired person should be
able to maintain balance even when blindfolded. But balance is affected by
input from vision and all physical sensation. You can be blindfolded and
maintain balance more easily if your feet are on the ground than if you are
floating in a boat.

I get the sensation of being way off balance in my kayak whenever I raise
the camera to my eye because the way I'm seeing the horizon is greatly
modified through the viewfinder. It is bizarre.

I have not experienced the same at night when the horizon is not visible.

It's definately not limited to kayaks, my daughter gets it whenever we drive
through rural areas at night and you cannot see the horizon from the rear
passenger window. Fortunately, she can deal with it now and no longer pukes
as a result.

No, its to be a directional light.

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 20:21:12 -0500, "WebKatz"
wrote:


"Blankibr" wrote in message
...
I think Scott has it right. The 72 COLREGS (international rules to avoid
collisions) states that kayaks can either use the same light pattern as a
small
sailboat (red/green) or just a white light that can be shown to avoid a
collision.

Does the white light have to cover 360 degrees?

wrote
No, its to be a directional light.

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 20:21:12 -0500, "WebKatz" wrote:
The 72 COLREGS (international rules to avoid
collisions) states that kayaks can either use the same light pattern as
a
small sailboat (red/green) or just a white light that can be shown to
avoid a
collision.

Does the white light have to cover 360 degrees?


In Pennsylvania the Fish & Boating rules say it should be an
omnidirectional light. --Also true in places in NJ such as Round Valley
Reservoir. How confident are you that you know for sure where the boat
that's going to hit you is coming from, so you can point your light toward
it?
JMP

Joe Pylka wrote:

wrote

No, its to be a directional light.

Does the white light have to cover 360 degrees?



In Pennsylvania the Fish & Boating rules say it should be an
omnidirectional light.

Not according to the boating manual at:
http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/
Chapter 4 gives the night lighting requirements and for small sailboats
(7m) and all human-powered the requirement is a "white light either
hand-held or installed ready to be displayed in time to avoid a
collision." Figures 7A and B apply and show a person holding a light.

There is no requirement listed that the light be omnidirectional. A
reasonable flashlight meets the requirements. That's not to deny that
in some circumstances it might be wise to exceed the minimum requirements.

--Also true in places in NJ such as Round Valley
Reservoir.

I recall the NJ rules being similar to those of Pennsylvania referenced
above. Do you have any documentation of additional rules for RVR - I
certainly got no complaints when kayaking there after dark.

How confident are you that you know for sure where the boat
that's going to hit you is coming from, so you can point your light toward
it?

Depends on the circumstances. I frequently put one of my bicycle LED
tail-lights set to show a steady red light behind me when kayaking alone
or if at the back of a group.

"Joe Pylka" wrote in
ink.net:

How confident are you that you know for sure where
the boat that's going to hit you is coming from, so you can point your
light toward it?

Good question. A visible signal is only good if someone is looking in the
right direction. A few years ago about 10 of us were on a small lake for a
moonlight paddle. All but two had headlamps. We saw a boat approaching so
everyone looked in that direction and started shaking our heads so that the
boat operator could see us. When it got to about 200' away I realized that
they were not looking in our direction so I blew my very loud whistle. That
got their attention immediately and they veered off.

If you're going to paddle at night (or anytime when there is a lot of boat
traffic) carry a loud whistle.

If you're going to paddle at night (or anytime when there is a lot of boat
traffic) carry a loud whistle.

If it is large, fast traffic, I suggest one of those canned air horns under
the front straps. Use this first and keep the whistle connected to your vest
as a back-up. We may not be "Big" in the grand scheme of things but we can
at least sound big.

--

"John Fereira" wrote in message
.. .
"Joe Pylka" wrote in
ink.net:

How confident are you that you know for sure where
the boat that's going to hit you is coming from, so you can point your
light toward it?

Good question. A visible signal is only good if someone is looking in the
right direction. A few years ago about 10 of us were on a small lake for
a
moonlight paddle. All but two had headlamps. We saw a boat approaching
so
everyone looked in that direction and started shaking our heads so that
the
boat operator could see us. When it got to about 200' away I realized
that
they were not looking in our direction so I blew my very loud whistle.
That
got their attention immediately and they veered off.

If you're going to paddle at night (or anytime when there is a lot of boat
traffic) carry a loud whistle.

There may be a difference between the rules for inland waterways which
are controlled by the state and Coast Guard controlled waters. It's that
way up here in NH. The state requires an omnidirectional light inland,
but it's not required on the coast.

Kenneth McClelland wrote:

If you're going to paddle at night (or anytime when there is a lot of boat
traffic) carry a loud whistle.


If it is large, fast traffic, I suggest one of those canned air horns under
the front straps. Use this first and keep the whistle connected to your vest
as a back-up. We may not be "Big" in the grand scheme of things but we can
at least sound big.

Another alternative is one of the "Safety Blaster" horns, which are lung
powered. They're MUCH louder than any whistle, but take less breath to
operate. Since getting one of these, I don't bother with whistles
anymore. There are two models. The larger one (commonly found at marine
stores) is too big for kayaking, but the smaller one will fit in a PFD
pocket.

In Pennsylvania the Fish & Boating rules say it should be an
omnidirectional light.

Not according to the boating manual
There is no requirement listed that the light be omnidirectional. A
reasonable flashlight meets the requirements. That's not to deny that
in some circumstances it might be wise to exceed the minimum requirements.

OK -- change "should be" to "could be" in my statement.

I recall the NJ rules being similar to those of Pennsylvania referenced
above. Do you have any documentation of additional rules for RVR - I
certainly got no complaints when kayaking there after dark.

Only verbal discussions with state personnel stationed there. Also in a
presentation they did a coupla years ago at the Round Valley Roundup. They
did also suggest (see another message in this thread) that sound signalling
devices were also a very good idea because it gets the other boats'
attention and also because it's a wise thing to have on foggy nights.

Be careful of the safety blaster horns. When the membrane gets wet, they don't
work. You can flick the water off it, but that takes a few more seconds
(several flicks).

Brian Blankinship

Blankibr wrote:
Be careful of the safety blaster horns. When the membrane gets wet, they don't
work. You can flick the water off it, but that takes a few more seconds
(several flicks).

I carry mine in a PFD pocket where it gets soaked all the time and it's
never failed to work. I do carry it with the open end down, so it
doesn't fill with water. Perhaps that's the actual issue?

Blankibr wrote:
Be careful of the safety blaster horns. When the membrane gets wet, they
don't
work. You can flick the water off it, but that takes a few more seconds
(several flicks).

I carry mine in a PFD pocket where it gets soaked all the time and it's
never failed to work. I do carry it with the open end down, so it
doesn't fill with water. Perhaps that's the actual issue?

Perhaps so. I carry mine on the deck. Mine also is missing the "exit end."
Someone ran over my kayak in his and broke that part off.

Brian B