Running Lights

[psneeld]

I have considered installing this on my boat for night travel. Turning them off when encountering boats head on is a given.

50" Off Road Curved LED Light Bar - 288W | Off Road Light Bars | LED Work Light & Off Road LED Light Bars | Super Bright LEDs | Super Bright LEDs

My question to the forum, are they legal?

Having them is not illegal..They are installed on many USCG vessels....and don't be cute to say the Coasties have machine guns but that doesn't make them legal for us...

They are allowed for docking purposes just about everywhere...the link Flywright posted to Pennsylvania said except for docking their use is illegal.

I'm on the water at night several times a week in NJ during the boating season...the use of all kinds of lights seems to be ignored by LEOs as they realize whatever people use to make cruising at night safer...so be it. If it looks like the abusers are making a pest of themselves...maybe they get stopped and given a citation or warning...but I have never seen it or heard of it.

Usually...the people that are clueless and blinding other boaters occasionally...they usually get blasted back and figure it out...for as many people blinding each other out there and I never see or hear of accidents from those issues...seems to me to be a big deal over nothing and I'm pretty sure the LEOs probably feel the same way...maybe not everyplace but I'd bet most.

 

[CPseudonym]

They are allowed for docking purposes just about everywhere...the link Flywright posted to Pennsylvania said except for docking their use is illegal.

Thanks for pointing that link out as I missed it. That is fine in Pennsylvania but like Hollywood said commercial boats, especially fish boats, are lit up pretty well. Also agree with George that the bright lights would go over badly in a channel. Common sense is far from common but some of us still possess and use it in our everyday life.

There is a YouTube video demonstration in the link I posted that demonstrates the lights linked accurately for those not already familiar with them.



Follow up question for you though. Is your assistance boat (that I presume you operate at night sometimes) required to be operated in accordance with rule 21 when towing a disabled vessel?

Rule 21 (d) "Towing light" means a yellow light having the same
characteristics as the "sternlight" defined in paragraph (c) of this
Rule.

Rule 21 (g) "Special flashing light" means a yellow light flashing at
regular intervals at a frequency of 50 to 70 flashes per minute, placed
as far forward and as nearly as practicable on the fore and aft
centerline of the tow and showing an unbroken light over an arc of the
horizon of not less than 180 degrees nor more than 225 degrees and so
fixed as to show the light from right ahead to abeam and no more than
22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.

 

[FlyWright]

I have considered installing this on my boat for night travel. Turning them off when encountering boats head on is a given.

50" Off Road Curved LED Light Bar - 288W | Off Road Light Bars | LED Work Light & Off Road LED Light Bars | Super Bright LEDs | Super Bright LEDs

My question to the forum, are they legal?

I don't know...do you think they could stand up to your abuse?

 

[CPseudonym]

Comforting to know if the boat is mowed down by a freighter, chopped up by the prop and the pieces catch on fire and I somehow lived, I can reuse the light bar.

 

[N4712]

Comforting to know if the boat is mowed down by a freighter, chopped up by the prop and the pieces catch on fire and I somehow lived, I can reuse the light bar.

If you do go through with the lightbar, this might save you a couple bucks.
http://www.amazon.com/LEDSTORE-OffR...05315692&sr=8-1&keywords=50+offroad+light+bar

 

[jwnall]

Comforting to know if the boat is mowed down by a freighter, chopped up by the prop and the pieces catch on fire and I somehow lived, I can reuse the light bar.

Try and get a video of that, if possible, and post it for us to look at and critique.

 

[psneeld]

Thanks for pointing that link out as I missed it. That is fine in Pennsylvania but like Hollywood said commercial boats, especially fish boats, are lit up pretty well. Also agree with George that the bright lights would go over badly in a channel. Common sense is far from common but some of us still possess and use it in our everyday life.

There is a YouTube video demonstration in the link I posted that demonstrates the lights linked accurately for those not already familiar with them.



Follow up question for you though. Is your assistance boat (that I presume you operate at night sometimes) required to be operated in accordance with rule 21 when towing a disabled vessel?

Rule 21 (d) "Towing light" means a yellow light having the same
characteristics as the "sternlight" defined in paragraph (c) of this
Rule.

Rule 21 (g) "Special flashing light" means a yellow light flashing at
regular intervals at a frequency of 50 to 70 flashes per minute, placed
as far forward and as nearly as practicable on the fore and aft
centerline of the tow and showing an unbroken light over an arc of the
horizon of not less than 180 degrees nor more than 225 degrees and so
fixed as to show the light from right ahead to abeam and no more than
22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.

Yes we have the normal array of towing lights aboard the little towboats.

When it comes to lighting other boats that we have in tow such as the "special flashing" or even just plain old nav lights o the tow...that depends and usually not. If the boat we are towing doesn't have electrical power...we just tow it without lights. The tow line for our type of work is usually short and the tows of short duration. In the Navrules annexes, there are the allowances for small vessels and situations where following the rules are difficult. We would just shine our spotlight on the tow/towline if approached by another vessel if the tow was completely unlit.

The red/yellow flashing "public safety" lights should explain a lot to other vessels but I'm not sure.

The "boater's with no clue"... abound. Yesterday while passing a dredge in a narrow channel....the channel available was less than 50 feet wide and an extremely low tide at the time...it was marked though not really necessary as "slow wake".

An approaching 31 foot Sailfish center console was plowing through the area and there was pretty heavy traffic around....and headed right for me...at the last second he veers off and runs right over the no wake buoy...which even on my boat, sitting on the engine compartment as it is the seat in the pilothouse, I can even hear the thud. I turn and see him proceed off with the no wake buoy wrapped up in his engines. He goes for about a 1/4 mile and my guess he thought the shallow water was preventing him from getting on plane but finally figured something else was the matter. I mean....really?????

So I guess when we debate here things like horns, running lights, nav light screens, rules of the road, etc...it's pretty much lost in the recreational community as the law enforcement guys know they are dealing with chuckleheads too much of the time.

 

[caltexflanc]

"Turning them off when encountering boats head on is a given."

Once you've seen another boat ahead, which is difficult to do in the first place if these are blazing away, you have already affected their night vision.

 

[Northern Spy]

An approaching 31 foot Sailfish center console was plowing through the area and there was pretty heavy traffic around....and headed right for me...at the last second he veers off and runs right over the no wake buoy...which even on my boat, sitting on the engine compartment as it is the seat in the pilothouse, I can even hear the thud. I turn and see him proceed off with the no wake buoy wrapped up in his engines. He goes for about a 1/4 mile and my guess he thought the shallow water was preventing him from getting on plane but finally figured something else was the matter. I mean....really?????

Great picture LOL.

 

[psneeld]

Great picture LOL.

Here's another fav of mine...Guy ran over the buoy and got the buoy chain up over his wheel and went aground.

I dive and found the buoy chain but the boat was sitting on it so I disconnected the buoy anchor...too heavy to throw on my boat so I dragged it to the beach. I then had to dig the guy off the sand bar and started towing him to his marina. Halfway there...the buoy and chain slithers off and by the time I get him to his marina...he radios..hey everything is working...Thanks!

So I now have to call the USCG and tell them their anchor is on the beach...hurry up before the tide comes in and by the way...your buoy and chain are headed for sea out the inlet. Customer happy, USCG not so happy...

This morning we had a 20 foot Scout center consol salvage...it's amazing how some people will screw in a bilge float switch with screws a bit longer than the hull is thick...

Never a dull moment with boaters...

 

[markpierce]

I say, stay near the middle of the channel unless there's an important need not to. (Here, supposed 8-foot-deep channel through 2-to-4-foot shoals.)

 

[Forkliftt]

I love it!!


Present 42 Sundeck

 

[psneeld]

I say, stay near the middle of the channel unless there's an important need not to. (Here, supposed 8-foot-deep channel through 2-to-4-foot shoals.)

Where the guy went over the red buoy... is about 75 feet wide between the buoy and the sod bank...inches deep on the inside of the buoy and its a 90 degree turn in the ICW.

Towards the bottom of the picture about the same width is a sandbar that high and dry at mid tide also.

In the pic yellow is the ICW the red object is where the buoy is.

It's a challenge to tow barges and dredges with 1000 foot dredge pipe around that sucker.

 

[High Wire]

Here's another fav of mine...Guy ran over the buoy and got the buoy chain up over his wheel and went aground.

I dive and found the buoy chain but the boat was sitting on it so I disconnected the buoy anchor...too heavy to throw on my boat so I dragged it to the beach. I then had to dig the guy off the sand bar and started towing him to his marina. Halfway there...the buoy and chain slithers off and by the time I get him to his marina...he radios..hey everything is working...Thanks!

So I now have to call the USCG and tell them their anchor is on the beach...hurry up before the tide comes in and by the way...your buoy and chain are headed for sea out the inlet. Customer happy, USCG not so happy...

This morning we had a 20 foot Scout center consol salvage...it's amazing how some people will screw in a bilge float switch with screws a bit longer than the hull is thick...

Never a dull moment with boaters...

My dream job! Need any part-time help?

 

[psneeld]

My dream job! Need any part-time help?

Can't say for sure but you can always check with the office...there's usually a huge turnover in the business so you never know...