Use of searchlights at night

[psneeld]

We have a winner!


Exactly how I have interpreted the laws.. and have never been stopped by the coasties when running big fixed floods.


HOLLYWOOD

Heck, LE is the worst about hitting you with searchlights...but it is their job...


Probably where I learned a lot about judicious use of lights...have had more than a few commercial guys cuss me out when we were trying to ID them and accidentally hit their pilothouse.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Heck, LE is the worst about hitting you with searchlights...but it is their job...


Probably where I learned a lot about judicious use of lights...have had more than a few commercial guys cuss me out when we were trying to ID them and accidentally hit their pilothouse.

Probably that "night sun" surprised a few..

 

[foreverunderway]

My interpretation of USCG Rule 20 (Lights and Shapes) is that any lighting that obscures the visibility of a vessels navigation lights is not allowed. Seems pretty straightforward to me, no headlights, no running with a flood light. There are further local laws restricting the use of accent lighting but that’s out of scope for this question.

Every ship, tug and commercial craft I've ever operated or seen has and uses spotlights when needed. Fishing vessels are so lit up at night they throw a loom over the horizon. Many yachts and small pleasure craft have headlights under the bow or a searchlight on the cabin roof. The lighting on most cruise ships often obscure the running lights.

Perhaps you misunderstand that rule.

 

[rgano]

Being used to Navy and commercial operations at sea where use of a light looking ahead was simply not feasible, I never had any qualms about running in San Diego are and later local waters here in the northern Gulf where debris large enough to cause serious damage using my 7X50 binoculars as my "night vision" devices. Even where we had big mounted NVDs (not IR units) on either bridge wing in the Navy, we only used them to double check a radar contact. For my boat, I would invest in one of those FLIR units with a viewing screen mounted at the helm if night running were a routine event for me.

I always thought I would have liked a search/spot light mounted on my trawler where it would not have a bunch of back scatter, but then the wiring to connect it was always daunting. Then along came wireless controls on the Marinco unit I mounted on my Pilot's anchor pulpit (Avatar is older photo so it is not there to see). All I had to do was provide 12V power at the light (from the side lights there) and at the controller at the helm. It has traverse and elevation control as well as slow and fast sweep back and forth across whatever bearing it is set to.

Running the 450 miles of the Tombigbee Waterway requires constant vigilance (probably akin to what you PNW guys have to put up with) preferably from a flying bridge to avoid deadheads floating vertically with maybe an inch of the piling/log above the water. I might have averaged sighting a dozen over a few trips. I once spent a night doing donuts south of a lock after being washed off our anchorage by a thunderstorm rather than run at ANY speed in that waterway in the dark. The next time I went that way, I had a powerful halogen work light ready to zip tie to the bow rail of the vessel to allow me to run (sloooowly) in case we had to run in darkness up the Mississippi to make an anchorage (long distances be tween them). Even then with the four MPH current, we were meeting "stuff" at 8 MPH to make our target 4 MPH for the delivery, and that, my friends, is too fast looking INTENTLY 30-50 feet ahead into swirling opaque water, while somebody else does the navigation.

 

[markpierce]

...harder to pick out cruise ship nav lights with all their carnival lights going all night.

Not in my experience. The ships are easily identified, and navigational lights haven't been difficult to pick out, least wise for me.

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

Not in my experience. The ships are easily identified, and navigational lights haven't been difficult to pick out, least wise for me.

Your usually on them, not meeting them at sea....different perspective Mark

 

[timmer]

I have found it best to have no cabin lights on at all so your eyes adjust to the dar, but if you cant see well at night then go ahead and have a spotlight on but please secure it when meeting a vessel head on (just like dimming headlights ).

 

[Nautica]

Spot on.

 

[hollywood8118]

This is about the perfect lighting for running the PNW at night
HOLLYWOOD

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: I love the tows and their huge lights. On the TN Tom, we got held up a while at one lock so heading to a marina further down in the dark. The tow was so nice, invited us to pass, lighting the way for us, and then they lit ahead and even showed us the way toward the marina and gave us valuable info too. You be nice to tows and they'll be super duper nice back.

 

[greatpapabear]

Never used a searchlight, but I do use a thermal inaging camera. Looks like daylight.

 

[psneeld]

Wifey B: I love the tows and their huge lights. On the TN Tom, we got held up a while at one lock so heading to a marina further down in the dark. The tow was so nice, invited us to pass, lighting the way for us, and then they lit ahead and even showed us the way toward the marina and gave us valuable info too. You be nice to tows and they'll be super duper nice back.

Can't count the number of times I would unground a vessel only to have them go aground in the next 100 yards or so.


After 2 or 3 of these in a row I would just lead thenm (because I had the good spotlight) through the narrow channels...until I got near the end of shallows where I would sit and let them pass....then I would illuminate the next several marks until they had cleared into deep water.


I would do it for others too, even if they weren't a paid tow.

 

[boomerang]

A few years ago, heading South on the Alligator Pungo canal on one of those really dark, overcast nights,, I came upon a tug pushing a barge. Everything would've been fine had he left his GIANT spotlight off but he was running the freakin' thing continuously, obviously to light the way for him but completely ruining my night vision & situational awareness in the process. I had a 3-sided isinglass enclosure around the entire bridge area so the light was reflected every which way on the bridge & I literally couldn't see that was going on outside of the enclosure. The enclosure wasn't close to the helm so I had to leave the wheel to open it, all in the dark in a canal with a tug & barge bearing down on me. I finally gave up & hove to in the shallows on the side of the canal, all the time hoping that when he passed me the water he took with him wouldn't leave me on a stump. He never attempted to contact me to make me aware of his intentions. I have great respect for the commercial guys but I kind of felt like he had no regard for me at all. I made it through the canal unscathed that night but I still remember vividly the frustration/anger I had towards the inconsiderate use of the light.
That's my spotlight story & regarding my own travels at night, I keep watch of the radar 100% of the time and use the spotlight in short bursts to locate objects, like most others on here do. I'm too cheap but the new broadband radars are even better for running at night being able to paint targets right up to the bow of the boat & not get lost in the main bang which is a shortcoming of conventional radars. Having one of those would reduce my spotlight usage even more, I'm sure.
To the OP, Markprice, you are SO fortunate to have your wheelhouse configured like it is, with the pilot house windows angled like they are. That arrangement greatly reduces the reflected glare from onboard light sources like instruments, gauges, even others cell phones. I hate, HATE loosing my night vision and would love to have a boat with the inverted glass in the pilot house like yours.

 

[BandB]

He never attempted to contact me to make me aware of his intentions. I have great respect for the commercial guys but I kind of felt like he had no regard for me at all. I made it through the canal unscathed that night but I still remember vividly the frustration/anger I had towards the inconsiderate use of the light.

Did you attempt to contact him?

 

[foreverunderway]

He never attempted to contact me to make me aware of his intentions. I have great respect for the commercial guys but I kind of felt like he had no regard for me at all. I made it through the canal unscathed that night but I still remember vividly the frustration/anger I had towards the inconsiderate use of the light.

As a former tug master, there are situations that require 100% of one's attention to navigate a tug and tow and should a pleasure craft find itself in an uncomfortable position in relationship to my actions, I must rely on his judgement and the ColRegs that he will keep clear and not require any communication from me. No point in getting angry. Just do as you did and keep well clear!

 

[catalinajack]

As a former tug master, there are situations that require 100% of one's attention to navigate a tug and tow and should a pleasure craft find itself in an uncomfortable position in relationship to my actions, I must rely on his judgement and the ColRegs that he will keep clear and not require any communication from me. No point in getting angry. Just do as you did and keep well clear!

Are you alone on the bridge? No mate on hand to man the VHF?

 

[foreverunderway]

Are you alone on the bridge? No mate on hand to man the VHF?

Kinda depends on the situation. Not everything on a boat goes according to plan, or haven't you noticed? Lines get loose, cables break; who knows?

Again, in the end it is your responsibility to keep clear and getting angry when you have no idea what the other operator may be going through is just plain silly.

 

[psneeld]

Kinda depends on the situation. Not everything on a boat goes according to plan, or haven't you noticed? Lines get loose, cables break; who knows?

Again, in the end it is your responsibility to keep clear and getting angry when you have no idea what the other operator may be going through is just plain silly.

Actually unless the tug declares RAM, no.... it's not the responsibility of others to keep clear, just normal passing in a confined waterway between 2 power vessels.



And yes... in this case the tug not averting the spot to the bank away from approaching traffic is irresponsible seamanship, and yes I know something about commercial operations and towing.


And of course...as a rec boater...and familiar with the A & P canal...and having the water sucked out from underneath me and running over a log when a tow went past me one day...I get both sides of the story.



If I saw that searchlight in the distance I would have been scrambling to find a wide spot to stand off, even if I had to turn and run before it and jabbering on the radio who I was and my intentions. Same goes for the rockpile in Myrtle Beach and a few other sections of the ACIW.

 

[catalinajack]

I was just wondering. Last year I travelled the Cal-Sag Canal, the Illinois River, and the Tennessee Tombigbee. Believe me, I would always give way whether I was contacted or not. I did not experience not receiving an answer when I made the first call. If I had, I would have assumed I needed to get out of the way and simply wondered why there was no communication but certainly not been put out by it.

Kinda depends on the situation. Not everything on a boat goes according to plan, or haven't you noticed? Lines get loose, cables break; who knows?

Again, in the end it is your responsibility to keep clear and getting angry when you have no idea what the other operator may be going through is just plain silly.

 

[markpierce]

Your usually on them, not meeting them at sea....different perspective Mark

Ever heard of or experienced ships passing in the night? ,,, Running light and port side light on the cruise ship readily visible as shown in the photo. But I can't make out the starboard side light on the darkened CG cutter in the background.

 

[psneeld]

Ever heard of or experienced ships passing in the night? ,,, Running light and port side light on the cruise ship readily visible as shown in the photo. But I can't make out the starboard side light on the darkened CG cutter in the background.

That is the least lit up cruise ship I have ever seen underway.


And in my years flying around.... have seen them hundreds of times...


Mark...I am not BSing...out of all the ships at sea....cruise ship running lights are the hardest to pick out in my experience....darn near impossible sometimes

 

[boomerang]

Did you attempt to contact him?

For what? To ask him to turn his light off? Do you think he would have? I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm asking a serious question. Honestly I was too busy scrambling around opening curtains to see where I was and I was also to concerned with not getting run over to think about hailing him on the radio.
I suppose he had a legitimate right to have his light on if he deemed it necessary but in the process he obliterated my night vision and consequently put me & my vessel in danger.

 

[psneeld]

The A&P canal is straight as an arrow for miles and miles except for one bend.....


If his searchlight was on, straight down the waterway......
(post 108 generally agrees that the spot should be averted at some point)

 

[BandB]

That is the least lit up cruise ship I have ever seen underway.


And in my years flying around.... have seen them hundreds of times...


Mark...I am not BSing...out of all the ships at sea....cruise ship running lights are the hardest to pick out in my experience....darn near impossible sometimes

That's not a cruise ship "underway" though. It's one approaching a dock and lighting up for show. Not at all how they look out at sea.

 

[BandB]

For what? To ask him to turn his light off? Do you think he would have? I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm asking a serious question. Honestly I was too busy scrambling around opening curtains to see where I was and I was also to concerned with not getting run over to think about hailing him on the radio.
I suppose he had a legitimate right to have his light on if he deemed it necessary but in the process he obliterated my night vision and consequently put me & my vessel in danger.

Well, you're being pretty snarky without trying then. I've never contacted a tow that they haven't responded pleasantly and professionally. I believe had you mentioned you couldn't see due to the aim of his light and wanted to be out of his way he would have perhaps said you were fine where you are and he'd pass to your port side and he might have redirected his light and asked if that was better. It wasn't his intent to put you in danger and once informed I think would have concerned him. Now perhaps you would have gotten the exception, just not what I've ever found.

Just seems you complained about them not contacting you but you did the same, no contact.

 

[psneeld]

That's not a cruise ship "underway" though. It's one approaching a dock and lighting up for show. Not at all how they look out at sea.

Are you saying it is lit up less or more at sea?


My experience is they are lit up way more much of the time at sea.


This looks like the cabin decks are all dark...unusual when at sea...also no laser light show or party deck lights flashing, etc.... more like this...


Fortunately their basic shape and lit outline plus speed gives one a good enough idea of direction.

 

[markpierce]

...
This looks like the cabin decks are all dark...unusual when at sea...also no laser light show or party deck lights flashing, etc.... more like this...

Well, what do you expect from Carnival?

Seen cruise ships at night, at sea, where navigation lights were identifiable. My photo of a Holland America ship was taken shortly before daylight. The ship followed us into the harbor so had time to take a photo.

Yes, cruise ships are easily spotted.

 

[OldDan1943]

I was on a destroyer and during a war game, the captain ordered lights to be strung along the railing. SMILE They thought we were a small cruise ship until it was too late for them LOL

 

[seighlor]

Concerns about night blindness have always led me to avoid the use of a spotlight (or any but nav lights) when underway at night. The exception has been to have a man on the bow with a handheld spotlight to assist in picking out the markers when approaching or entering an inlet. Having the light at the bow eliminates glare from the deck that would be a concern if the light were anywhere but at the bow.

 

[AusCan]

I prefer when the only lights are the moon and stars, my nav lights, and the phosphorescence in the water.