Re: [Paddlewise] Night Gear and red LEDs

Let's look at a few things here.

When paddling a kayak I will nearly always be in water that No ship and
few other boats will be able to navigate, either due to shallow water or
close proximity to land.

The flashing red LEDs for joggers and bicycles are not really very bright.
They are only visible for 1/4 to 1/2 mile, this won't help you at all
to be seen by ships as it is far too close.

As a watchstander on a ship or boat at night, the first thing I do when 
something looks odd is NOT to turn my vessel to go look.
I grab my binoculors and have a look, I then see that it is a kayak 
operating in normal fashion and stay away.

Again I say, the LED lights I have seen (there may be others) look 
NOTHING like any navigation aid I have even seen. the color, pattern of
flash, timing of flash etc just don't fit into the range that is used 
for navigation.

The bicycle/runner led sets that I have flash much too fast and in a 
random pattern that is completely unlike any navigation aid.

BTW You might recall that I am much more a sailor than a kayaker, I
have spent a lot of time at sea in a variety of ships and boats.

rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote:

> That is the point of our discussion, i.e. the possibility of a flashing
> light being mistaken for an aid to navigation,

> intervals.  But even if your red LED light were not being obstructed by
> swells it is illegal.  That is the meaning of Rule 36 that you fully and
> correctly cite; "shall be avoided" isn't a nicety against some etiquette
> impropriety, it is a mandate against such action.

The LEDs are neither "high intensity" nor likely to be mistaken for
an aid to navigation.

> > It would seem that the blue revolving lights on harbor patrol, coast
> > guard, and
> > police boats would violate this rule. If the want to write you up for a
> > flashing light
> > make them also write themselves up at the same time.
> 
> Annex 5 of the same rules says it is okay for the cops to have revolving
> flashing blue light.  It is just an Inland Rule not sanctioned as far as
> I can see in International Waters.

I missed that one, but it does say that the light must not interfere with
the
visibility of the vessels navigation lights. So if the light makes it hard
to 
make out their lights then they can (and should) still be busted.


> > There is no way that any bicycle LED flasher I have ever seen sould be
> > mistaken for
> > any navigation aid, removing that objection.
> 
> I respectfully disagree.  But what you feel strongly about and what I
> think don't matter much.  It is what harbor police and Coast Guard
> personnel think.

No, it is what is ruled in a court of law.
Harbor police and Coast Guard personnel are often wrong in their
understanding
of the rules, especially in areas that they don't deal with daily.
Like lights on kayaks.

> You can do what you wish but you would likely be in violation with the
> LEDs.  BTW, we have been taking for granted that the LEDs are highly
> visible at distances.  They are not certainly no where the visibility or
> intensity of distress strobes.

Even bright LEDs are only visible out to about 1/2 mile, not very bright 
at all as lights go.

> If some oil tanker runs aground and splits open because I was showing
> lights that could be mistakened for channel markers, the outcome
> wouldn't be so pleasant either.

Well, I hope that tanker crews are more competant than that, because if
they are not, they will likely follow street lights and end up aground
anyway.

It is not the tankers, big ships and things like that you need to worry 
about so much, it is the fishermen running without lights, the yahoos
that don't know what the heck they are doing.
If you are crossing shipping lanes at night, in a kayak, then you are 
certainly more crazy than I am, and I am quite certifiable. :-)

michael
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