I was curious if anyone knows of any boating LED set ups, since LED's have relatively low power drain and they come in the colors required for night time boat use (Red/Green/White). I noticed there had been a post in 1996 on the topic of using Bike LEDs and the problem with having them interpreted as a distress signal. It would be nice to able to attach a small light set up near the bow or on a helmet to allow boats to avoid us when we are paddling at night. I have both flashing and non-flashing LED's for my bike and get about a hundred hours use on 2 AA cells. This has a certain appeal for kayaking. I often use my 10-32 watt bike light attached to a helmet for a light source while paddling - I turn it on when I hear or see a boat in my vicinity, but the runing lights if small enough and long enough on battery life would have a certain appeal. - since I only bring this light when I am actually expecting to be out in the dark, I have paddled home without it in the dark more often than is wise. Saul Kinderis saul_at_isomedia.com tel:(425)402-3426 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Saul Kinderis wrote: > > I was curious if anyone knows of any boating LED set ups, since LED's have > relatively low power drain and they come in the colors required for night > time boat use (Red/Green/White). > Saul, you might try this place. They have a nice catalog also. There are several ways to go for small lights. One way is to buy the low voltage "DC" Christmas lights. Rework how you need to use them. They will also run for long periods using smaller camera batterys.(same voltage). http://www.intothewind.com/ James *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> > I was curious if anyone knows of any boating LED set ups, since LED's have > relatively low power drain and they come in the colors required for night > time boat use (Red/Green/White). The white/red/green combination can only be used on power boats. Any human powered boat must not have red and green lights. The white light for human powered craft must be visible all around, 360 degrees. Intermittent and strobe lights are strictly forbiden in inland waters except to indicate distress. The definition of inland water is not as obvious as it sounds, most of the California coast happens to be considered inland water. Those are the regulations. There is a pencil shaped 360 degree light for sale at West Marine. I tape that vertically to my helmet's back so that my helmet looks like a light house (permanently lit, no flashing). They claim to have a duration of 8+ ours on 2 AA batteries. Ralph wrote a nice article about the subject on <http://www.seakayaker.com> Be aware that the swamp monster is waiting out there for night paddlers. :-) - Julio *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Some clarification: Julio MacWilliams wrote: > > > > > I was curious if anyone knows of any boating LED set ups, since LED's have > > relatively low power drain and they come in the colors required for night > > time boat use (Red/Green/White). > > The white/red/green combination can only be used on power boats. Any > human powered boat must not have red and green lights. Not so. They may be used on human (and sail) powered craft, but are not required on human powered craft. > The white light for human powered craft must be visible all around, > 360 degrees. The only requirement for human powered craft is a light that can be displayed to signal your presence. It does not need to be coutinuously displayed or visible 360 degrees. A flashlight will do. > Intermittent and strobe lights are strictly forbiden in inland waters > except to indicate distress. The definition of inland water is not > as obvious as it sounds, most of the California coast happens to be > considered inland water. This is true (about the strobe). Of course, in international waters, the strobe can be used in non-emergency situations, but it is **very** irritating to your paddling companions. Even the continuously displayed white light may be irritating to anyoen paddling behind you. I prefer a long-burning chemical light strip. > Those are the regulations. > > There is a pencil shaped 360 degree light for sale at West Marine. > I tape that vertically to my helmet's back so that my helmet looks > like a light house (permanently lit, no flashing). They claim to have > a duration of 8+ ours on 2 AA batteries. > > Ralph wrote a nice article about the subject on > <http://www.seakayaker.com> > > Be aware that the swamp monster is waiting out there for night paddlers. :-) > > - Julio > Dave Carlson *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
A few more items for clarification; Julio wrote: >The white/red/green combination can only be used on power boats. Any >human powered boat must not have red and green lights. -Where is this stated - I know that sailboats are also red/green on the front and white in the back/mast? Reading the regualtions book I had didn't seem to specifically dissallow it. Julio wrote:>The white light for human powered craft must be visible all around, >360 degrees. Again which regulation would this be stated in? I believe that the regulations actually require: "Vessels under oars may display...but...must have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light to be displayed in sufficient time to prevent collision The U.S.Coast Guard publishes a booklet "Federal Requirements and Safety Tips for Recreational Boats" available from 1-800-368-5647. It talks about lights required, as well as safety devices and signals. "Navigation Lights" p.22 "Recreational vessels are required to display navigation lights between sunset and sunrise and other periods of reduced visibility (fog, rain, haze etc.)..." p.25 "Vessels under oars may display...but...must have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light to be displayed in sufficient time to prevent collision" Julio wrote:>Intermittent and strobe lights are strictly forbiden in inland waters >except to indicate distress. Again which regulaton?, since what I found in the USCG booklet was that only white lights that flash between 50 & 70 times per second are considered distress signals. This would imply that things like bicycle blinky LED's would be OK - The down side would be if they distract other boaters into thinking you're in trouble, in which case it doesn't matter what the regs say since it's not fair to your fellow boater to put them through that type of adreneline rush. Thanks for the info & happy paddling - Saul Saul Kinderis saul_at_isomedia.com tel:(425)402-3426 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> Again which regulaton?, since what I found in the USCG booklet was that only > white lights that flash between 50 & 70 times per second are considered > distress signals. This would imply that things like bicycle blinky LED's > would be OK - The down side would be if they distract other boaters into > thinking you're in trouble, in which case it doesn't matter what the regs > say since it's not fair to your fellow boater to put them through that type > of adreneline rush. I think you mean per minute as per second would look like a continuous light. But I am not trying to be cute. The problem with any flasing light is that it can be mistakened for something else. If you had a white light the was at a greater or less a frequency than that of a strobe, whose counting the intervals? A flashing light is a flashing light. Same for red or green. Various navigational aids like buoys have flashing red or green lights. There flash may be at a much lower rate than the bike flashing lights, say every 5 seconds, but unless conditions are absolutely calm, your flashing LED light going at 1 flash a second (or whatever rate) could be obscured here and there by swells or movement of your paddle or turned head so that to an onlooker on a boat it may seem to be a buoy. So say someone is coming in through a channel, sees your red flashing light, mistakes it for a buoy, goes to the left of it and hits something. That is why no flashing lights of any color on the water to be used on any type of vessel. White flashing lights in distress strobe use are the exception. I really wish the rule weren't this way. There is no question that running a strobe or LED lights on a night outing would make your presence known. Maybe christmas tree lights strung around the entire perimeter of your boat would do the trick. :-) It just shows how extra careful you need to be at night. best, ralph -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote: > something. That is why no flashing lights of any color on the water to > be used on any type of vessel. White flashing lights in distress strobe > use are the exception. Please CITE the rule, chapter and verse. Unless you can post the EXACT RULE that says this so that the rest of us can go look it up, pleas STOP POSTING INCORRECT INFORMATION! In fact the rules REQUIRE a flashing yellow light for air-cushion vessels. See COLREGS Rule 23 part (b). The only rule I can find that has anything like a prohibition of flashing or rotating lights is; Rule 36. Signals to Attract Attention "If necessary to attract attention of another vessel, any vessel may make light or sound signals that cannot be mistaken for any signal authorized elsewhere in these Rules, or may direct the beam of her searchlight in the direction of the danger, in such a way as not to embarrass any vessel. Any light to attract the attention of another vessel shall be such that it cannot be mistaken for any aid to navigation. For the purpose of this Rule the use of high intensity intermittent or revolving lights, such as strobe lights, shall be avoided." 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. There is no way that any bicycle LED flasher I have ever seen sould be mistaken for any navigation aid, removing that objection. The primary need is to make yourself visible, Visible, VISIBLE! If I were going to be kayaking at night a lot, I would embedd LEDs all around the hull and in my paddle so that someone would have to be completely blind to not see me. I would also carry a VERY BRIGHT dive light (Bottom Light by Princeton Tectonics) to shine on my boat and if needed at an aproaching vessel to make sure that they know that I an there. If someone runs you down at night and you die, there will be no one to argue the point of the legality of your lights. michael *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Michael Neverdosky wrote: > > rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote: > > > something. That is why no flashing lights of any color on the water to > > be used on any type of vessel. White flashing lights in distress strobe > > use are the exception. > > Please CITE the rule, chapter and verse. > > Unless you can post the EXACT RULE that says this so that the rest of us > can go look it up, pleas STOP POSTING INCORRECT INFORMATION! > > In fact the rules REQUIRE a flashing yellow light for air-cushion vessels. > See COLREGS Rule 23 part (b). I had forgotten about the yellow flashing light for air-cushioned vessels operating in a non-displacement mode. The few times I have seen an air-cushioned vessel it was in a displacement mode and thus no flashing all around yellow light. Thanks for the correction. > > The only rule I can find that has anything like a prohibition of flashing > or rotating lights is; > > Rule 36. Signals to Attract Attention > > "If necessary to attract attention of another vessel, any vessel may make > light or > sound signals that cannot be mistaken for any signal authorized elsewhere > in these > Rules, or may direct the beam of her searchlight in the direction of the > danger, in > such a way as not to embarrass any vessel. Any light to attract the > attention of > another vessel shall be such that it cannot be mistaken for any aid to > navigation. > For the purpose of this Rule the use of high intensity intermittent or > revolving > lights, such as strobe lights, shall be avoided." That is the point of our discussion, i.e. the possibility of a flashing light being mistaken for an aid to navigation, meaning buoys, lighthouses, etc. Buoys often have a red or green flashing light. If you are displaying a flashing red or green light on a vessel of any kind, it is conceivable that another vessel could mistake it for an aid to navigation and make assumptions regarding location. This could run them aground or into rocks. Being low in a kayak with even small swells obstructing your flashing light, it might mimic the flash frequency of an aid to navigation that would be flashing at several seconds 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. Annex IV of the same rules you are citing stresses "The use or exhibition of any of the foregoing singnals for the purpose of indicating distress or need of assistance (the reference is to strobes, sky flares, smoke, flags, arm motions, radio transmissions) and the use of other signals which may be confused with any of the above signals is prohibited." Further in the same rules, the Penalty Provisions cite a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation. It very well may be worth risk of violating the law. But there is that heavy fine, your boat will be confiscated or taken off the water, you will be tied up in paperwork. And any time you roam out on open water (and other paddlers too) you will have a big target on your back for the Coast Guard to come up and check even the condition of your PFD. > > 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 don't blame you for not spotting that exception. The rules are quite complex and hard to master. I would be the last person to claim I know them by heart. > 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. > > The primary need is to make yourself visible, Visible, VISIBLE! > > If I were going to be kayaking at night a lot, I would embedd LEDs all > around the hull > and in my paddle so that someone would have to be completely blind to not > see me. > I would also carry a VERY BRIGHT dive light (Bottom Light by Princeton > Tectonics) > to shine on my boat and if needed at an aproaching vessel to make sure > that they > know that I an there. 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. I think a better approach is to have several of those ACR "C" Lights (strobe bright without the flash) on your hat snaked into the straps supporting a headlamp. Between the C's and the headlamp, you will be throwing a lot of effective light with no flash that could be mistakened for distress signals or a flashing aid to navigation. Also have several hanging on your PFD one in back and one in front. Sounds silly but that is the way I paddle at night with 2 or 3 C's, a headlamp and one or two other flashlights. The battery companies love me!!!! > If someone runs you down at night and you die, there will be no one to > argue > the point of the legality of your lights. 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. regards, ralph -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I forgot to mention in all the gobbly guck around the COLREG rules, no matter what you do to be seen, assume you can't be seen. Don't depend on lights at all for your safety. Keep a sharp eye out. Don't be lulled by the beauty of the night into non-vigilence. Develop a swivel head. And, most of all, realize that objects at night are often much closer than they appear. ralph -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I was shaking my head at this train of thought, and finally decided that this looked like a good place to jump in. On land, how far can you reaal see those little blinkey things?? At sea, the thing to think about is, Will I Be SeeN?!?!? If you have ever looked for a sailboat running lights, then remember, those were 5 watts each! and maybe found by accident at a range of 1-2 mi. Here you are, sitting with your backside lower than your waterline, talking about putting your life under a few milliwatts of LED going blinkey blink. The rule does state that a rower/paddler carries a flashlight, etc and turn it on as needed, but the bigger and better lit your light is, the less likely you will get splatted by a tugboat on his way to dinner. The reason for not going outside of the rule, is that this way others know what they are looking at, and what their resposibility, etc is toward you. As an example, mounting that white light on your mast/helmet makes you a small motorboat, going from the most priviliged class of vessel (rowing) to the least (motor), and the red/green set puts you in the middle with the sailboats. As far as colours that blink, "aids to navigation" have, in white, red, or green, anything from "quick flash" at "in excess of" 90 flashes per minute to 6 or sometimes as low as 1. Whtch bouy does _your_ bike light look like? And if you didn't know it was there, how far away would you see it?? All in all, there are good reasons for the rules of the road, and if you go out on a "navigable" waterway, you NEED to know them. They tell you not only what type of boat is approaching, but also what he should be doing, which way he is going, what he is carrying/pulling, etc A really good comprehencive source for all of this is "Piloting, Seamanship, and Small Boat Handling", by Charles Chapman. On the other hand, NEVER nevernever............ point a high powered light like a searchlight at the bridge of anything except in the last seconds, as after that, they wont be able to see you or anything else and can't tell which way to turn. I also feel compelled to point out that your best defence is to find them first, and remember that a rather large fast commercial boat can be really dark and amazingly quiet, if you just heard the wake then it's way to late. As a simple way to get a good light cheap, think about a 12 volt lead/acid battery like they put in computer power backups and (I think) camcorders which hold about 10 amp/hours, or 12 watts for longer than we get darkness in the lower 48 states, or quite a few critical minutes of a 30 watt halogen searchlight. The whole mess weighs less than 10 lbs. At 08:02 AM 5/9/98 -0700, rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote: >> Again which regulaton?, since what I found in the USCG booklet was that only >> white lights that flash between 50 & 70 times per second are considered >> distress signals. This would imply that things like bicycle blinky LED's >> would be OK - The down side would be if they distract other boaters into >> thinking you're in trouble, in which case it doesn't matter what the regs >> say since it's not fair to your fellow boater to put them through that type >> of adreneline rush. > >I think you mean per minute as per second would look like a continuous >light. But I am not trying to be cute. The problem with any flasing >light is that it can be mistakened for something else. If you had a >white light the was at a greater or less a frequency than that of a >strobe, whose counting the intervals? A flashing light is a flashing >light. Same for red or green. Various navigational aids like buoys >have flashing red or green lights. There flash may be at a much lower >rate than the bike flashing lights, say every 5 seconds, but unless >conditions are absolutely calm, your flashing LED light going at 1 flash >a second (or whatever rate) could be obscured here and there by swells >or movement of your paddle or turned head so that to an onlooker on a >boat it may seem to be a buoy. > >So say someone is coming in through a channel, sees your red flashing >light, mistakes it for a buoy, goes to the left of it and hits >something. That is why no flashing lights of any color on the water to >be used on any type of vessel. White flashing lights in distress strobe >use are the exception. > >I really wish the rule weren't this way. There is no question that >running a strobe or LED lights on a night outing would make your >presence known. Maybe christmas tree lights strung around the entire >perimeter of your boat would do the trick. :-) > >It just shows how extra careful you need to be at night. > >best, > >ralph Jonathan and Nadine MacLane, San Diego, Cal. USA. jonathan_at_lanz.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Personally I have found that a waterproof bike or diving light (10 watt low 30 watt high - even though watts don't really matter, lumens and wavelength are what make one light more visible than another) works good for getting you noticed, and generally turn it on when there is traffic in the vicinity. I use my bike helmet to mount it on and put the battery in the cockpit with me or in the PFD when walking around camp. This works great if you already have one because you bike alot (or like to buy lights), but can be a bit pricey ($100-$300 USD depending on the model). It is however too bright to leave on all the time unless I want to deal with reduced night vision, so for my on all the time use lights I have white LED bike lights, and contrary to what many of us think, you can turn them on, but not have them blink. The switch has three positions, off, blink, and solid. No matter how you look at it, as a little bitty teenie weannie kayak, that doesn't want to go splat, you need to be aware of what's going on around you and would do well to periodically take a 360 degree look around. My approach is to assume that I will seldom if ever be seen except when I sweep the high beam around (in the general direction of the oncoming boat, but not at the bridge), and make it a point to stay out of the way. - The LED's seem to be most useful for everyone in the group to have an easy time keeping track of each other, and have the benefit over a flashlight of having a long battery life, so they seldom go dead even if someone forgot to check theirs at the start of the trip. Happy paddling - Saul At 08:24 PM 6/30/98 -0700, Jonathan & Nadine MacLane wrote: >I was shaking my head at this train of thought, and finally decided that >this looked like a good place to jump in. > >On land, how far can you reaal see those little blinkey things?? >At sea, the thing to think about is, Will I Be SeeN?!?!? >If you have ever looked for a sailboat running lights, then remember, those >were 5 watts each! and maybe found by accident at a range of 1-2 mi. >Here you are, sitting with your backside lower than your waterline, talking >about putting your life under a few milliwatts of LED going blinkey blink. > >The rule does state that a rower/paddler carries a flashlight, etc and turn >it on as needed, but the bigger and better lit your light is, the less >likely you will get splatted by a tugboat on his way to dinner. > >The reason for not going outside of the rule, is that this way others know >what they are looking at, and what their resposibility, etc is toward you. >As an example, mounting that white light on your mast/helmet makes you a >small motorboat, going from the most priviliged class of vessel (rowing) to >the least (motor), and the red/green set puts you in the middle with the >sailboats. As far as colours that blink, "aids to navigation" have, in >white, red, or green, anything from "quick flash" at "in excess of" 90 >flashes per minute to 6 or sometimes as low as 1. Whtch bouy does _your_ >bike light look like? And if you didn't know it was there, how far away >would you see it?? > >All in all, there are good reasons for the rules of the road, and if you go >out on a "navigable" waterway, you NEED to know them. They tell you not only >what type of boat is approaching, but also what he should be doing, which >way he is going, what he is carrying/pulling, etc > >A really good comprehencive source for all of this is "Piloting, Seamanship, >and Small Boat Handling", by Charles Chapman. > >On the other hand, NEVER nevernever............ point a high powered light >like a searchlight at the bridge of anything except in the last seconds, as >after that, they wont be able to see you or anything else and can't tell >which way to turn. > >I also feel compelled to point out that your best defence is to find them >first, and remember that a rather large fast commercial boat can be really >dark and amazingly quiet, if you just heard the wake then it's way to late. > >As a simple way to get a good light cheap, think about a 12 volt lead/acid >battery like they put in computer power backups and (I think) camcorders >which hold about 10 amp/hours, or 12 watts for longer than we get darkness >in the lower 48 states, or quite a few critical minutes of a 30 watt >halogen searchlight. The whole mess weighs less than 10 lbs. > > >At 08:02 AM 5/9/98 -0700, rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote: >>> Again which regulaton?, since what I found in the USCG booklet was that only >>> white lights that flash between 50 & 70 times per second are considered >>> distress signals. This would imply that things like bicycle blinky LED's >>> would be OK - The down side would be if they distract other boaters into >>> thinking you're in trouble, in which case it doesn't matter what the regs >>> say since it's not fair to your fellow boater to put them through that type >>> of adreneline rush. >> >>I think you mean per minute as per second would look like a continuous >>light. But I am not trying to be cute. The problem with any flasing >>light is that it can be mistakened for something else. If you had a >>white light the was at a greater or less a frequency than that of a >>strobe, whose counting the intervals? A flashing light is a flashing >>light. Same for red or green. Various navigational aids like buoys >>have flashing red or green lights. There flash may be at a much lower >>rate than the bike flashing lights, say every 5 seconds, but unless >>conditions are absolutely calm, your flashing LED light going at 1 flash >>a second (or whatever rate) could be obscured here and there by swells >>or movement of your paddle or turned head so that to an onlooker on a >>boat it may seem to be a buoy. >> >>So say someone is coming in through a channel, sees your red flashing >>light, mistakes it for a buoy, goes to the left of it and hits >>something. That is why no flashing lights of any color on the water to >>be used on any type of vessel. White flashing lights in distress strobe >>use are the exception. >> >>I really wish the rule weren't this way. There is no question that >>running a strobe or LED lights on a night outing would make your >>presence known. Maybe christmas tree lights strung around the entire >>perimeter of your boat would do the trick. :-) >> >>It just shows how extra careful you need to be at night. >> >>best, >> >>ralph >Jonathan and Nadine MacLane, San Diego, Cal. USA. >jonathan_at_lanz.com > > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ >*************************************************************************** > > Saul Kinderis saul_at_isomedia.com tel:(425)402-3426 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 08:24 PM 6/30/98 -0700, you wrote: Maybe christmas tree lights strung around the entire >>perimeter of your boat would do the trick. :-) >> >>It just shows how extra careful you need to be at night. >> >>best, >> >>ralph Movement is always helpful in spotting anything. Birds hidden in the trees suddenly become visible when they move. In daylight on choppy water, the ends of your paddle swinging through the air are visible way off while the rest of the boat is invisible. So at night a blinking light creates "movement" . . . but they're against regulations for some very good reasons: Blinking lights are reserved for buoys and emergencies --two things everyone on the water needs to see. Wearing light colors at night and carrying a hand held flashlight are fundamental safety precautions when walking or bicycling. This works for kayakers too. The hand held light has the built in capacity of movement which makes it visible. And you can aim it --although not blinding the other skipper seems just common sense. Navigators/rescuers note that the flashing strobe light used in emergencies is difficult to get a fix on for distance. A good hand held flashlight provides a steady beam for navigators to fix on --be they rescuers or just the tug captain on his/her way home for dinner. Wearing light colors helps other boaters see you with their flashlights. But you can also aim your own light at yourself and your boat to light it up for other boaters. Lighting yourself identifies you as a kayak even when the other boater is not trying to identify you with his/her flashlight. Other boaters need to give paddle craft--perhaps especially kayaks--ample room and also the benefit of a reduced wake. Letting the other boaters know that you're a kayak and not a bobbing jet-skier or a angler anchored in a large boat is a good precaution. Unfortunately, lots of power boaters merely slow down around kayaks--to the point that their wake becomes enormous. Too often the boater is not watching his/her wake, but merely slowing around paddle craft because "it's the rules." I had a sailboat skipper refer to the large power-boats as "Gin Barges." Indeed many of these large vessels are little more than a "wet bar" with an engine. It's never a mistake to assume that the skipper is dead-drunk or keeled over the wheel from a massive coronary. Assume that the skipper doesn't see you and/or is too incapacitated to look out for you. Many power-boaters are knowledgable about navigation rules and courtesy. But it takes only one drunk to mess up your whole day. Independence Day is here. . . July 1st. for Canadians and July 4th for us "yanks." Lots of drunken boaters out for this holiday. . . especially at night with the fireworks. Might be a good time to catch up with your email. Independently, Geo./Svenn ______________________________ George Bergeron, Secretary '99 Oswego Heritage Council www.europa.com/~heritage/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Jonathan wrote; >I was shaking my head at this train of thought, and finally decided that >this looked like a good place to jump in. I was shaking my head too. Let me put on my commercial waterman's hat for a moment. If I see a strobe or flashing light where it shouldn't be I might treat it as an emergency signal, haul my nets or abandon them and come to your rescue. If it is a kayaker out for a pleasant evening paddle I may be mildly upset. I certainly won't be too concerned about counting the flashes. "HMMM that was only forty flashes per minute. Guess its just a kayaker or a kid playing with matches." I believe the international rules say that boats under oar or paddle can use either the flashlight/lantern or the sailboat lights. For kayaks a tri color mounted on a post extending over your head might be good for continuous lighting. Not sure if anyone makes one suitable for kayaks but the Aqua Signal portable lights could be rigged to work. I agree with Jonathon about mistaken identity but that may not be a bad thing (being confused with a sail boat under sail since they are not easily manoeuvrable nor can they easily get out of the way). Sailboats and kayaks have a lot in common. Mind, I am speaking from memory on the regs so maybe the international rules I remember are no longer valid. Correct me if I am wrong. Meanwhile I will check myself. As for paddling at night where there is power boat traffic you might want to consider paddling in groups. Boats so low as kayaks are often obscured by waves and a bunch of lights are much better than one. >On the other hand, NEVER nevernever............ point a high powered light >like a searchlight at the bridge of anything except in the last seconds, as >after that, they wont be able to see you or anything else and can't tell >which way to turn. AMEN. If you really want to piss off a fisherman hauling his nets shine your powerful hand held searchlight in his face to see what he is doing. >I also feel compelled to point out that your best defence is to find them >first, and remember that a rather large fast commercial boat can be really >dark and amazingly quiet, if you just heard the wake then it's way to late. Once again, AMEN. Simply put, kayakers rarely have a compelling reason to be in shipping lanes anyway. These are commercial lanes and the people in those ships are earning a living. If you must cross them look both ways and then look again. Then, if you see running lights reconsider. Ships are deceptively fast. I know paddling at night is fun and a unique experience but for the life of me I cannot understand why people who always wear their lifejackets even on a calm day would insist on paddling in or near traffic sea traffic lanes at night when they are at the mercy of people who not only don't expect you to be there but may not be able to do a whole lot to avoid you. My personal advice to night paddlers is to stay out of channels and only paddle at night in those areas not likely to have powerboat traffic. A collision at sea can ruin your night. Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft http://home.ican.net/~735769/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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