Re: [Paddlewise] Strobes are not running lights

Jack Martin wrote:
> While we design our own personal color schemes and frequencies
of flashing
> lights, maybe it would be worth visiting the idea that staying
well clear of
> shipping lanes while in kayaks is another viable alternative.
>
No disagreement.
As I was the one who suggested the possible use of alternate
color schemes, perhaps I didn't explain myself as clearly as I
could have.

Ralph Diaz started this discussion with his 3/6 post describing
the nighttime visibility tests that he will be participating in.
That led to a discussion of whether or not to use a flashing
white strobe, since that can be considered as a distress signal
by some people, in some location, some of the time.

Cap't Don Reid perhaps stated it the most succinctly when he said
"LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE THERE" (if you find ourself in the midst
of bigger boats), before adding sage advice about the relative
size of ships, maritime law, and barges' need to maintain headway
to have directional control.

My comment was merely a suggestion that perhaps other color
schemes and flashing patterns could be used to indicate that a
craft is a human powered watercraft rather than having the CG
issue a decree that a flashing light in *some* inland water isn't
a distress signal.  It was also meant as a suggestion that if a
study on nighttime visibility were to be done, that perhaps some
'outside the box' colors and flashing patterns could be
considered.  I did not mean to imply that kayakers could or
should light themselves up and paddle the shipping lanes with
impunity.  I apologize if my post was construed as suggesting
this.

> We're a lot better off just staying out of the way whenever and
> wherever possible.  Or maybe we just stay out of the way ---
period.
>
Concur.
And to this I would add that we should all have 'swivel heads'
with 360 degree vision whenever on the water, *especially* when
we *must* cross traffic lanes - and the judgement to know to
avoid such crossings when there's even a remote possibility of be
ing run over.

Regards,
Erik Sprenne

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