> Kayaks are vessels and subject to the Rules of the Road. You can choose to > mount traditional running (navigational) lights or carry a white light to be > displayed to ward off a collision. No other *legal* nav light system is > available to you and using anything else may increase your liability. Good point the rule is: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules/rotr_online.htm ************************************************************************* RULE 25: SAILING VESSELS UNDERWAY AND VESSELS UNDER OARS (a) A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit: 1. sidelights; 2. a sternlight. (b) In a sailing vessel of less than 20 meters in length the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen. (c) A sailing vessel underway may, in addition to the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule, exhibit at or near the top of the mast, where they can best be seen, two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower Green, but these lights shall not be exhibited in conjunction with the combined lantern permitted by paragraph (b) of this Rule. (d) 1. A sailing vessel of less than 7 meters in length shall, if practicable, exhibit the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Rule, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision. 2. A vessel under oars may exhibit the lights prescribed in this rule for sailing vessels, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision. (e) A vessel proceeding under sail when also being propelled by machinery shall exhibit forward where it can best be seen a conical shape, apex downwards. A vessel of less than 12 meters in length is not required to exhibit this shape, but may do so. ******************************************************************************************* After reading the rule I have to agree with you about the all around white light on the back of my kayak all by itself. To be legal I should either carry a flashlight or add the red green sidelights. The river I normal kayak at night on has virtually no traffic at night, but it also has no shallow area to hide from power boats. Going to have to give this some thought. I could mount my read green dinghy light on the boat in addition to the white light. Or I could just stick to the flash light. Anyone have any opinions? On the side of flashlights we have the whole idiot who aims at the light on your kayak thing. But on the side of full time lighting I did avoid running over Mark Przedwojewski in this years Everglades Challenge (I was in a sailboat) because of the light on his canoe. There may not be a right answer. Thanks, Noel -- Noel Davis FurledSails Sailing Podcast http://www.furledsails.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Aug 01 2007 - 04:35:50 PDT
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