In a message dated 8/1/2007 4:46:26 AM Pacific Daylight Time, sixteenfeet_at_sbcglobal.net writes: these are the same illustrations I got from the US Power Squadron when I took their course a dozen or so years ago. Scroll down the page to see: Sailboats and Boat Under Oars Note the difference between anchor light, (illustration below) 360 degrees visibility and the running lights in example 3 or 4. The stern light is about 120 degrees. This, combined with the 120 degrees of the starboard light or the port light helps others determine your direction of travel. Personally, when I get enough skill and confidence to venture out after dark, I will have a properly lit kayak, the LED lights should make it pretty easy. I don't know how having a head mounted light is going to fit into that equations yet, I suppose it will be on when I need it, otherwise depend on night vision like I used to do sailing. While you we are considering a lighting strategy for night paddling, please consider the fact that in a kayak we are MUCH lower to the water surface than almost all other vessels. Your lights will be lower and you may appear to be much farther away, if seen at all. In fact, when a vessel pilot is staring at a windshield full of urban lighting such as ports or large cities your being seen ought to reflect more your ability to know where you are and where they are than some puny light you stuck on back. In rural waters your lighting may well be seen, but its interpretation by the pilot is more important. They don't often expect kayaks at night so they may get closer to you thinking you are an actual vessel farther away. If you think that going brighter is the answer, think of what that may do to yours and your mates night vision. In urban areas, the ability to pick out buoyage against a lit urban background is more difficult when you go from yours or your mates lights to trying to pick up a small signal from a buoy a mile away against a well lit shoreline. In rural areas, picking out subtle details in unlit shoreline is also harder when your night vision is disturbed by the constant introduction of lighting. Cheers, Rob G ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour *************************************************************************** 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 - 08:51:30 PDT
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