I hate to give the impression to any other vessel that I have any real speedy maneuverability. Waving my flashlight has always proven the best option. Movement on a horizontal plan is my preference with the light. The reflective perimeter tape around my kayak is easy to outline with the flashlight. Other than a few close calls over the years with other vessels, my only real scare at night has been the fright from suddenly surfacing marine animals. That one still gives me pins and needles on my face. Don't tell anyone. :-) Doug Lloyd > My understanding of the proper lights for kayaks (non motorized vessels) > we have two light choices > > 1. A white flare up to be shown in time to avoid collision ie a > flashlight, headlamp etc. This can be shown towards the vessel and in > addition I use it to shine on my hull letting the approaching vessel know > what I am. > > 2. Use a white stern light with port and starboard running lights. A > non-motorized vessel doesn't show a white light forward. At night that > is the way other vessels can determine if a vessel is motorized or not. > Showing a 360 degree white light by itself would say you were at anchor. > A 360 degree white light shown with running lights would show you to be a > power driven vessel since you would be showing white within the same area > as your running lights. > > Michael Collins *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Doug Lloyd wrote: > > Other than a few close calls over the years with other vessels, my > only real scare at night has been the fright from suddenly surfacing > marine animals. That one still gives me pins and needles on my face. > Don't tell anyone. :-) I've had fish landing on my boat in the dark. Wasn't really an unexpected surprise, though, because they were splashing all around us. Probably more erie rather than scary is having large, glowing unidentified creatures passing under my boat in the Sea of Cortez. Erie, but thrilling, too. Bioluminescence. Did have a vessel speeding across the water at night with no lights on. Picked up a high-powered spot light, flashed it his way to let him know we were there and he veered off. He would not have heard one of those hand-held air horns. The spotlight was used for locating landing spots along the shore at night. Jackie *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Night storm paddling is still the eeriest experience...the inky black wall of each swell bloting out the dim lights of shoreline as each swell closes by, only the rise of the bow giving hint of the mass about to pass underneath and the stealthy roil of the breaking lip just visible as it bears down on a moonless night. Doug Ingognito > Doug Lloyd wrote: > > > > > Other than a few close calls over the years with other > vessels, my > > only real scare at night has been the fright from suddenly > surfacing > > marine animals. That one still gives me pins and needles on my > face. > > Don't tell anyone. :-) > > > > I've had fish landing on my boat in the dark. Wasn't > really an > unexpected surprise, though, because they were splashing all > around us. > > Probably more erie rather than scary is having large, glowing > unidentified creatures passing under my boat in the Sea of > Cortez. > Erie, but thrilling, too. Bioluminescence. > > Did have a vessel speeding across the water at night with no > lights on. > Picked up a high-powered spot light, flashed it his way to let > him know > we were there and he veered off. He would not have heard > one of those > hand-held air horns. The spotlight was used for > locating landing spots > along the shore at night. > > > Jackie *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
And this is the answer from California Department of Boating: This is in answer to your question watercraft illumination between sunset and sunrise and the issue of who has jurisdiction of the waterways you have listed. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies utilize lighting or illumination specifications noted the Inland Rules of the Road, Title 33 United States Codes section 2001, et seq. for safety for all vessels, including powered, sail and manually propelled craft, as specified. The state has incorporated these federal statutes by reference in Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations Section 6600.1, pursuant to the authority granted in Harbor and Navigation Code section 655.3 and they are currently enforceable by state and local law enforcement agencies that have authority to enforce the provisions or the California Harbors and navigation Code, or local ordinances adopted pursuant to the authority found in California Harbors and Navigation section 660 (a). Inland Rules of the Road, Rule 25 subpart (d) (ii), i.e., Title 33 USC 2025, states, "A vessel under oar 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 a collision." This would include all manually propelled vessels, such as kayaks, canoes, and rowboats. {*subsection (a) of this rule requires sailing vessels underway to exhibit: (i) sidelights; and (ii) a stern light) With regard to the question concerning which agency has law enforcement jurisdiction on those waterways which you listed, we do not maintain a list of which agencies are responsible for boating safety on these waterways. We would suggest that you contact the sheriff of the county in which these waterways lie, because some of these, such as Lake Tahoe and San Francisco Bay are under concurrent jurisdiction (with federal, state or multi-state, and local, i.e., city, county or city and county law enforcement agencies), while others are under sole state or local jurisdiction. .Please let us know if you have any further questions. Mike Sotelo Regulations Unit CA Dept of Boating and Waterways (916) 263-0787 --------------------------------- Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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