Running Lights

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Kid Leo

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I have a visibility issue with my boat when running at night. As you can see in the picture, my forward facing white light on my boat is mounted on the front bow. When I turn the navigation lights on it washes the bow of the boat with light and screws up my night vision and makes it very difficult to see, especially if it is raining.

I am trying to figure out how to reconfigure the lighting to get away from this problem. The solution that I have come up with is to change out the anchor light on top of the arch with one of the split style lights that can be turned on facing just forward for Navigation and all around for anchoring and eliminate the one on the bow. What is bothering me is that it seems too simple. If this would work and meet the regs, Carver would have built it that way. After all it is one less fixture and less wiring. Would the white light being on top of the arch be too far above the water or red/green lights?

Thoughts?

BowLight-L.jpg
 
Check the rules for lights. What size boat is that? You do not need a forward facing white light, i believe you need an all around white and red and green side lights. The light you identified should not be used while running as it can not be seen from behind, it's obscured by all that canvas etc. No matter what you do you need a white light that can be seen from behind.

http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/content/general/4_2_b.php
 
That boat looks larger than 39' to me. I think he does need separate forward facing and stern whites. Even if it is under 39', the split setup is the most common in most cabin cruisers. Every boat in my marina (most of them are in the 28-39' range) has a separate stern and forward facing white usually mounted on top of the arch. I'm sure he has a stern light on that boat.

Kid Leo - the only reason I can think of that Carver may not have done it that way is that maybe the white wouldn't be visible for people closer to the boat (as in the picture, where the arch is not visible at all).
 
Can't estimate the size from the picture thats why I asked. I agree the light should be on the arch which is where he already has his all around light so I'm confused why he has one on the windshield.
 
Ernesto, I agree, of they 3 previous cruisers that I have owned, from 24 to 29 ft, they all had a stern light and a dual purpose masthead light mounted on the arch. Why this one is not the same is what I am trying to figure out.

Yes, the boat is called 38 ft. Swim platform to pulpit is over 41 ft. so I am not sure legally where it falls. But it seems like every manufacturer lights all cruisers like they are over 39 ft regardless. Perhaps it has something to do with international sales?

It does have a stern light.

You can't see it from the picture but you would have to be damned close and low to the water for the canvas to block the arch light. The top of the arch is 15 ft above the water and the light is on a 12-18 in pole so the light is very high.

I really don't understand the purpose of the regulation for over 39 ft requiring separate stern and masthead lights. From a distance both lighting systems look the same. Looking at the stern you see one white light, from the bow you see one red, one green, and one white. What function does requiring 2 separate lights provide?
 
If you have a sternlight a segmented light on the arch is fine (preferred in my opinion since it unlikely to be obscured like your current setup). There is no max elevation between the colored sidelights and the white, only a minimum 1M.

Also found this in the reg's.

§ 84.09 Screens.
(a) The sidelights of vessels of 20 meters or more in length shall be fitted with mat black inboard screens and meet the requirements of §84.17. On vessels of less than 20 meters in length, the sidelights, if necessary to meet the requirements of §84.17, shall be fitted with mat black inboard screens. With a combined lantern, using a single vertical filament and a very narrow division between the green and red sections, external screens need not be fitted.

(b) On power-driven vessels less than 12 meters in length constructed after July 31, 1983, the masthead light, or the all-round light described in Rule 23(c) shall be screened to prevent direct illumination of the vessel forward of the operator's position.
 
i cant' believe carver built it that way... gee...

where is your anchor light?

both the anchor light and the forward steaming light can be on the arch, you can either use a single fixture which with 2 bulbs (forward on under way, both on anchored) or two separate fixture.
 
The forward steaming light must be generally in line (vertical alignment) with the side lights and a minimum of 3' above the horizontal plane of the side lights. You can fudge a little on the vertical alignment but not much. If the man that built it had to operate it and maintain it, this would not be an issue.
 
I have forward steaming and all around anchor and I'm only 33'. I'm sure at night you are not going like a bat out of hell so centered on the arch IMO would be the best place.

I had the same night vision washout problem with the stern light on a couple of runabouts I had. Atwood had a light with a disk under the white globe that helped a lot.

If it were my problem, I would get a new LED steaming/anchor light for the arch, attach it to the current switch and rewire the present light as a means of lighting the foredeck while at dock.
 
Pascal, the anchor light is on the arch.

KiDa, a shade below the light that would block the light from shining downward yet allow it to shine forward and to the sides is a good idea. Maybe I could fabricate something out of stainless or aluminum sheet and use something like a deck rail fitting slid onto the pole to support it. I could bend it upwards on the back side so I could not see it from the helm. The light doesn't directly shine in my eyes but I can see it, if I could totally block it from view it would be better. This may look a little hinky when it is done but I would bet chasing a new wire up to the arch from the helm would not be fun. The wiring tubes on the boat are stuffed full and it is always a bear. I will take a look at it this weekend and see if I can come up with a plan.
 
a) place the masthead light on a "plate", which would shield it from illuminating the forward deck.

b) place the fixture with shield on a three foot mast, raising it from where it is, to just above the level of the bimini top.

This will allow it to shine where it's supposed to, and will get it out of your vision ( a hazard in itself ).

Whoever mounted that fixture in the line of sight of the helmsman needs to take a break from all that CL.. ;)
 
Here is mine. It doesn't bother me much but I also don't run at night much. This is a combo...foward while running and all around for anchor. If I'm sitting it is right in my line of sight. I don't have anything above the bimini to mount anything

Niles

frontlight.png
 
"I really don't understand the purpose of the regulation for over 39 ft requiring separate stern and masthead lights. From a distance both lighting systems look the same. Looking at the stern you see one white light, from the bow you see one red, one green, and one white. What function does requiring 2 separate lights provide?"

But it doesn't look the same as one all around white light. A masthead light is mounted higher than a stern light.
 
Ran into that issue years ago with a smaller boat and mounted the light ON the bimini.
Antennaandsternlight.jpg

It worked great, and could be folded into the bimini when stowed.
strnltfolded.jpg
I think the light was an Attwood. It's mounted on the REAR edge of the bimini. When running you couldn't tell it was even on.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

"I really don't understand the purpose of the regulation for over 39 ft requiring separate stern and masthead lights. From a distance both lighting systems look the same. Looking at the stern you see one white light, from the bow you see one red, one green, and one white. What function does requiring 2 separate lights provide?"

But it doesn't look the same as one all around white light. A masthead light is mounted higher than a stern light.

Click to expand...


The purpose of a steaming light is to gain a reference of the boat turning to port or starboard.

The angle of the steaming light in relation to the green and red will change based on the angle of the approaching vessel.
 
The steaming light also identifies the vessel as a POWER vessel, and can be seen farther than the sidelights.
 
Niles

All you have to do is stand the pole so that the light is above the Bimini

This downright dangerous. One day you may need to finish a run at night plus on the hook the light is obscured therefore ineffective

Easy fix
 
That is the craziest thing I ever ever saw for a mast light. Are you sure somebody didn't add that before your purchase ? None the less, stmbtwle has the fix.
 
I don't think I ever seen a nav light mounted in such a good position to night blind the operator. I wonder if you might instead move a combi nav/anchor light to the forward part of the bimini.

My combi light is reverse-stalk-mounted below the tower console, as it always has been . The original fixture used to bathe the foredeck in light and ruin night vision forward. Frustrating , annoying and unsafe. I switched to a nearly identical Perko stalk combi but it had the "Reduced Glare " globe lens feature to nicely limit the vertical beamwidth and shade the bow , and it has been a codsend.
 
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