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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Sat Sep 06 2003 - 10:46:00 EDT
In a message dated 9/6/2003 12:12:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:
> If a freighter captain sees my red tricolor light on the top of
> my mast he can reasonably assume that he is viewing the starboard side of
> some vessel.
Speaking as one who has spend many hours on the bridge of a freighter at
night, colored lights on a vessel are the last thing to be seen, and the weak
colored lights on a sailboat are virtually invisible unless they are too close for
safety.
NEVER, EVER, rely on another vessel to give way to you offshore because you
are under sail. Adjust your course to avoid close quarters long before there
is a danger of collision. I personally give every vessel within a mile of me
very close attention offshore and never allow another vessel within a quarter
mile of me if I can avoid it.
Your number one way of being seen at night offshore is a strong all-around
white light. This can be one all-around like your anchor light, or split
between a stern and steaming light. I know it is not in the rules as a running
light for sailing vessels, but it could be considered a flare-up light if you
only use it as needed. Still, if I have a choice between safety and following
the regs, I will usually choose safety. On my boat the horizon is 4 1/2 miles
off and I will see virtually every white light when it breaks the horizon. (A
freighter's horizon is typically 10 to 12 miles off.) A sailboat's colored
lights are very hard to see when they break my horizon offshore but no prudent
mariner will deliberately go near a white light at sea.
After seeing a white light appear, the prudent mariner will take a bearing on
it, even simply noting what part of one's vessel it appears over when one's
vessel is on course, and then a few minutes later checking to see if it is
still over that same spot while on course. If the bearing has changed
significantly, then there is no danger. If it is about the same, then the distant vessel
gets more attention.
Inshore, to eyes searching the horizon in front of the boat, lights on the
top of a mast are very iffy (including anchor lights). Boat drivers are
primarily interested in avoiding collision with things floating on the water and
their attention is directed primarily at their path. Lights up on top of a mast,
especially when close, are just not in the attention area of most lookouts,
but the normal colored lights come into major use here where close up one needs
to know what direction the other fellow is going as soon as possible.
I would suggest that you look at the boats you see underway at night, note
the ones most easily seen, and emulate them.
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying Portland ME
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