All Round White Light

[Blood Knot]

Hi Guys just a heads up to night boaters or early morning launchers.

Got busted as I went under Gladesville bridge before New Years. Was just before sunrise when i launched. Had turned on the port/starboard lights but had stupidly neglected to to put in the mast with all round white light and turn it on.

Fair bust so put it in (feeling a bit foolish) and turned it on. All Ok"off you go mate"

5 days later get a warning notice from NSW Maritime asking me to " show evidence of all round white light visible 360 degrees with no obstructions".

Bit confused so, quick phone call to NSWM and found out that as I was standing at the helm (not sitting) at the time I was pulled over, that my all round white light (mounted near the stern on a 600mm mast) would be blocked from the view of an oncoming vessel by my head or body.

Basically had to extend the mast it was mounted on by 400mm to comply. Not a problem as I was able to fabricate a new mast from some 19mm stainless tube and rewired etc using the old fittings.

However I did look around a few boating supply places and could not find one of the all round white light/mast assemblies that were any longer than the one with which my boat had been fitted and registered with when I bought it.

Emailed a pic of the new light to NSWM and got there blessing, so all ended well. Just wondering if anyone else has run into the same prob ?

Boating handbook says (vessels under 12m) : "The mast head or white light shall be carried at least 1 metere above the side lights". Guess this does not help if your boat has a high floor or you are a bit tall or as I do wish from time to time to drive my boat standing.

John

Edited February 1, 2009 by Blood Knot

[wonniefisho]

The way I read it, what said martime said, and their requirements, 99% of tinnys/runabouts don't have legal all round white lights. Picture an open tinny, with low sides and a small floor (or casting deck, even with top of sides). Based on a tinny with a casting deck that you can stand on, say you are 1.8m tall an all round white light needing to be visible with you standing on it, means every one of these boats with a casting deck should have their all round white light mounted on approximately 2m tall mast. How ridiculous!

My cuddy cabin has the nav lights mounted half way up the cuddy, which doesn't give me anywhere really to mount the white light other than on top of the cabin, and even on a 600mm long mast (the longest, as you say, in a boating place), I'm still technically 150mm short. Whether they'd be that padantic to measure I don't know, but much of the time complying with the regulations is near impossible, and at the least, extremely impractical.

Edited January 20, 2009 by wonniefisho

[Blood Knot]

The way I read it, what said martime said, and their requirements, 99% of tinnys/runabouts don't have legal all round white lights. Picture an open tinny, with low sides and a small floor (or casting deck, even with top of sides). Based on a tinny with a casting deck that you can stand on, say you are 1.8m tall an all round white light needing to be visible with you standing on it, means every one of these boats with a casting deck should have their all round white light mounted on approximately 2m tall mast. How ridiculous!

My cuddy cabin has the nav lights mounted half way up the cuddy, which doesn't give me anywhere really to mount the white light other than on top of the cabin, and even on a 600mm long mast (the longest, as you say, in a boating place), I'm still technically 150mm short. Whether they'd be that padantic to measure I don't know, but much of the time complying with the regulations is near impossible, and at the least, extremely impractical.

Wonnie - Have allways been happy to enjoy safe boating and understand the justifiable NSWM concerns over boat lighting, given recent harbour nightime accidents. But it would appear much as you say, there would be s--t load of boats out there that would not comply under this interpretation. (and in fact the situation height wise gets worse when you are up on the plane as the bow of the boat rises and the drivers position is elevated).

Hence the heads up - you only get 14 days to comply or furnish evidence of compliance (if picked up for it), and as stated it does not seem that easy to buy a taller light off the shelf from the boating places.

John

Edited February 1, 2009 by Blood Knot

[Davemmm]

Anyone who fishes a bit at night will realise how hard it is at times to see some boats. Fishing in the Hacking is a bit easier than other places as you have total darkness on the Park side but if you are looking towards the built up side it is easy to lose sight of a boat. I imagine it gets a fair bit harder in the harbour to pick up a small boat. Anything that makes it easier for one of those dopes thats drives at twenty knots at night to see you then all the better.

Having said that the letter of the law may be pretty hard to comply with on some boats. If you need to be 1m above the side lights there are some open boats out there that may need a 1200-1300mm shaft.

Dave

[pelican]

Mounting on a 200mm pole on top of Bimini will work for some and keep glare out of your eyes.

It is good they are starting to look at it as I have nearly run down a tinny due to closing on the same consistant angle from the stern quarter and his body was blocking the all round white light he had mounted in front of him ( idiot could work out why he couldn't see i bet) . If it wasn't for a glint of moonlight in his wake he would have been dead.

They are also cracking down on dirty or faded lenses on all nav lights and ones that don't put out much light. A lot sold by the stores in the cheaper ranges just don't comply and deteriorate quite fast when left outside etc. Only buy approved LED ones as a lot don't seem very bright.

Every night I'm out I see boats with a light not working - accidents waiting to happen and some smart lawyer is going to pull the "safe speed" clause out and "aviod collisions" and the boat that hits em will be on manslaughter charges

Pel

Not sure if it is still i the rules but there used to be a rule in regards to lights on cabin sides that they are only allowed to be 1/3 up the height off the waterline and a max distance from waterline but not sure the Manly ferry would comply with that one.

PS Carry a spare globe or 2 and tools to change or be prepared for a ticket and a slow escorted troll back to the ramp.

Edited January 20, 2009 by pelican

[Scienceman]

I also have a 5m cuddy with no bimini. The short shaft rear stern light provided by Qintrex is a joke. What I have done is attach a 360degree battery powered white light bought from Bias to a broom handle and put this in one of the rod holders on my bait board at the back of the boat. Nice and high so I dont get much light in my eyes and clearly visable from any direction.

[daleyboy]

i got a 5.8M fibreglass runabout with a bimini and the all round white light at the back of the boat (which was put in b4 i got the bimini and sits about 1 foot above the engine) doesnt comply so i stick a long flouro light up in one of the rod holders in the rocket launcher that then plugs in to the 12v ciggy lighter, when i go out early in the morning.

its not an allround light i.e. it only faces backwards, but it does put out about 100 times more light than any alround light ive seen (it lights up the deck like daylight almost) so i reckon thats gotta be good enough for now ... tho i do plan to wire up an actual allround light into the middle rocket launcher before starting any serious night fishing sessions as i know there be some maritime officer that will pin me for it .. especially in the harbour

Edited January 21, 2009 by daleyboy

[jacksback]

i got a 5.8M fibreglass runabout with a bimini and the all round white light at the back of the boat (which was put in b4 i got the bimini and sits about 1 foot above the engine) doesnt comply so i stick a long flouro light up in one of the rod holders in the rocket launcher that then plugs in to the 12v ciggy lighter, when i go out early in the morning.

its not an allround light i.e. it only faces backwards, but it does put out about 100 times more light than any alround light ive seen (it lights up the deck like daylight almost) so i reckon thats gotta be good enough for now ... tho i do plan to wire up an actual allround light into the middle rocket launcher before starting any serious night fishing sessions as i know there be some maritime officer that will pin me for it .. especially in the harbour

What a great idea! Will try that next time.

I would have assumed that the white light supplied by the boat builder would be compliant. Mine is also about 600mm and is obstructed from the front by the cuddy.