Navigation Lights

Chris · 13 December 2011, 18:58

I have noticed that most ribs have port and starboard nav lights and then an all round white poking up on top of the a-frame.

The Aframe on Pigs Ear also has a mounting point for a stern light as well.

I guess the way you should have it set up is the port, starboard and stern lights are effectively your running lights and should be wired on one switch. Then the all round white is on a seperate switch and should only be used when at rest as an anchor light...

However most ribs I have seen tend to run at night with an all round white.

Have I got this right?

rigi36 · 13 December 2011, 19:13

All round white + sidelights are the norm - never seen a stern facing light on a rib, it's always been an all rounder.

For boats that are 4m and under it is permissible to display only the all round white light.

captnjack · 13 December 2011, 19:24

Most RIBs run an all-round white while underway as they don't have a masthead light (which would be white). The white all-around takes the place of the masthead which covers the forward 225 degrees and the white sternlight which covers the aft 135 degrees. Vessels under 65ft or so (20m) can combine these two lights into the all around.

So two switches. One for the red+green sidelights. Second switch for the all-around white. Underway both switches should be on. At anchor just the all-around white.

No stern light unless you have some way to mount a white forward masthead light covering the forward 225 degrees and 1m above the red+green sidelights.

thomas · 13 December 2011, 19:33

Brought this up recently and went away feeling like a bit of a noob, although sailed for years, so I went round the marina and looked at every rib to see how they were set up, according to the MCA and on here they were all wrong.

Vessels under 12 metres
Power vessels of less than 12 metres in length shall exhibit:

a) Separate or combined sidelights, a masthead light and a stern light or

b) Separate or combined sidelights, an all round white light.

Masthead or white all round light shall be carried at least 1 metre above the sidelights.

How many people on here have a white light a meter above their side lights? Not even sea school ribs in our marine do. My boat has once switch called 'Nav Lights' that does the side and anothe called 'Anchor' that does the top.

captnjack · 13 December 2011, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

How many people on here have a white light a meter above their side lights? Not even sea school ribs in our marine do. My boat has once switch called 'Nav Lights' that does the side and anothe called 'Anchor' that does the top.

This is how mine's set up. Although underway you need to have both switches on.

My pole could be a bit longer; my all-around is roughly 80cm above the sidelights depending on the trim.

martini · 13 December 2011, 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

How many people on here have a white light a meter above their side lights?

I do, but it's an 8.5m so not difficult to keep a-frame in proportion etc

Quote:

Originally Posted by captnjack

My pole could be a bit longer;

Pikey Dave · 13 December 2011, 21:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

.

Masthead or white all round light shall be carried at least 1 metre above the sidelights.

How many people on here have a white light a meter above their side lights?

Yup BP does

Erin · 13 December 2011, 21:31

If you want to be smart you can use a dual pole switch for the nav lights and a second single pole switch for the anchor light.

On the nav light switch, one pole is used for the port and starboard lights whilst the second pole switches the anchor light. This means that when this switch is operated all three lights come on but the two circuits are kept separate. You then wire the anchor light switch in parallel with the first switch. This will also be able to turn on just the anchor light but without interfering with the port and starboard as they are electrically isolated on the first switch. Sounds complicated, but really is quite simple. Suppose I could do a little diagram if anyone's interested. Works well on my boat anyway.

captnjack · 13 December 2011, 21:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by martini

I'm willing to be jealous if your's is bigger than 80cm

Otherwise

Ribochet · 13 December 2011, 21:54

Just to clarify what the IRPCS states in relation to a vessel operating at night with a single all-round white light

Rule 23
A power-driven vessel of less than 7 metres in length whose maximum speed does not exceed 7 knots may in lieu of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule exhibit an all-round white light and shall, if practicable, also exhibit sidelights;

Pikey Dave · 14 December 2011, 06:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin

If you want to be smart you can use a dual pole switch for the nav lights and a second single pole switch for the anchor light.

On the nav light switch, one pole is used for the port and starboard lights whilst the second pole switches the anchor light. This means that when this switch is operated all three lights come on but the two circuits are kept separate. You then wire the anchor light switch in parallel with the first switch. This will also be able to turn on just the anchor light but without interfering with the port and starboard as they are electrically isolated on the first switch. Sounds complicated, but really is quite simple. Suppose I could do a little diagram if anyone's interested. Works well on my boat anyway.

BP has a Carling switch that is on-off-on, the first on position puts on all 3 lights- alround white, port,stbd. The second on position just puts on the allround white. I haven't given much thought as to how it sorts it out internally, there might be a diode involved or multiple poles. I'll try & think it out, in one of my many moments of relaxation

oracle · 14 December 2011, 07:39

I've got the Carling switch on Viper, works well and with all round white above the Echomax its pretty much 1m above the Navs too.

Poly · 14 December 2011, 08:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

so I went round the marina and looked at every rib to see how they were set up, according to the MCA and on here they were all wrong.

Really? My set up must be pretty close to legal if it is not (they are as far apart as I could get them) and I only have a 4m boat with no A frame.

thomas · 14 December 2011, 09:30

Yup, really, Ballistics, Ribeyes, Ribtecs even Humbers, have a look on google images.

9D280 · 14 December 2011, 11:24

One of the bigger problems with the 1m separation on Ribs is that once the boat is running & the bow has risen, the toobs can obscure the R/G from the front. I could easily get 1m if I park the R/G at top of toob level, but I know they won't be seen as soon as I get on the plane.

Right now mine are well too close. One of the winter projects is a second ARW on a pole, and replace the bulb in the current one with an LED.

Theory being if the main packs up, or I'm using it as an anchor light it won't guzzle the battery. (with aux there's no way I'll be doing 7 knots - or charging the battery!)

BruceB · 14 December 2011, 15:41

How many folk actually anchor the boat at night and need an anchor light?
I have only done it a couple of times and there was nobody about that would have seen it anyway?
Its not as if a boat being left on a mooring will be lit

Mine, as far as running lights are concerned, is legal with P&S lights well outboard visible from the front and an ARW 110cm above this....then again I set my lighting up to enable night running to be easily practicable as we do it regularly. (and dark up here does mean dark, no lit coastlines to see anything by)

However I agree most RIB's aren't set up to be able to do this and most A frames not high enough.

chewy · 14 December 2011, 19:02

[QUOTE=maxhar;433813]All round white + sidelights are the norm - never seen a stern facing light on a rib, it's always been an all rounder.QUOTE]

You mean like this

C-NUMB · 14 December 2011, 20:09

or this :

But even if not perfectly legal, would say that on a rib a round white + sidelights should be fine, it does not make that big difference in real life.

Festinghouse · 14 December 2011, 20:32

a lot of people mount a tricolour cluster on the top of the frame - these are intended for use on the top of a mast and are not legal for use on a rib. mine are not legal at the moment as there is only 600mm between lights, but is on the list of winter projects!

GaryC · 15 December 2011, 09:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Festinghouse

a lot of people mount a tricolour cluster on the top of the frame - these are intended for use on the top of a mast and are not legal for use on a rib. mine are not legal at the moment as there is only 600mm between lights, but is on the list of winter projects!

I have seen professionally owned RIBs use the Tricolour. I have also seen a yacht using the Tricolour at night without sail.

My RIB has about 900mm between lights. The Red and Green have a flat plate on the A frame about 300 mm below the top. Using a 600mm S/S pole this takes the distance between all round white and R/G to 900mm. Just short.

I did have a bigger plastic pole on it but one lunch time in Seahouses harbour, I came back to find it dangling by the wires. I never did find out how it happened.

Is an RYA examiner going to be pedantic about the exact distance on a RIB?

Gary