Spotlights on a rib

[Revenger715]

So, after a few night-time navs last year using the garmin to get home I figured this season I might prefer to actually see something in front of me, as opposed to navigating 'blind'.

I have a 12v socket on the dash and seems a temporary spotlight mounted to the cockpit rail would be ideal - anyone used such a set up and got any recommendations?

Cheers,

715

[beamishken]

We have a remote searchlight on our cruiser & it's no use at all as a headlight for general navigation. We occasionally use it for spotting mooring bouys but apart from that it just spoils your natural night vision

[willk]

Originally Posted by Revenger715

...and got any recommendations?

Don't.

Spotlight night driving is not how it works. Use one for final approach to piers and moorings, but forget them for open water.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Revenger715

So, after a few night-time navs last year using the garmin to get home I figured this season I might prefer to actually see something in front of me, as opposed to navigating 'blind'.

I have a 12v socket on the dash and seems a temporary spotlight mounted to the cockpit rail would be ideal - anyone used such a set up and got any recommendations?

Cheers,

715

I have an Aqua Signal (12v) hand held that's got me out of the Sticky Stuff a couple of times...well built and quite bright....(although the newer LED's might out preform it by now!?) you can mount it too if you like.
Although in my experience waves are seldom uniform in size or direction over any distance,and it pays to hold the lamp and keep the beam in your line of sight which is likely to change quite a bit!.. and I usually Helm one hand holding lamp and wheel.. and just take it easy!!
Its a real Bugger at night if it blows up and you can't see the Waves coming!..and without any sort of light,a bloody nightmare!
Something I wouldn't be without.

[Bigtalljv]

if it lights up any part of the tubes or deck it will reduce your night vision to zip.

If you had a tight enough beam and a good solid roof on a robust t-top or cabin then maybe, that how the pros can do it.

Jason

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by willk

Don't.

Spotlight night driving is not how it works. Use one for final approach to piers and moorings, but forget them for open water.

If you do some long Cruiseing...Sometimes there is no choice..and a good lamp certainly helps!!...as opposed to none!
A good safety tool to carry in any case for many reasons for sure.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Maximus

If you do some long Cruiseing...

Yeah, what are my chances....?

[BruceB]

On an open RIB they are not of any use in my opinion.
I used to have a fixed spot on the front of the console but now keep a handheld that plugs in for final approach.
Unless you can stop reflections off the bow tubes they just destroy your night vision, even the nav lights on the console I used to have did the same.
I moved these to the back on the frame and turn all the nav plotter lights to minimum, your natural night vision once acclimatised, is way better.
I used to do 20 mile passages on the west coast in the pitch black no problem like this with no shore lights visible.
Keep the spots for final approach where you need to see in the dark to see the actual edge of the slip or find the bouy.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Maximus

and I usually Helm one hand holding lamp and wheel.

Its a real Bugger at night if it blows up and you can't see the Waves coming!

So what do you do when you see the waves coming but have no hand to adjust the throttle?

[GordyP]

Originally Posted by Poly

So what do you do when you see the waves coming but have no hand to adjust the throttle?

You get an excellent view of the tubes being ripped off the bow as it stuffs!!

[Peter_C]

I have done a lot of boating at night on rivers and lakes. My tower had 7 lights mounted on it for night wakeboarding. 5 pointed backwards and two forwards on a different switch. The fronts were rarely used. Their best use was at the dock to light everything up.

The lights mounted in the bow, under the rub rail do work, and the secondary solution is to have someone hold a spot light under the bow so the driver can not see the light source. From above and behind like my tower had does not work, unless you have a shield overhead that blocks the light from hitting anywhere on the boat in front of you.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Poly

So what do you do when you see the waves coming but have no hand to adjust the throttle?

What it Takes!.... I'm talking about rough seas with no light!..When you HAVE to get IN or HOME!
I hold the wheel and light in my right..and throttle as normal with my left.
Can't stand throttles on the right!...IMO FAR inferior!
It is not ideal...but WILL.HAS ...& does WORK ...better than being totally blind!!
You'll find the light reflects off the Tips/Spume and helps a lot to pick out the Waves...more than relying on night vision...unless there is a decent Moon,or other ambient light.
Helps if you have a decent light with optimum Beam..and not a Flood...at range it broadens out somewhat anyhow.
Try it!

....

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Maximus

What it Takes!.... I'm talking about rough seas with no light!..When you HAVE to get IN or HOME!
I hold the wheel and light in my right..and throttle as normal with my left.
Can't stand throttles on the right!...IMO FAR inferior!
It is not ideal...but WILL.HAS ...& does WORK ...better than being totally blind!!
You'll find the light reflects off the Tips/Spume and helps a lot to pick out the Waves...more than relying on night vision...unless there is a decent Moon,or other ambient light.
Helps if you have a decent light with optimum Beam..and not a Flood...at range it broadens out somewhat anyhow.
Try it!

....

Ah I see - I thought you had the wheel in one hand and your lamp in the other. It was inconceivable to me that IN ROUGH WATER you would be able to CONTROL a lamp with a few fingers never mind do so with enough accuracy to stop you loosing night vision. I think it was the Ouzo enquiry which said it takes 9 minutes to get your vision back after even momentary "white light" exposure.

If it works for you though...

[JamesF]

Nearly. The 9 minutes figure was this:

The lookout first saw a light from the yacht 9 minutes after entering the wheelhouse.

But:

... bridge watchkeepers should ... allow time for the handover and, at night, for their eyesight to adapt to the dark. Research has indicated that this period is typically 10 – 15 minutes.

and:

The dark adaptation curves... can be divided clearly into two components. The first is a rapid decline in threshold over the first 5 – 6 mins. The second component shows a slightly shallower decline from approximately 5 – 6 mins to approximately 20 – 30 mins.

So in fact it's worse than 9 minutes.

And it also says:

Further investigation on this subject has also revealed that, to all intents and purposes, as soon as a person’s eyes are subjected to white light, their dark adaptation time starts again from zero

[Alan Priddy]

Learn how to drive your boat blind and feel for waves from the seat of your bum. When you have gained the experience the only time a flashlight wil be any good is slow approaches to unknown harbours. Your all round white should give you enough light in big breaking seas to know what to do. Alan P

[BruceB]

Its funny that the ARW should be mentioned. I painted the forward facing part of my ARW black.
I found the white light from it destroyed night vision, even from just a dinky nav light.
By keeping everything very dark on the boat night vision was actually better.
Its a cumulative thing as well, by having light from the ARW I had to turn up the nav plotters backlight from absolute minimum which caused even more of a problem seeing anything.
Unless you are underground it never gets completely black, there is always some light with properly adapted night vision to see what you are doing, even up in places where there is no light from human sources.
The spotlight on my boat is for final maneouvering at shore only.
On large ships they don't light up the sea in front of them either, all the deck lights get switched off and the bridge darkened.

[willk]

I've had to put a bit of black tape on an ARW in the past - same experience as you - it was ruining my night vision. The perceived level of light was such that I'd buy into APs advice - it would show you white wave tops too - if you could avoid seeing the light itself. An overhead ARW would be ace - I must remember that one for again...

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Poly

... you would be able to CONTROL a lamp with a few fingers ...

Aye, but don't forget that they breed em with extra fingers where Maxi comes from


.....sh1t happens.......

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Aye, but don't forget that they breed em with extra fingers where Maxi comes from


.....sh1t happens.......

..Don't forget the Webbing too!.....Make headway in a 4knt tide me!

[jambo]

Originally Posted by Maximus

..Don't forget the Webbing too!.....Make headway in a 4knt tide me!

Jesus and here was me thinking ya just had three hands