Night warning lights

[rockall]

What lights should a sea kayak display at night? Is there a statutory requirement, or just an adviseable standard? If the latter, waht do people advise?

Thx

[sleepybubble]

What lights should a sea kayak display at night? Is there a statutory requirement, or just an adviseable standard? If the latter, waht do people advise?

Thx

Statutory is to carry a bright white light which can be turned on to prevent collision. So a torch. Lots of folk in busy England have gadgets with lights attached so they can joust with ferries etc.

[snapper]

An all-round white light visible to one nautical mile. From memory it needs to be at least a metre off your deck. Green and red port/starboard running lots should NOT be fitted due to the size of kayaks. While a torch or headtorch might seem okay it will not be - it moves and is confusing and surprisingly easily lost from view, especially if there are any background lights ie from the shore.

[Douglas Wilcox]

Photo Jim Wallis

We have done a little paddling at night. The Kayalite is a very effective solution, in conjunction with a head torch to ensure an all round white light.

Douglas

[ruralweb]

I do lots of night paddling and use a navilite from brookbanks - it attaches to a magnetic plate you fit in a hat so it's as high as you can get it. It also has lots of LEDs that show for 360deg - you can also set it to flash. I also carry an anti collision flare but the navilite is very bright. Also consider reflective slows tape

[PlymouthDamo]

I do a lot of paddling in Plymouth Sound at night, so I'm always under the gaze of the Queen's Harbour Master, Navy frigates and the military police. I have a light on the front and back of my boat, and a light on the front and back of my BA - i.e. 4 lights in total. The ones on the back are white. The ones on the front are red (because red light doesn't impair your night vision.) The lights I use can be set to either flash or steady. I have them set to flash, as I think that's more noticeable, however I first got the Harbour master to have a look and check he was happy with it - fast flashing lights are used for emergencies, but mine don't flash quite that fast, so I'm okay.

I've occasionally had the police boats come up to me at night, but only to find out what I was - once they realised I was a kayaker and not in need of help, they were perfectly happy and had no problems with my choice of lights. I recently heard the police reporting to the harbour master that they'd given a bollocking to a couple of paddle boarders because they only had head-torches on - i.e. not visible from all round.

The lights I use are called Guardian Adventure lights. They seem to work okay, although over the years a couple have flooded, and I found their customer service to be crap. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RED-GUARDIAN-ADVENTURE-Emergency-Light-LED-ON-or-FLASHING-Strobe-Diving-Safety-/150750941202?pt=UK_Sporting_Goods_Canoeing_Kayaking_ET&hash=item231974d012

I also have a mega-bright, focusable head-torch. If you ever find yourself in a busy shipping lane, set this thing to zoom and point it at the deck of an oncoming vessel, and they'll definitely see you: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cree-Q5-Led-Headlamp-Zoom-Led-light-T-flashlight-Torch-Set-/200734190384?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item2ebcb0ab30 (NB - this one is actually submersible, although I had to stick three 'o' rings in the various screwed joints to make sure. Be careful of 'waterproof' head torches on ebay - most of them are only just splash proof.)

[rockall]

Thanks for replies on this. Seems like an 'all around' white light is the simple answer, although you could embellish it with red lights if you wanted.

I think I may start with a Guardian white light, I'd had my eye on those as they seem simple and easy to clip to my hatch straps or PFD. Relatively inexpensive, too.

I have plenty of quality, waterproof headtorches (being a caver!), but they're one-directional. I always keep one to hand, though, so supplemented by the Guardian should be ok.

[Jim]

Interesting, years ago I went on a night paddle on the Gareloch organised by some regional SCA person who lived locally. We just used glowsticks taped to hats to see each other to keep track of the group.

The trip was notified to the MOD Police in advance and they did head over and check us out to make sure we weren't bad guys, as I recall it was quite relaxed, some chat about football scores and where we heading (were we going to stay sufficiently clear of the base) and then they chugged off again. They never made any mention of not having the correct navigation lighting on our boats, which is odd since they have a reputation for challenging people using incorrect VHF protocol and such so you would think they would be all over us about being poorly lit. They obviously saw us, but their side of the Loch is much better lit than the other side where we came from and went back to.

To be honest I wouldn't use a permanent red light (although many do) because it is possible to mistake for other crafts port light or possibly a buoy (especially if it flits in and out of view due to kayak motion) - although I think we are probably not going to be using anything powerful enough to confuse any one unless we are close to them. A red headtorch or switchable red LED is useful for map reading etc. but I would only put it on when needed. If showing an allround white I would suggest trying to make sure it is shielded in such a way that the light does not propogate downwards to your front , so any larger vessel wll be able to see it, but it will not be visible to you - and that includes not reflecting off your deck or nearby waves.

Closing one eye when a bright light comes towards you does maintain dilation in that eye and help speed up the re-dilation of the other one when the light has passed, can't say I have ever done it in a sea kayak, I wonder if it would affect stability at all? I know when walking the lack of depth perception can sometimes become an issue if I am on rough ground....

[Ken_T]

Hi Rockall,
I use guardian white lights in steady mode. I have not used flash as it contavenes regulations as you could be mistaken for a north cardinal marker. I also carry a bright head torch.
Ken

[journeyman]

From the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGS):

25. Lights for sailing and rowing vessels
Sailing vessels underway and vessels under oars
(a) A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit:
1. sidelights;
2. a sternlight.
(b) In a sailing vessel of less than 20 metres (66 ft) in length the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen.
(c) A sailing vessel underway may, in addition to the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule, exhibit at or near the top of the mast, where they can best be seen, two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower green, but these lights shall not be exhibited in conjunction with the combined lantern permitted by paragraph (b) of this Rule.
(d) 1. A sailing vessel of less than 7 metres (23.0 ft) in length shall, if practicable, exhibit the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Rule, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.
2. A vessel under oars may exhibit the lights prescribed in this Rule for sailing vessels, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.
(e) A vessel proceeding under sail when also being propelled by machinery shall exhibit forward where it can best be seen a conical shape, apex downwards.

so the minimum requirement is:

. . . she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.

[Chris329a]

I wouldn't suggest using a red light at this could be misconstrued as being a boat port light I would stick to the basics and use a white 360 white light as per colregs. Just because the police don't say too much doesn't mean anything, as they are not the prosecuting agents and more importantly won't be paying the insurance should anything go wrong.....

[PlymouthDamo]

Although I have my RYA Powerboat Level 2 and I know the lighting rules with regard to larger vessels, I accept that I'm not fully clued up with regard to the legal requirements for lights on small craft.

However, I regularly drive fast dive RHIBs around Plymouth Sound, often at night. I also regularly paddle around Plymouth sound at night in the vicinity of large and fast vessels. I therefore speak with experience. As a kayaker, your number one priority with regard to lighting is to grab the attention of faster vessels - all other considerations come a very distant second. To a fast vessel, you are effectively a stationary object, and it makes not one jot of difference what colour you are displaying or whether it's flashing or steady. Providing the skipper of that boat sees your lights, he will avoid you. Nobody is going to come and prosecute you for showing the wrong lights - as a kayaker, you're not on the authorities' radar. However, if you don't manage to grab the attention of the other vessel, you might die.

(A similar debate was had over flashing lights on bicycles. The letter of the law stated that lights attached directly to your bike had to be continuous. Those of us who valued our lives ignored the law and used flashing lights anyway, as they save lives. Thankfully for cyclists, the law has now caught up with common sense.)

[ruralweb]

I'm currently planning a paddle which involves paddling the tidal Thames through London at night and was under the impression that this was the only waterway in the uk where you were allowed to use white flashing lights as normally they are a distress signal as is a red flashing light. You can get a white 360 light for about £45 and two guardians which I also have front and back of my ba for about £12 each. Not much compared to what the rest of our kit costs.

I'm pretty keen on navigation lights as I was flipped over by the bow wave of a ship many many years ago when out without lights - I never even saw it coming. That was in the Thames so I'm being extra carefull this time.

[PeterG]

in the vicinity of Portsmouth, QHM likes a constant all round visible white light on every boat. Many of us use tektite dive marker lights attached to plastic tubes attached to our BAs to be above our heads. The Port of London website has some hints for even cheaper solutions. This has the advantage of not affecting night vision even when you turn to talk to someone. If you try a roll the ghostly light underwater is attractive enough to want to stay under a few moments longer.

The light on you BA means you would be rapidly rescued. Once separated from the boat on a dark night, it would be hard to find someone. A light on the boat is often obscured by waves, the extra metre of height makes a lot of difference. We carry bright torches, just in case, but have never had to use them. The advantage with the constant light is that shipping can keep up to date with your position. We hear the IOW ferries, hover craft, pilot cutters etc. reporting on our progress around the Solent, QHM might ask us for an update on our position if he hasn't heard anything for a while. We are visible at well over a mile on a dark night. Often surprisingly distant ships have us in sight; if QHM asks them to keep an eye out for us they report that they already have visual.

[TechnoEngineer]

http://towerhamletscanoeclub.co.uk/wiki ... es_Tideway

[rockall]

Many thanks for all the replies on this. I can totally see the point of being seen as a, if not the, major consideration. At the moment I'm not paddling in big or confined shipping areas (Scottish west coast), but there are still plenty of ferries and other craft, and plenty of yachts!
I have a powerful and waterproof headtorch, but I'm thinking of getting a guardian light for fixing on the boat behind me as a permanent deck light.
From the variety of suggestions I'd say that lighting is still an inexact science!...probably because kayaks don't come under the same rules as larger craft?

[atakd]

The statutory requirement under section 25((2)of the ColRegs is:
" A vessel under oars may exhibit the lights prescribed in this Rule for sailing vessels, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision."

So you have the option of a red/green/white tricolour, red and green side lights with seperate white stern light or a torch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZaRed4nTUM