Boat Navigation Lighting - for night visability

[azray007]

For those who boat at night, what brand of spotlight do you use?  I see boats all the time with just the normal navigation lights, but after being on many night cruises and night fishing, I've seen the debris and especially logs floating by.  To me, it's dangerous to not have some additional lighting.  Since we just got our new boat, I haven't taken the time to find a new spotlight.  (I accidentally left our old one on the Sea Ray when we sold it.)  We have the LED bow lights but they don't give off a lot of light.  Has anyone modified those?  Just curious how folks are navigating at night.

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

It's not legal to boat with lights other than navigation lights. One reason is I can't see your navigation lights if you have normal lights shooting toward me. 

 

[1Blderbob]

It's not legal to boat with lights other than navigation lights. One reason is I can't see your navigation lights if you have normal lights shooting toward me. 

Spot on Semperf. It's a sure fire way to meeting DNR at night if you run up the bay with docking lights turned on constantly. And Q beams or other spots should only be used while going through the channels to find non lit markers. That's why you want to have a GPS on the dash and mark out your points of navigation during light hours. 

 

[azray007]

Spot on Semperf. It's a sure fire way to meeting DNR at night if you run up the bay with docking lights turned on constantly. And Q beams or other spots should only be used while going through the channels to find non lit markers. That's why you want to have a GPS on the dash and mark out your points of navigation during light hours. 

Great suggestion on the GPS.  I have a chart plotter and that would be an ideal situation to use it in.

 

[Indian_Lake_Bum]

We have a cheap 12v spotlight (like the one above) we use at night to find no wake marker buoys coming into our channel.  Otherwise the only lights we use at night are the navigation lights.....maybe some mood lighting with the lighted kicker speakers but bugs live them.

 

[tcpip95]

Spot on Semperf. It's a sure fire way to meeting DNR at night if you run up the bay with docking lights turned on constantly. And Q beams or other spots should only be used while going through the channels to find non lit markers. That's why you want to have a GPS on the dash and mark out your points of navigation during light hours. 

We have all of our routes that we take plotted into our GPS, and each route has been verified visually during daylight.  Some have been modified (i.e. a little too close to a marker, or waaay to far off from another) to ensure that I'm never closer than 30' from any potential marked hazard.


When we come in from the Gulf, I have a "safe entry" waypoint that I can use as a known approach; I know that I can safely navigate to that point just offshore, and then from there follow one of my known, plotted routes to get safely home - day or night.

 

[MH663]

We have a cheap 12v spotlight (like the one above) we use at night to find no wake marker buoys coming into our channel.  Otherwise the only lights we use at night are the navigation lights.....maybe some mood lighting with the lighted kicker speakers but bugs live them.

Hey Brian.  Just as a conversation piece, Joy and I were stopped by the ODNR on Saturday.  I had my under deck lights on and running about 8 mph.  That was the "excuse" for a safety and sobriety check.  I absolutely agree with the docking lights and people trying to use them as headlight but...they could have just said turn off your under deck lights and let me go on, lol, NOT!  The funny thing is I was never told by the Marina that I should not run them.  Just mentioned it to Jim Sunday morning and he was like: "yeah, they say it is confusing to other boats".  I'm thinking to myself, "really".  In any case, passed the safety and sobriety checks with no issues and we went on our way.  Spotlight is in our future thou.  I will flip on docking lights in the channels at night but they certainly don't provide adequate light for anything but docking.

 

[Spoiledrotten]

Our docking lights are used in the no wake channels, getting back to our ramp. They work great for that, and then we also have our side lighting on for being seen by others.

 

[Indian_Lake_Bum]

Our docking lights are used in the no wake channels, getting back to our ramp. They work great for that, and then we also have our side lighting on for being seen by others.

Running sidelights like that on indian lake will most likely get you a visit from the DNR Watercraft officer.  We've seen a lot more DNR presence out on the lake so far this year.   Seems they have been stopping  pontoons (many with kids) to do a safety/alcohol check.  They were at the sandbar last weekend doing checks as well.


Be safe out there!

 

[Spoiledrotten]

I'm wondering if that's a northern thing. The water patrol seems a little more laid back down here. I even see boats with blue LEDs running down the sides on our lakes and reservoirs (where mine are red), but never see them having problems. Hmmmm. I got into a little (shall I say) discussion with a guy from PA on Facebook about mine. He stated that he was a retired LEO, and he would have given me a ticket in a heartbeat for my lights. I returned his SmtAzz statement with a few choice statements of my own. He sounded more like a barney fife than a responsible LEO, just after someone to show his authority. Hopefully, those are few a far between, but they are out there. The power of the badge goes straight to their head and swells it beyond belief. I guess they got picked on when they were kids.  

 

[Spoiledrotten]

...


 

 

[Rockie69]

Real world... I've been pulled over three times in my boat. All 3 times... because of the lights. One time I intentailly did it becuse a passenger was adament that it was legal... However, when I was in the LOTO I was able to use them in an emergency situation to locate my BIL who was stranded in the water at midnight. I'd turn them on and he would direct me to his position. We didn't want to use flares to attract attention...LOL


I even had a discussion with the officer about making them the same color as the navgation lights. His OPINION was that it would still get you pulled over becuse it would look like an entire fleet resting in the water...my rebut... At least they'd steer clear. My opinion, if you don't want to get pulled over, don't risk it. If you don't care. Go for it. This is the sticker that was right next to my capacity plate. /gallery/album_375/gallery_4086_375_829594.jpg

 

[Spoiledrotten]

 

[Scott1]

Different laws for different States

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

But a good boater will follow "standard" boating rules. I shouldn't have to wonder what rules are being followed based on what body of water I'm on. I love all the cool lights, but I don't feel like getting slammed into because someone couldn't see me, nor me into them because I was confused as to which way they were heading. 

 

[lakeliving]

At night you should be going idle speed anyway. If you can't figure out which way the boat near you is moving.....you shouldn't be on the water or should give them more space.

 

[Scott1]

But a good boater will follow "standard" boating rules. I shouldn't have to wonder what rules are being followed based on what body of water I'm on. I love all the cool lights, but I don't feel like getting slammed into because someone couldn't see me, nor me into them because I was confused as to which way they were heading. 

Agree as far as bright lights in the front of the boat, but many pontoons now have the side lights and it has never interfered with me seeing the navigation lights.  People that ride on the lakes with their dock lights on might not realize two things, they don't do much for you and they block out most navigation lights.

 

[Scott1]

At night you should be going idle speed anyway. If you can't figure out which way the boat near you is moving.....you shouldn't be on the water or should give them more space.

Hmm, not sure if where you boat is different, but why go idle speeds when most clear nights you can see perfectly?  I have never heard that  one before.  I agree with the safety aspect, but I don't think one needs to go that slow at night depending on the boating traffic.  Many people here boat at night, but many also hang up their toons after sunset.


I agree, I always try to give as much space as possible at night, but the lakes up here that really is not a problem.

 

[1Blderbob]

Hmm, not sure if where you boat is different, but why go idle speeds when most clear nights you can see perfectly?  I have never heard that  one before.  I agree with the safety aspect, but I don't think one needs to go that slow at night depending on the boating traffic.  Many people here boat at night, but many also hang up their toons after sunset.


I agree, I always try to give as much space as possible at night, but the lakes up here that really is not a problem.

+1 on that. If you only move at idle speed,you might as well turn off your nav lights and turn on your anchor light. Of coarse that's a joke! But if your that uncomfortable in the dark,please stay off the water till dawn.It's not good when someone is idling along in the channel while other boats are moving at much higher speeds in the same channel.

 

[TomS]

Hmm, not sure if where you boat is different, but why go idle speeds when most clear nights you can see perfectly?  I have never heard that  one before.  I agree with the safety aspect, but I don't think one needs to go that slow at night depending on the boating traffic.  Many people here boat at night, but many also hang up their toons after sunset.

Idle/no wake after dusk is the law here.


One of those occasions where all those extraneous docking and side lights are a distraction is right after our fireworks. Dozens of boats gather near an island where they shoot them off. At the end of the show, everyone turns and heads home, so it's a bit of chaos. The clear signs of red and green nav lights makes it much easier to see if they're oncoming and exactly which direction they're headed. Running with docking lights is a peave of mine, and they do at least warn them here.