41DC Nav Lights

[Sparky1]

Every time I come into my slip at night (as was the case last week-end), my nav lights become a topic of conversation. The 225 degree "masthead light" on my 41 is mounted ahead of the windless on the bow, just inches from the rub rail. A couple of the "know it alls" tell me I'm not legal, but as far as I know, the nav lights on my boat are as they came from Hatteras.

The 360 degree anchor light is mounted on the mast and is switched seperately. Other boats I've owned have a combination light on the mast, but with my set-up, I don't have the deck glare associated with the 225 degree light on the mast. Unless I'm interpreting the rules wrong, my boat is in fact legal. Do any of you have the same set up on your nav lights?

RULE 21
DEFINITIONS
(a) "Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel, except that on a vessel of less than 12 meters in length the masthead light shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel. [Inld]

 

[stormchaser]

I'd say you aren't legal. The light needs to be placed about midships, not at the bow.

 

[rrrestorer]

I hope this helps, depending on where they are placed on the bow, you can be legal or illegal.

Navigation Lights - Sidelights

Is your boat legal? Of course, you say...it is a brand new boat. Well you might want to think again after reading the following article. And remember, it is your responsibility, not the manufacturer's, to make sure your boat is in compliance with state and federal regulations.

During factory and boat show inspections we have observed that many manufacturers of recreational boats do not have a good understanding of the navigation rules governing proper installation of navigation lights. The requirements are found in the Navigation Rules, International-Inland, and in Parts 81, 84 and 89 of Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations. The problem appears to be particularly prevalent for manufacturers located in the western States. Since most manufacturers routinely equip the boats they produce with navigation lights, navigation light installations are routinely inspected and discussed during factory visits and boat shows.

One problem which has increased recently is the installation of flush mounted sidelights in the boat hulls, usually below the rub rail. Many manufacturers build boats using similar sidelight fixture installations. This is a dangerous trend which is likely to end up costing somebody a pile of money when a plaintiff's attorneys go after everyone who might have been for liable for a serious collision.

Sidelights which meet the rules are designed to cover an arc of the horizon, or sector, of 112.5 degrees. Intensities are required to attain a visible range of 1 mile for vessels less than 12 meters (39.4 ft.) and 2 miles for vessels 12 meters or longer. These fixtures are designed for intensities to decrease and reach practical cutoff between 1 and 3 degrees outside their prescribed sector. Sidelight fixtures must be installed parallel with the fore and aft centerline of the vessel and arranged to show an unbroken light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam, a total sector arc of 112.5 degrees.

Sidelights that are installed in the contour of the bow without providing a mounting surface tooled to be parallel with the fore and aft centerline of the vessel are not in compliance with the Inland or International Navigation Rules. Depending on the breadth of the vessel near the bow and how far aft from the vessel's stem the lights are mounted, this shift can be more than 20 degrees in some cases. Installing the fixtures too far aft of the vessel's stem may result in the sidelights not being visible from a position dead ahead.

Another factor in proper installation of sidelights is that they must maintain their required minimum intensity in a vertical sector from 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below the horizontal. They must also maintain at least 60 percent of their minimum required intensity from 7.5 degrees above to 7.5 degrees below the horizontal. Installing flush mounted sidelights, designed to be mounted to a vertical surface in the hull contour, without providing a mounting surface tooled to be vertical, shifts the vertical coverage sector. This also results in a noncompliance with the Inland or International Navigation Rules.

Additionally, most of these flush mounted sidelights are installed below the vessel's rub rail. International Navigation Rules require that sidelights be installed above the uppermost continuous deck. Therefore this configuration would not be in compliance with International Navigation Rules.

When separate red and green sidelight fixtures are used, the masthead or all-round white light, whichever configuration is installed, must be located as close as practical to the vessel's fore and aft centerline. For vessels less than 12 meters in length, the masthead or all-round light may be displaced from the fore and aft centerline providing that the sidelights are contained within a common fixture and mounted on the vessel's fore and aft centerline. The masthead or all-round light must be installed at least one meter (3.3 ft.) above the sidelights.

This article was written by the Coast Guard Short Range Aids to Navigation Division (G-NSR)

 

[Sparky1]

I'm really not sure how to interpret this rule, but I looked back at a picture that Akin posted of his 41DC, and his boat appears to have the same set-up as mine. Could it be that the rules have changed since '65?

You can see the nav light fixture on the bow.

 

[stormchaser]

I'm really not sure how to interpret this rule, but I looked back at a picture that Akin posted of his 41DC, and his boat appears to have the same set-up as mine. Could it be that the rules have changed since '65?

You can see the nav light fixture on the bow.

That fixure is you running light, correct? Red/Green split? I belive we were talking about his white masthead light...but either way...yes, the rules have changed many times over since 1965 and we are each responsible for keeping up with COLREGS compliance.

 

[Sparky1]

Funny, I went back to the regs and noted the position indicated for sidelights. It appears to me that they're specifying all three lights be located in the same basic area of the boat which doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

My sidelights are at the front of the cabin roof ahead of the windows which puts them above and behind the current 225 degree light.

RULE 21
DEFINITIONS
(a) "Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel, except that on a vessel of less than 12 meters in length the masthead light shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel. [Inld]

(b) "Sidelights" means a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side each showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 112.5 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on its respective side. In a vessel of less than 20 meters in length the sidelights may be combined in one lantern carried on the fore and aft centerline of the vessel, except that on a vessel of less than 12 meters in length the sidelights when combined in one lantern shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel. [Inld]

 

[stormchaser]

On small boats, you can have one fixture mounted approximately midships that has forward facing red/green and rear facing white. But almost nobody except small runabouts would use them...they are VERY dim. For boats of this caliber, there should be a sepperate red, sepperate green, both forward of midships (close to the bow msot of the time) and a white a midhips.

Oh, this is all VERY much tested on the 100ton ticket test...they HAMMER you on all this, lights, sounds and day-shapes. Hardest test I have ever taken.

 

[rrrestorer]

It seams to me that you are mixing up the nav and the masthead light, and the "legalese" doesnt help. The red and green lamp must be seen from the front and must be parallel to the water and must be mounted so that you can see it for 112.5 degrees from the centerline to either side. As long as your bow nav lamp is the split glass type red, green and is centered and you are parallel to the water and you can seeit from the front as you cross your centerline for 112.5 degees , you are legal.
Or at least that is my understanding and everything I've ever seen confirms that.
If you move the light off of your bow it gets a little trickier to align the lights so that you can see them for the same 112.5 degrees , but it basically works the same way.
The rest of the article about mast head lamps was for the type with three lenses that have the green,red, and white in one housing.
Anchor lamps are white 360 and masthead or white running lights should only be seen from the rear of the boat. So that if you are comming up on a white light you are either comming up on a anchored boat or a slower moving boat going in the same dirrection as you are.

 

[Sparky1]

Nope, no mix up on the red/green lights combined into one fixture. This fixture looks like such an animal, but it has a clear lens. I used "masthead light" as it's just the description for a clear light which covers 225 degrees forward.

 

[stormchaser]

See attaced pic for what is "legal" now. Hope this helps...

 

[Sparky1]

See attaced pic for what is "legal" now. Hope this helps...

I believe that's just one variation of what's legal now. It's perfectly legal not to have the red/green lights on the bow as indicated in the picture. In fact, most boats of any size don't have them in that position.

 

[stormchaser]

Of course you can split the red/green...but the colors, degrees of visibility and position (for/midline/aft) are absolutely accurate for colgregs compliance.

 

[Sparky1]

No doubt on the colors Dave, but there are differences in placement for sidelights. The diagram may be for boats less than 12 meters as my 58 has the sidelights on the bridge.

 

[stormchaser]

Sidelights may be anywhere forward of mid-ships above the main hull to deck joint and be legal.