Light Question

[VitaBene]

About 2 weeks ago I was anchored out in Moultonborough Bay hanging out and swimming. As it was pretty much dark, I had turned my stern light on. Next thing I knew a big old wooden Chris Craft or similar headed toward me and the driver asked if we were OK- I said we were fine. He then he told me to turn my nav lights on, which I did (even though I did not agree), then he sped off.

My understanding is the only light that should be showing when moored or anchored is my white stern light- am I missing something?

John

[Dave R]

you are correct, he was wrong.

Same thing has happened to me before, but on Bow lake.

[Seeker]

You should have asked him where he got his safe boating certificate. There's a reason it's called an anchor light.

[chipj29]

You should have asked him that if you were not actually navigating the waters, why would you need your navigation lights!

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by chipj29

You should have asked him that if you were not actually navigating the waters, why would you need your navigation lights!

Thanks all- it happened so fast that I just flipped it on. In hindsight........

[skprbob]

VB -

If you're at anchor, all you need is the anchor light. Agreed that you were right and the ChrisCraft was wrong.

If you're "under way", which includes actually moving under power or sail, OR just drifting, you need your full nav lights.

Presumably, you were anchored away from well-travelled routes at that hour?

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by skprbob

VB -

If you're at anchor, all you need is the anchor light. Agreed that you were right and the ChrisCraft was wrong.

If you're "under way", which includes actually moving under power or sail, OR just drifting, you need your full nav lights.

Presumably, you were anchored away from well-travelled routes at that hour?

I was going to post something similar. If you're stationary at anchor, then an anchor light, not stern light, should be shown.

[SAUGUS BOATER]

Brk-Int,

on most small powerboats, the anchor light IS the stern light.

[Winnipesaukee]

That rule was really intended for larger boats with a separate brighter anchor light, on the ocean, free of lights on shore.

The combination anchor/stern nav light on most small powerboats is usually relatively dim compared to the true "anchor lights."

I find it hard to distinguish between these stern lights and lights on shore.

Just keep a lookout when anchored at night on a lake. Other boaters may not be able to see you.

Oh, yeah, and the other guy was wrong. You were totally right. Although it doesn't hurt to have your nav lights on while at anchor, I guess.

[Slickcraft]

Of course at anchor you must have a 360 degree visible white light and the red/green nav lights should be off. So while the boater in the old wooden boat was wrong (or did not really get it that you were at anchor), he did stop to see if you needed help which is a good thing.

[Airwaves]

Orignally posted by Winnipesaukee;
That rule was really intended for larger boats with a separate brighter anchor light, on the ocean, free of lights on shore.

The combination anchor/stern nav light on most small powerboats is usually relatively dim compared to the true "anchor lights."

I find it hard to distinguish between these stern lights and lights on shore.

Just keep a lookout when anchored at night on a lake. Other boaters may not be able to see you.

Oh, yeah, and the other guy was wrong. You were totally right. Although it doesn't hurt to have your nav lights on while at anchor, I guess.

Actually Winnipesaukee you are incorrect about the power of the lights. The requirements regarding the "power" of navigation lights including the anchor/stern lights are identical off shore and inland.
The following is from the Boat-Ed webpage re: NH Navigation lights; Bold is mine!

Power-Driven Vessels Less Than 65.6 Feet Long When Underway
If less than 65.6 feet (20 meters) long, these vessels must exhibit the lights as shown in Figure 1. Remember, power-driven vessels include sailboats operating under engine power. The required lights are:

Red and green sidelights visible from a distance of at least two miles away—or if less than 39.4 feet (12 meters) long, at least one mile away—on a dark, clear night.
An all-round white light (if less than 39.4 feet long) or both a masthead light and a sternlight. These lights must be visible from a distance of at least two miles away on a dark, clear night. The all-round white light (or the masthead light) must be at least 3.3 feet (one meter) higher than the sidelights

I have had old timers on the lake tell me that in years past the NHMP wanted boaters to have all their navigation lights on even while at anchor in order to give them greater visability.

So while the gentleman in the old Cris Craft was incorrect in interpreting the law, he was telling you what has been the case in years gone by.

According to Boat-Ed the following is the case in NH;

All vessels are required to use a white light visible for 360 degrees and from a distance of two miles whenever they are moored or anchored away from dock between sunset and sunrise.

The reason NOT to have your navigation lights on while at anchor (beyond the legal ramification) is that you are telling other boats in the area that you are at anchor and that you are a fixed object!

If you are underway or drifting a different set of lights is required to alert other boats of that fact.

If your stern/anchor light is not visible from a distance of 2 miles on a clear night then you need to upgrade to meet the legal requirement.

VitaBene is/was your combination stern/anchor light high enough over the boat so that it could be seen for 360 degrees?

If the all around white light were blocked by a bimini top etc. the person in the Cris Craft may not have seen it and approached you to warn you to turn your lights on and just used the wrong words to tell you which light to turn on? Just a thought.

[VitaBene]

Hi Everyone, we were at anchor with our stern/anchor light lit. It is visible from 360 degress but it could be blocked momentarily by a standing person. We were anchored off the loon sanctuary island near Smith's Cove (the Moultonorough one!).

I understand the thought about having all lights lit for visibility, but it might also cause confusion as the boat swings at anchor.

Thanks all for your responses! The bottom line is I want to be as safe as possible out there at night. I alway try to moor 150 feet or so from an island or piece of land.

Here is another scenario: What would one do if not anchored but floating. Sometimes at dusk as we've stopped tubing because of light we will float and swim, no anchor. What lights should be on then? I usually leave all on but then we are usually only stopped for 10 minutes or so.

[Airwaves]

Originally posted by VitaBene
What would one do if not anchored but floating. Sometimes at dusk as we've stopped tubing because of light we will float and swim, no anchor. What lights should be on then? I usually leave all on but then we are usually only stopped for 10 minutes or so.

If you are not anchored and are floating "adrift" and it is dusk so that you are required to show lights, then you need to show all of your navigation lights, red, green and white because you are considered to be "Underway not making way".

So it's drop the anchor and shut off the red and green and leave the all around white on, pick up the anchor and turn all your navigation lights on.

[Ropetow]

Agree with Airwaves....You were right...he was wrong...an innocent mistake?

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by Ropetow

Agree with Airwaves....You were right...he was wrong...an innocent mistake?

I really did not have an issue, I was glad he stopped to make sure all was well but just wanted to verify what I thought.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by VitaBene

Hi Everyone, we were at anchor with our stern/anchor light lit. It is visible from 360 degress but it could be blocked momentarily by a standing person. We were anchored off the loon sanctuary island near Smith's Cove (the Moultonorough one!).

I misunderstood your light setup from your first post then. You were doing the right thing in this case, a single while all-'round light showing.

I thought you had a separate stern and anchor light (which was the configuration of a Chris Craft I grew up boating with), and had only the stern lit.

[Orion]

If you are not moving (i.e. not navigating), then nav lights create right-of-way confusion to other boats trying to navigate around you.

Single white light. Interestingly, about 90% of the boats at anchor during fireworks displays have all lights on. But, even though improper, might be a good idea in this case to indicate the periphery of your boat to all those other "too close" anchored boats.

[Kamper]

Originally Posted by Orion

... Interestingly, about 90% of the boats at anchor during fireworks displays have all lights on. But, even though improper, might be a good idea in this case to indicate the periphery of your boat to all those other "too close" anchored boats.

I've never anchorred during the fire-works. None of the boats around me were anchorred either. So far as I could tell we were all drifitng with motors at idle to respond quicker to folks drifting towards us or passing through.

Drifting with the wind or current is called something like "under weigh, not making weigh." Give-way/stand-on rules are the same as under weigh. That's part of why there's so much adjusting going on.

[Orion]

.....means in a position to make way or having weighed (raised) anchor. So technically you could be drifting, I suppose.

Most of the boats in the area we were watching fireworks were at anchor (deep into the bay).

I think I'm just gonna get a bunch of those rope lights and outline my boat so everyone will know what I am and where I'm going.

[Misty Blue]

The dfinition of UNDERWAY is "Whenever a vessel is not at anchor, made fast to the shore or aground".

If you are drifting in the broads watching the stars or taking a dip after sunset (swimsuits optional!) you are REQUIRED to show one 360 degree white light and running lights. You are not at anchor, made fast to the shore or aground. If you drop the hook, the running lights should go out.

Please, do not try to reinvent the nav rules! By trying to be more safe and putting on all of your lights one just confuses the situation. Just like people who are the stand on vessel but give the other guy the "right of way" just to be safe. Now you are doing what people don't expect.

When you are in a traffic circle or on the interstate you don't give the car on the on ramp the right of way "just to be safe". It would just cause confusion.

Same thing with boats. Learn the nav rules and practice them and possibly others will learn by your example.

Misty Blue.

[Orion]

Amen, Misty Blue! Same point I made in another thread.