Re: Ref" lights and lghting
From: Rudy Sechez rudysechez@gmail.com
Dave's point with r/g/w nav. lights vs. tricolor lights brings up an issue
that falls into the 'just because you can, doesn't mean you should'
category.
Absolutely agree with Rudy here. Legal doesn't mean smart or even "right."
A little off topic for T&T, but sailboats are allowed to use a tricolor - a
single red/green/white light at the top of the mast. This provides energy
savings and improved long range visibility. A sailboat under power MUST use
deck level lights and a steaming light ("masthead light" in the rules). I
generally (judgment applied here) use a tricolor under sail while offshore.
Long distance visibility is the priority in this use case. Inshore
(generally inside the COLREGS line, but judgment applies again) I use deck
level lights as shorter distance visibility AND generally lower sea states
apply.
To my mind the exceptions prove the rule. I have a very small handful of
exceptions I have chosen to make over more than four decades. I'll be happy
to list them and defend them. grin
I object strongly to lighting that makes what you look like unclear. For
example, tricolor and steaming light together is simply wrong. Deck lights
and steaming light while under sail is acceptable but I think ill-advised,
especially in a give-way/stand-on situation. The question that arose about
night vision also bears, although in my experience on other people's boats
(OPBs) is that there is a lot to work on onboard before worrying about nav
lights. I have a whole email in my delivery prep for crew dedicated to the
subject of light discipline. I have yet more scar-tissue-derived experience
on boat checkout before we leave the dock. That's a whole different thread.
sail fast and eat well, dave
Dave Skolnick S/V Auspicious
AuspiciousWorks.com
Thanks for thoughtful information on lights and lighting at sea.
Dave Skolnick notes that he has safety material prepared regarding light
discipline and pre-departure boat checkout -- see message below.
I am wondering if he could share these items, and other safety-related
advice or checklists, and maybe others will add similar material, and this
thread might become an easily found trove of safety information for future
reference.
Larry Talley
MV Cariña
MV Ruth Evelyn
On Fri, Jul 2, 2021 at 9:19 AM Dave Skolnick (S/V Auspicious) <
boat@skolnick.org> wrote:
From: Rudy Sechez rudysechez@gmail.com
Dave's point with r/g/w nav. lights vs. tricolor lights brings up an
issue
that falls into the 'just because you can, doesn't mean you should'
category.
Absolutely agree with Rudy here. Legal doesn't mean smart or even "right."
A little off topic for T&T, but sailboats are allowed to use a tricolor - a
single red/green/white light at the top of the mast. This provides energy
savings and improved long range visibility. A sailboat under power MUST use
deck level lights and a steaming light ("masthead light" in the rules). I
generally (judgment applied here) use a tricolor under sail while offshore.
Long distance visibility is the priority in this use case. Inshore
(generally inside the COLREGS line, but judgment applies again) I use deck
level lights as shorter distance visibility AND generally lower sea states
apply.
To my mind the exceptions prove the rule. I have a very small handful of
exceptions I have chosen to make over more than four decades. I'll be happy
to list them and defend them. grin
I object strongly to lighting that makes what you look like unclear. For
example, tricolor and steaming light together is simply wrong. Deck lights
and steaming light while under sail is acceptable but I think ill-advised,
especially in a give-way/stand-on situation. The question that arose about
night vision also bears, although in my experience on other people's boats
(OPBs) is that there is a lot to work on onboard before worrying about nav
lights. I have a whole email in my delivery prep for crew dedicated to the
subject of light discipline. I have yet more scar-tissue-derived experience
on boat checkout before we leave the dock. That's a whole different thread.
sail fast and eat well, dave
Dave Skolnick S/V Auspicious
AuspiciousWorks.com
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Larry, et al,
I'm very happy to participate. This will be the first of three messages.
Don't hover waiting - I have work to do also.
This message is an overview and terms & conditions grin for the rest.
Second will be a table of contents for what I have "canned." Third will be
the light discipline message I referred to and some background in addition.
I want to be clear that what I offer is how I run my boats on delivery. I
have reasons and often footnotes for what I do, but reasonable people could
have different approaches. For example, I do not mandate PFDs. I do insist
that anyone who chooses to wear one be supported in that decision. If I did
not trust the judgment of individuals they would not be crewing for me. One
of my few rules however is that no one leaves the cockpit or otherwise goes
forward without another person up and paying attention. I've put people off
for breaking that rule. Your thresholds may be different than mine.
I work in the marine industry including as a delivery skipper. What I am
sharing is intellectual property. You may share it with other cruisers as
long as you give me credit. "Dave on Auspicious" is fine. If you are a
delivery skipper and want to use it please contact me before sharing with
your customers. I'm a very reasonable guy. Information is power when
shared. I'm not talking about cost - just credit and some opportunities.
sail fast and eat well, dave
Dave Skolnick S/V Auspicious
AuspiciousWorks.com
On Fri, Jul 2, 2021 at 1:34 PM larry talley larryt@acm.org wrote:
Thanks for thoughtful information on lights and lighting at sea.
Dave Skolnick notes that he has safety material prepared regarding light
discipline and pre-departure boat checkout -- see message below.
I am wondering if he could share these items, and other safety-related
advice or checklists, and maybe others will add similar material, and this
thread might become an easily found trove of safety information for future
reference.
T&T friends,
Below is the table of contents of my delivery email topics. On any delivery
of more than a day or two I have a full crew (generally four including me).
I have about 600 people on my crew list. I'm proud that one crew member
said "sailing with Dave is graduate school for cruising." That truly
humbled me. Crew sail with me for the learning opportunity so the only cost
to the owner is food. I don't want anyone to drown from a fire hose of
information so once I have crew established I start morning emails, one
topic per day. Discussion is encouraged. There is no quiz. Life is a test.
The background information helps when there is a discussion onboard.
I have a document with all my daily email. I tailor each one, every day, to
the boat and trip. There are some differences between a 36' boat and an 80'
boat, and between a sportfish and a sailboat. I do a lot of owner aboard
work for insurance sign-offs and for peoples first offshore passages or
hops. That makes a difference in how things are presented and priorities.
Here is the table of contents:
Links. 2 <#_Toc64534568>
OPPORTUNITY Announcement. 2 <#_Toc64534569>
Pre-departure COVID-19 Policy. 3 <#_Toc64534570>
Food. 4 <#_Toc64534571>
Safety. 5 <#_Toc64534572>
Packing. 6 <#_Toc64534573>
COVID-19. 10 <#_Toc64534574>
Watchstanding and sleeping arrangements. 11 <#_Toc64534575>
Personal electronics. 11 <#_Toc64534576>
Light discipline. 12 <#_Toc64534577>
Navigation, piloting, and logging. 13 <#_Toc64534578>
Communication. 15 <#_Toc64534579>
Failures. 17 <#_Toc64534580>
Watchstanding II 17 <#_Toc64534581>
Back to food. 19 <#_Toc64534582>
Tides and currents. 19 <#_Toc64534583>
Sail Trim.. 20 <#_Toc64534584>
C&I; Medication. 21 <#_Toc64534585>
Down the Bay. 22 <#_Toc64534586>
Weather. 22 <#_Toc64534587>
Waste Management. 23 <#_Toc64534588>
Imagery Interpretation. 23 <#_Toc64534589>
Electric Winches. 24 <#_Toc64534590>
Onboard 24 <#_Toc64534591>
I'll post the light discipline email that triggered Larry's post next (when
time permits - you guys are important but I do have other stuff to do). I'm
happy to provide rationale, footnotes, and engage in civil discourse.
Please remember that while I have way more ICW miles than I'd like I'm
mostly an offshore guy. On the other hand, close quarters maneuvering is
where I have the most fun. Give me a full-keel trawler, single screw, no
bow thruster, and a tight fairway and I'm in heaven. grin
sail fast and eat well, dave
Dave Skolnick S/V Auspicious
AuspiciousWorks.com
I haven't seen my table of contents message come through yet. If that is
hung up somewhere please know that I tried. My document has links and those
may have bolloxed that up. We'll see. Someone please raise your hand if you
got it so I stop thinking about it.
Herewith my light discipline "topic of the day." Notes specifically for T&T
are in curly braces. Please remember that the audience for whom this is
written are crew on delivery, so they work for me - "this is the way things
will be" should be interpreted accordingly.
/begin/
Light discipline
This topic is a real issue for me.
Let's review the fundamentals. It takes time for human eyes to adapt to
darkness. We can reach some proportion of dark adaptation in ten minutes or
so. Full adaptation takes much longer - thirty or forty minutes. That
adaptation time increases as we get older. sigh Getting older is not for
the faint of heart.
The "magic" of red light is mostly urban legend. Yes there are differences
between the light response of the rods and cones in your eyes. There are
differences in distance estimation and depth perception. From a practical,
operational perspective by the time you get red light bright enough to make
a difference in perception you've lost dark adaptation. The US military has
mostly shifted from red light to highly dimmable white.
So what does that mean to us? If the person on watch ahead of you wakes you
and you go in the head and switch on the light you have reduced your
effectiveness for a long period. If you turn on the light to get dressed
the same happens. {My trips are mostly offshore, 24x7 without stopping.
Watchstanders are on 4-on/8-off. I'm always on call. I'm up a lot checking,
coaching, keeping company.}
Head lamps make this worse. If you come wake me up, when I follow you back
to the helm your head lamp follows your eyes as you turn to see me and my
dark adaptation is gone. In the meantime since you have been using your
headlamp which reflects off windows and instruments and metal you can't see
very well either. The technical term for this is "bad."
That isn't to say there is no role for headlamps. Changing fuel filters,
digging in the bottom of a locker, lots of reasons to have a headlamp.
{Trawlers with wheelhouses have extra concerns. Display and instrument
lights reflecting off windows are a particular problem. Windows that angle
out from bottom to top help but are not a panacea. I end up turning off or
covering a light of stuff at night. Carboard and blue tape is good.}
I ask a number of things of you.
-
Pay attention to how things are laid out, especially in the head. You
should not have to turn on the light to find the toilet paper, flush the
toilet, or wash your hands. -
Stack your clothes so you can get dressed without a light. This is not
hard, just organized. {Practice this at home. Really} -
I don't care if you use a headlamp but if you turn and look at me with it
on there will be repercussions. They start with keel hauling. Light
discipline and in particular my night vision is pretty much the only thing
that will really get me upset. {The keel hauling statement is to get
people's attention and convey that I am serious. I have confiscated head
lamps. I have a bunch of cheap LED flashlights to lend.} -
Whoever ends up with the 4-8 watch (or 6-9) is going to get really good
at dimming instrument lights in the evening and raising brightness in the
morning. We'll likely cover some secondary instruments completely. {I have
a watchstanding topic I'm also happy to share. I take as many crew as space
permits and that the owner is willing to feed. I try to make room for less
experienced people and put them on bridge watches (not watchstanders) so
they get the most diverse experience. I've had up to nine people on board
on big boats.}
Remember that a light down in the galley may well impact the vision of the
watchstander. Think. {Galley light is a real issue, especially in winter on
shorter days. Dealing with that is boat dependent. This IS an area where
trawlers tend to be a bigger issue - too many fridges and freezers with
bright lights inside that have to be shielded or have bulbs removed. I keep
a snack bag anyway so crew don't rummage through "my" fridge and eat
something planned for dinner.}
We're going to have to work together to make sure appliance lights aren't
an issue in the fridge and freezer. We'll be taking a look at ambient light
from the electrical panel and devices around the boat.
Not a rule but a hint - I turn on flashlights with the light in my hand and
spread my fingers just enough to get light to see as necessary.
Since we are mostly of an age I believe that is associated with getting up
to use the bathroom at night, try doing that now, at home, with no lights.
With a little attention and a tad of practice you will be surprised how
easy this is and how much you can see.
/end/
There is definitely a time and place for head lamps. Changing a fuel filter
in a cramped engine room is one. For general use I don't like them at all.
I carry a number of cheap LED flashlights (torches for those of you on the
right side of the Atlantic) to lend to crew. My light of preference are the
pen lights from Infray. I have one in my "magic" toolbag, one in my Dopp
kit (along with a bunch of wire ties grin), and one (mini-USB
rechargeable) in my pocket. I sleep with it.
Remember that a delivery skipper walks on board and deals with whats there.
We carry what we do because it fills the gaps we find over and over. This
is part of why I really want to get on the boat and inventory before
provisioning. I have lots of provisioning lists. On some boats, lots of
things get scratched off. Good tool kits and a "battery drawer" are
wonderful.
sail fast and eat well, dave
Dave Skolnick S/V Auspicious
AuspiciousWorks.com