BoatUS: Three Safety Tips for Upgrading Boat Lighting
NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Navigation lights like these don’t pass muster, and don’t make for safe boating (credit: Daniel Rutherford).
BoatUS Foundation: Three Safety Tips for Upgrading Boat Lighting
US Coast Guard Cautions Use of Some New Types of Lights
ANNAPOLIS, MD, January 11, 2016 – With the latest technical advances in recreational boat lights – both for navigation and aesthetic purposes – recreational boaters have more choices than ever when upgrading their boat’s lighting. However, the US Coast Guard wants boaters to know that some of the new lights aren’t up to snuff and could increase the chances of a collision. It has found that some sold for navigation purposes don’t meet regulations, and other aesthetic lighting products such as LED ropes and underwater lights may go against the light provisions of the nautical rules of the road. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water shares these concerns has these three tips when shopping for or installing boat lights:
1) Navigation lights have to be “approved”. Some manufacturers are selling navigation lights that don’t meet regulations. These lights are typically cheaper, but do not provide the proper color quality, brightness or cut-off angles that boaters rely on to avoid collision. So how do you know you are buying a good nav light? The US Coast Guard (USCG) says things to look for include 1.) USCG approval, 2.) The rated visibility of the light in nautical miles, 3.) Meets ABYC A-16, 4.) “Tested by: laboratory name,” along with 5.) Manufacturer and model #.
2) Don’t let your boat’s lights confuse. The USCG reports that some boaters have hazardously installed unapproved red and green LED strip lighting on the bow, which hampers other boaters efforts to avoid collision. Also avoid displaying any light that could be confused as another navigation light or another vessel. And do remember flashing blue lights are reserved for law enforcement – at a distance, wave action combined with the steady rocking of below the waterline high-intensity blue lights can give the appearance of a police vessel.
3) Don’t install lights that prevent the operator from maintaining a good lookout. When running between sunset and sunrise, it’s critical that those behind the wheel maintain their night vision, so the #1 goal is to keep light out of the operator’s eyes. Glare from existing nav lights may be a problem, or reflections from aesthetic lighting such as LED rope lights wrapped around a helm station hinder eyesight.
A helpful video by West Marine, “How to Choose the Right Navigation Lights for Your Boat,” can be found at http://goo.gl/o4oYoC.
To see lights tested at night by the BoatUS Foundation, visit BoatUS.org/findings/48.
About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):
BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with over a half million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We help ensure a roadside breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins, and on the water, we bring boaters safely back to the launch ramp or dock when their boat won’t, day or night. The BoatUS Insurance Program gives boat owners the specialized coverage and superior service they need, and we help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the non-profit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.
Explorer Chartbooks, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET PARTNER, has long been the standard navigational supplement for enjoyable, informative, and safe cruising through the beautiful Bahamian waters and island visits. Monty and Sara Lewis are well known in this area for their personal research and reporting. Their launch of “Bahamas Chatter” and real time cruising information via their web site, www.explorercharts.com is extremely valuable.
Comments from Cruisers (13)
Hi I am wanting to cruise from Punta Gorda to the Bahamas in early February 2017 somewhere around the 7th.
I have a Bayliner 4588 so will be cuising at 8 to 9 knots.
I am presently in Australia and will be in Punta Gorda on the 2nd of February If anyone wishing to cruise as a Buddy Boat or a group of boats Please contact me on Email ( directfire.billings@gmail.com).
Cheers and Happy Boating
Grant Billings
My wife and I are planning our first crossing from east Florida to the Bahamas in the next week or two. We are in the Ft. Lauderdale area currently but will move to travel with others. Our boat is a powerboat and we travel at 8or 9 knots, but can adjust if necessary. Anyone planning a crossing soon?
Hunter Spencer
We are planning a crossing from Ft. Lauderdale to West End Sunday night. Weather looks favorable. Please contact me at kostergloria@aol.com We would like to buddy with you.
My wife and I are trying to plan a crossing in the next couple weeks. We are thinking Palm Beach area to leave. We are finishing up some work now…..
Several years ago I single handed from Lake Worth to West End. I carefully plotted my course using the current current (No pun intended) speeds. I left at about 2100 and at daylight was about three miles south of the channel to the West End Marina. Plot your course and pay attention to your position as you go.
IMHO, one factor is how long a day do you want to do? To cross from St Lucie in a slow boat will take a long time as the stream moves 4-5 knots in the center and that is 50% of your boat speed. It can also be slow from West Palm as the stream can be fairly close to the coast and you have to aim south to crab across. My best trip was from Ft Lauderdale to Lucaya on a specular day going fast with the stream.
If you would like to chat email me and I will send you my phone number. I live in Punta Gorda.
Barry Jollett s/v Magic Carpet.
We have made the crossing many times and would recommend Lake Worth to Old Bahama Bay for your first crossing. Make a reservation at Old Bahama Bay when you are leaving Palm Beach. An early start will put you there early afternoon. Then Great Sale. From there you can be almost anywhere in the Aba is on day three rested and ready for fun. Don’t rush, make each jump when you are ready. You’re in for a treat.
Definitely check into Lake Worth Inlet (West Palm Beach) . It’s a straight shot to West End to clear Customs and pick up fuel, calm your nerves .his season is funky for weather so your window is short. This is your closest and best route to cross the Gulf Stream. Once you are on the Banks who cares? It’s pretty straight forward to Great Sail Key … then on to Green Turtle. There you can wait to see how the Whale Cay Channel is doing. Another weather window. Once you are on the other side of Whale…. you are free to roam.
We have been to the Abacos many times. The best route for slow boats is to leave from Lake Worth to Great Sale Cay (anchorage) & then on to Green Turtle Cay To clear customs & wait for good weather to go around Whale Cay. Short distance but you have to go thru the cut back into the ocean Next stop Marsh Harbour The Hub Of The Abacos. This is where we spend our winters at the Abaco Beach Resort, very reasonable with your Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club Membership. The RMHYC membership will get you discounts from West End to all over the Abacos. Very inexpensive membership and many benifets.
FWIW. We did the run to the Abacos from Ft Myers via the lake in May a couple of years ago. Easy enough. We’re a 35 ft sail so 6-7 knots. If you decide to cross the state maybe Punta gorda to York Island anchorage to franklin locks park docks (hang a left after you pass through the locks eastbound) (http://www.recreation.gov/camping/wp-franklin-n/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73462) Be forewarned that there will be a painfully long idle speed zone by the FPL plant in east fort myers as it is Manatee season. Then run to Clewiston on the lake- we just tied up to the huge dolphin pilings for the night. Then to St Lucie and an anchorage on the ICW south of town- Peck lake. Finally to Riveria Beach Beach Muni Marina (or similar choices in area) to await a window. YMMV. This gets you far enough south to give you a decent shot to West end. (Coming back you can shoot straight to St. Lucie Inlet via memory rocks with the gulf stream in your favor). Suck it up and pay for a night in West End and check in. Note it is still a long ways to Green Turtle and points south but at least you are out of the big seas. Be sure your GPS has Abacos detail. We updated the Garmin chip with the latest eastern US and it had the Abacos – same as the separate Abacos chip and only slightly more $. It was great. If I were to do it again I would add an AIS receiver for crossing as we crossed at night both ways and it is just hard to figure out who is going where and most importantly how far away. Obviously, radar would work. Other take aways- Indiantown Marina while funky is much better than you would think and worked timing wise coming back. I would also consider doing a loop- south to Marathon and return via St. Lucie. Certainly better to go counter clockwise than clockwise on this loop.
The most direct route would be to go through the waterway to Stuart and leave for the islands from St. Lucie Inlet. From there take a straight shot across the stream to the Little Bahama Bank north of Memory Rock and anchor at Great Sale (this will be a long day at 9 knots). The next morning you can push on and clear Customs at Grand Cay, Spanish Cay, or Green Turtle.
A more conservative approach would be to cross the waterway to Stuart, head south on the ICW to West Palm, and cross from Lake Worth Inlet (an excellent all weather inlet) to West End, Grand Bahama and clear customs at Old Bahama Bay, and proceed to the Great Sale and the Abacos the next day.
I’d recommend against going to Bimini first if your goal is the Abacos. If you do that, you have large stretches of open water to cross (the Gulf Stream and the Providence Channel) to cross in winter weather instead of just one.
Jonathan gives the right choices. For the Abacos, I’d use the Lake Worth Inlet for an easy out inlet and a direct shot to Memory Rock OR Old Bahama Bay.
My preference would be the Memory Rock to Great Sale Cay route but my nuance would be to leave Lake Worth at midnite. This will put your arrival on the Bahama banks at daylight and you’ll have easy and safe navigation from memory rock to Great Sale which will be 6 hours away.
Staging at Lake Worth also gives you a good chance of hooking up with others for the trip while at anchor there.
You can proceed from Great Sale Cay the next day to arrive at Green Turtle Cay and check in to customs there….easy & friendly at the post office in town. Good luck!
No one mentions leaving from the Fort Pierce Inlet to West End. I run at 15 mph, any shared advice on this plan?