It is a new chart and I have the spotties mounted on my boat for exactly those situations. As for the rest of you with super human night vision at no point did I say I cruise around with my spotties on permanently, I dont believe Deckie said that either.Originally Posted by fishfeeder
You want to prove what wonderful eyesight you have and not use any lights that's your prerogative, me I will use all the light I can to avoid a bad situation.
BOAT really does mean Bring out Another Thousand
Yeah i dont have any sort of spot/searchlight going all the time either, just when i think i need it like fishhunter. Get around using night vison like most people. Such a great time to be on the water...take out much of the great unknown and risk u feel and its so addictive. Plus the fishing aint half bad either.
We've got so many old guys in my area who've been fishing jew etc onight for 40-50 yrs. They're a real risk coz u cant teach old dogs new tricks and they'll just tell u to Foff anyway if u said to get lights..in a nice way of course. Dangerous but nothing we can do...so better to just be careful and instead of being just as pig headed better to look after them.
This new breed of yak man tho...he's a shocker and they just have no light at all and no profile in the moonlight.
Hey fishhunter...rig looks cool. Luv that model.
I don't believe there is anyone on this thread that would not use a spottie when and as required.
New posters please take your time to read each post carefully before you quote and have your say. Most of this heat started when the use of driving lights not searchlights came into the discussion.
Ashh there is no way your Nav lights would be visible with those babies shinning into the night - just please turn them off if there are other boats underway around. Reckon you would see an unlit kayak about a 2miles away
Deckie, the incident with the Sydney Ferry Cat and the cruiser was a very sad one. I have read the report findings and in it include the CCTV photographs of both vessels before and after the crash. It was found that the cruiser had entered a dark spot not lit buy any surrounding light and barely visible on the CCTV when the incident occured.
The skipper of the Ferry was very experienced with well over 10years spent on Sydney Harbour, he was drug tested and found negative. He may have made some errors of judgement that night which he now has to live with for the rest of his life. The cruiser had no lights, the licenced skipper was not at the helm as it was being steered by an inexperienced, unqualified helmsman.
Please listen to the experience of the professional Skippers that have posted, they spend 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year on the water. All the frustrations at night that we have all talked about on this thread, they put up with every night spent on the water. You run your boat as you see fit, but at least take into consideration what they have said. It takes years of seatime plus college to get a commercial qualification - and one day to get a Recreational Ship Masters Licence(unlimited size)
There are no rules as to the use of a searchlight, the rules only come into it when the searchlight interes with safe navigation at night, it is up to the skipper to decide when ensuring the safety of his or her vessel. This is my last post on this thread.
Kind regards and safe boating to all,
Richo
Last edited by Richo1; 02-06-2011 at 05:58 AM. Reason: spelling
Chris, the name calling was a bit of light harted fun thats all as its getting a bit serious in here.
and yes i have worked around crab pots, actually I used to skipper an offshore crab boat for about 12 years working about 800 traps in fleets of 50 to 80, we used to fill the vivia tanks on board with crab first then use store cages to keep the remainder alive untill we finished our trip and meet the truck, we used spotlights and floodlights to find our gear but once we were hauling we didnt need them we only used the worklights then, we never used to use them for steaming thats what a radar is for.
and to answer another of your questions of course i have been out in 25 knots of wind, actually quite a bit more I have spent my whole working life at sea, maybe not in your area but i can tell you that when you dont see land for a week or 2 you cant just pop back in when the wind picks up, but i dont like blowing my own horn as there are a lot of more experianced guys on this site than me, just listen to what they have to say thats all we are out there every day, well nearly.
now I get to come home to my wife after every shift and i dont smell of fish....lol
regards Jason
So thats it is it ?
We've had input from small boaties and experienced commercial skippers but we all know what both want/need clashes. I guess commercial operators at night can also have night equipment that is as susceptible to glare as our own eyes.
We've seen the extreme, a guy sporting 4WD driving lights that'll screw all of us up and probably not help himself much in the process.
We'd like to preserve our night vision but at the same time not run over anything or anyone. So many tossers without lights out there we start to protect ourselves which is fair enough.
We want to let other's know we're there but dont want to screw up their night vision either.
Is there a compromise solution short of everyone having thermal imaging costing about the same as a second hand mercedes ?
As far as i know the relevant gov't dep'ts still just put the onus on us to figure out whats best...offer no advice, no real laws to stop anything being abused, not even a nightime speed limit that could save a few lives.
My problem is everything is based on an area thats almost totally and absolutely unlit, dark as hades. On overcast nights with little moon i need/want a security blankie.
I've got some questions then...coz its important. Maybe ex military, shooters or security guys might have some advice for all of us.
Would Infra Red really be of any genuine use ? On trailerboats could we mount an IR light/camera hooked up to our plotter or a simple 7" 12v screen on the dash ?
Has anyone tried a good set of IR/night vision binoculars ? Like those Bushnell ones. Supposed to have pretty strong light source and might supply just enough warning of anything in/on the surface 50m out. My guess is tho they wouldnt be much help unless there was already decent light around, and probably still the same pain in the arse factor. Dunno never tried them.
Could we adapt the Infra Red security type light/camera system for use on trailerboats ? Cant be expensive.
Can we put an IR filter over a spottie to cut off everything except IR and look at a small screen ?
About the only thing i can say that improves my night vision, and might be worth you at least trying, is a decent set of binoculars. No idea why but it does help a bit on many nights, but an absolute pain in the arse.
Havent tried a red filter on a spottie... worth trying ? May be it chops the glare factor for others as well ?
Instead of people just having the shits about what others do out there...is there any middle ground ?
So long as nav lights, anchor lights, channel markers and major buoys are lit, in a perfect world spotties and driving lights are useless!!
There is always the one channel marker though that will fail to be lit!! That is why its good to head out at night when you know the area!!!
(This is from a trailer boat perspective.)
Deckie,
Had a good look at the FLIR cameras at the S.Cove Boat Show & it is the next item on my shopping list. Looked at the binoculars but they had a very limited field of vision. Not cheap, but what price do you put on your boat, your life & the lives of others?
Tony
As good a time as any to revisit this thread. Thankfully all ok. Could have been a lot worse.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/th...4-7d90cf7cf8b9
Wowzers that is crazy i know in Sydney we often have unlit beacons in Botany Bay but u can often just see them from the Port's lights shining across the water
If that marker was not lit who as at fault as i dont think there is a speed limit day or night maritimr just advise to slow down
Skipper's at fault regardless Gazza.
Bugger i read the report one bloke the skipper unconcious lucky he wasnt killed
Kind of looks like a solar powered light on the top, that's not exactly a small object to not see or be marked on a chart, but regardless, good everyone seems to be OK.
On the news last night, it was suggested that the skipper may have been navigating by GPS, not visually, as it was a full moon and the water was glassed out, making it quite easy to see across the water. If it's the beacon i'm thinking it is (Huyber's Light, Green Island), it is a very prominent marker in a very busy boating channel!
685 Cruisecraft , so a lot of weight behind it to come to a sudden stop!
Yep no insurance claim for that boat , I bet he was following his track back from were they left from ,or hit the home button and it pointed the way home strait into the beacon it will be something stupid like that.
There is a ridiculous amount of lighting back scatter coming through that area towards Manly. Can be very difficult to see a light. We have nearly cleaned up yachts in that area that were only displaying lights at the masthead.
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