Bill;
Rule 20 (both inshore and international) forbids displaying a light that could be confused with a light that is specified by the rules. So a strobe light that is white, blue, or yellow that flashes at 120 pulses per minute or more, or a yellow one flashing slowly, would not be legal. All these variants are specified nav lights for stuff like law enforcement, barges, tow vessels, seaplanes, WIGs or submarines. Rule 36 in the international rules says you can make any light signal that cannot be confused with a navigation light, nor “embarrasses” another vessel, if you need to attract the attention of another vessel. But the rule prohibits the use of high intensity revolving lights or strobes. Rule 36 on the inshore rules allows you to make any light signal to attract attention (with the same restrictions as international), but does not have the prohibition for revolving lights and strobes. So if you are using your boat inside the Colregs line in US waters, a red or green strobe would be OK. If you are in Canada or outside the Colregs line in the US, No. Someone else said the strobe would be a distress signal. Not So. It is not on the list of distress signals listed in the Colregs. There is a flashing light that the USCG has approved as a distress signal, but it flashes SOS in Morse code. There are also a range of spotlights that have an SOS flash mode, which would be legal under rules 20 and 36 since they cannot be confused with a navigation light. I do not believe that the flashing distress signal has been approved under SOLAS, so it might be questionable in international waters but you could make a case for it under rule 36. And, of course, you could base your argument for using a strobe under rule 2, which requires you to do everything possible to avoid a collision… including violate the other rules of the Colregs. Bottom line is that in most cases the strobe isn’t strictly legal, but I doubt that the USCG would write you a ticket or fail you on a safety inspection if you have one on the boat and don’t turn it on. Rick Brass Washington, NC From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Bill Coleman via CnC-List Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2018 10:06 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Cc: Bill Coleman <colt...@verizon.net> Subject: Re: Stus-List LED cabin lighting One thing I am curious about, I removed a strobe from my boat when I bought it, as I thought it was illegal to use a strobe. When is it kosher to flash a strobe, when you are going down? Bill Coleman C&C 39 Erie, PA
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