Lights on at night?

[Kalian]

Hey fellas,<br />Can you leave your bow and stern lights on all night without draining your battery? Just wondering what people generaly do. <br /> When I go catfishing I like to stay out from dusk to about 2 or 3 am. I don't want to leave my motor running all that time, and I'm afraid of draining my battery if I turn the motor off. My boat is too small for a generator, and lights are required at night.

 

[Buttanic]

Re: Lights on at night?

Add a second battery with a selector switch. If one goes dead from the lights switch to the other. Never owned a boat with only one battery and never will.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Lights on at night?

If you are at anchor all you are required to show is an all-round (360 degree) white light. <br /><br />If your under way not making way (drifting) you are required to show side lights and an <br />all-round (360 degree) white light.<br /><br />Also agree with Buttanic.

 

[Just for TRICKS]

Re: Lights on at night?

Hi Kalian, My brother bought a "battery pack" that is a booster, air compressor, flash light all in one. It even has red and green lights on the side of the pack to be used as navigation lights on his 14'aluminum boat. He built a wooden platform on the front of the boat that he "bungees" it to. It has a carry handle, is rechargeable and he hooks the booster cables to his am/fm radio to listen to music. You can buy them at Canadian Tire here in Canada, I'm not sure where you would get one in the States. Hope this helps. You can order online from Canadian Tire if you wish. <br /><br />1988 Chris Craft Scorpion

 

[PAkev]

Re: Lights on at night?

I drained my crannking battery once by leaving nav lights on while fishing. Luckilly enough I wasn't too far from the ramp where I had jumper cables in my truck. I jumped the cranking battery from one of my trolling motor batteries and fired the outboard up again. I now keep a set of jumpers in my boat all the time.<br /><br />Also I now usually run the motor for a few minutes before fishing even if I am going to use the trolling motor right away so the battery maintains a max charge before sponging power for electronics and nav lights.

 

[SwampNut]

Re: Lights on at night?

A single 1156 bulb in a typical 360 degree anchor light draws about 2.25 amps. A Group 27 battery has 90-105 amp-hours of storage. So that bulb could run for around 45 hours before killing the battery.<br /><br />Of course, I would always have a second battery. If nothing else, a cheap Group 24 car battery as the starter, and your deep cycle marine battery to run everything from while sitting.<br /><br />If you really want to be energy efficient, pick up an LED anchor light. It will draw a tiny fraction of that, around 150mA.<br /><br />Here's one I just ordered the other day:<br /> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7134240822&category=384

 

[Kalian]

Re: Lights on at night?

Thanks folks, I'll do the second battery thing. I've been meaning to do it since I got the boat last year, just never got around to it. I'll look into the led anchor light as well. Reelpoor, I was under the impression that I needed the red and green lights, even if I was anchored. Guess I better review my boating basics!

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Lights on at night?

Originally posted by Kalian:<br /> Reelpoor, I was under the impression that I needed the red and green lights, even if I was anchored. Guess I better review my boating basics!

No you dont need them. To take this a little further, vesels under 20 meters (when anchored in a specified anchorage area designated by the secretary of transportation) do not have to display any lights.

 

[imported_Curmudgeon]

Re: Lights on at night?

I would consult California law. Use of lights at night varies from state to state.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Lights on at night?

Originally posted by Old Curmudgeon:<br /> I would consult California law. Use of lights at night varies from state to state.

Curmudgeon these are international and inland rules. They do not very from state to state. The only variations occure in the great lakes, and they are minimal differences, and are written as a "MAY" be shown/not showm senerio.<br /><br />Anchorage Light Rules

 

[Solittle]

Re: Lights on at night?

Reel Poor - If I am out at night I would hope that even an 8'er would have a 360 light. People have been run over and killed because they were not seen at night by another boater. I don't care who requires what - in my view safety should be the driver not some rule.

 

[SwampNut]

Re: Lights on at night?

There's just no reason not to run a light while anchored. There are too many things that can go bad if you're not.<br /><br />Another advantage of the LED is that you can't have a burned out bulb, leaving you in the dark without knowing it if you're below decks.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Lights on at night?

Originally posted by SoLittle:<br /> Reel Poor - If I am out at night I would hope that even an 8'er would have a 360 light. People have been run over and killed because they were not seen at night by another boater. I don't care who requires what - in my view safety should be the driver not some rule.

SoLittle I think you misread my post.<br /><br />quote:<br />-------------------------------------------------<br />Originally posted by Kalian:<br />Reelpoor, I was under the impression that I needed the red and green lights, even if I was anchored. Guess I better review my boating basics! <br />-------------------------------------------------<br /><br />No you dont need them. To take this a little further, vesels under 20 meters (when anchored in a specified anchorage area designated by the secretary of transportation) do not have to display any lights. <br />_________________________________________________<br /><br /><br />I do agree with your statement 100% any time you are aboard your anchored boat, in or out of a designated anchorage area. <br /><br />The no anchor light rule applies ONLY to designated anchoragre areas. Designated anchorage areas are no wake zones and were designed and approved by the Coast Guard for those needing to anchor and leave their boat indefinately if they so desire. Kinda like being moored in a harbor, except without access to shorepower or enough battery power to run an anchor light indefinately.

 

[phantoms]

Re: Lights on at night?

Many people who get caught with a dead battery and no spare power source fail to realize most older outboards (meaning non-EFI) can still be rope started. There is usually a catch in the flywheel that allows a knotted rope to be inserted and wrapped around the flywheel. It's angled so that once pulled, the knotted rope end will kick out. <br /><br />There is no substitute for a back up power source, but other things can leave you stranded such as bad wiring, a blown fuse, etc. Being able to still hnad crank your motor and get in where it's easier to find the problem will make life a lot easier and might even save an expensive tow bill.

 

[KRS]

Re: Lights on at night?

Length of boat also determines lighting requirements.

 

[Kalian]

Re: Lights on at night?

Thats good to know phantoms. I wasn't aware of that.

 

[Major Woods]

Re: Lights on at night?

I do overnight tuna trip up to 100 miles offshore.<br />Running a mast light, gps, fishfinder and VHF for 11 hours at a time with no motor. Never had an issue with a battery. The meter still reads a 60% charhge in the morning using a group 24 battery.<br /><br />I have 2 batteries on board just in case

 

[Boatist]

Re: Lights on at night?

I also fish a lot at night. My anchor light runs off the group 24 starting battery. Spent many night Sturgeon and Cat fishing from dark to 3 AM with the anchor light on the whole time and inside lights on a lot of the time for baiting pr just to see the poles. Motor nevered failed to start in the AM but I do have a second battery that runs all the electronics just in case. <br /><br />Any time time your are not under way RED and GREEN light must be off. Under Way defined as NOT at anchor, tied to a dock, tied to shore, or aground. If your drifting you are under way and navigation Red and Green light must be on at night or restricted visiblity, also depening on the angle to another boat you can be the "give way vessel" and required the stay out of the way of another vessel.