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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Paris
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    13
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    bow navigation lights rules

    While night fishing at Jamestown at Lake Cumberland Friday night, someone from another boat yelled that my navigation lights are backwards. My port side is green and my starboard side is red. I have a 1988 16.5 foot Dynatrak bassboat and this is they way it came from when purchased. I only seen one other boat's navigation lights wired like mine that night, all others had port side red and starboard side green. Do the rules change according to size of the boat? I want the navigation lights correct to keep from confusing others. By the way, we did not boat any stripers or walleye Friday night. I had 3 blowups on a Red Fin with no hookup at the mouth of Lily Creek. Started bass fishing and boated 4 Kentucky's and one Smallmouth.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Junction City Ky
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    1,202
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    Quote Originally Posted by bxrinc View Post
    While night fishing at Jamestown at Lake Cumberland Friday night, someone from another boat yelled that my navigation lights are backwards. My port side is green and my starboard side is red. I have a 1988 16.5 foot Dynatrak bassboat and this is they way it came from when purchased. I only seen one other boat's navigation lights wired like mine that night, all others had port side red and starboard side green. Do the rules change according to size of the boat? I want the navigation lights correct to keep from confusing others. By the way, we did not boat any stripers or walleye Friday night. I had 3 blowups on a Red Fin with no hookup at the mouth of Lily Creek. Started bass fishing and boated 4 Kentucky's and one Smallmouth.
    Port side is Red and starboard side is Green reguardless to the size of the boat. I would have thought you were up side down.lol

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Lancaster,Ky.U.S.A.
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    Do people really pay that much attenion to which side the red and green light's are on ? I never even thought about it, other than to know that there's a boat headed toward's my dirrection ! What differance doe's it make ? For my imformation.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    richmond, kentucky
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    649
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    Quote Originally Posted by fishalltime View Post
    Do people really pay that much attenion to which side the red and green light's are on ? I never even thought about it, other than to know that there's a boat headed toward's my dirrection ! What differance doe's it make ? For my imformation.
    yes it makes a big difference because u cant tell which way the boat is going...... if your used to seeing red on the left and green on the right going away from your boat and u see it and there is red on the right and green on the left it could cause a accident because u might think the boat is going another way cause its hard to judge the distance of a boat at night anways....

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Lancaster,Ky.U.S.A.
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    I've been night fishing for over 25 years and have'nt ever even thought about it or had any problem knowing which way or which side is comeing at me . Never any accident's or near accident's .

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Junction City Ky
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    Quote Originally Posted by fishalltime View Post
    I've been night fishing for over 25 years and have'nt ever even thought about it or had any problem knowing which way or which side is comeing at me . Never any accident's or near accident's .
    Think of it like this, if you come around a curve at night and there is a boat setting in the middle of the lake and all you see is green light you know you are looking at the right side of the boat so if it takes off it will go towards your right and the safe way to pass would be go behind him or to your left.And the same way if you only see ared light you know it will go towards the left if it takes off.

  7. #7
    HURRICANEBOB Guest

    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    Here's why its important at night to have the lights on the correct side of the boat. If lights are mounted correctly, you will always now how to safely navigate when approaching and oncoming boat who has his lights on.

    When Meeting Port-to-port: Continue on course. The same holds true for meeting starboard-to-starboard. PORT TO PORT MEANS PUT YOU RED LIGHT ON THE SAME SIDE AS HIS AND YOU WILL PASS PARRALLEL AND SAFELY. STARBOARD TO STARBOARD MEANS OUT YOUR GREEN LIGHT ON TEH SAME SIDE AS HIS AND YOU WILL BE PARRALEL AND SAFE

    When Meeting Head On: As in a car, both stay to your right and as far apart as practical. Each boat should turn to starboard and pass port-to-port. (IN OTHER WORDS, IF HE'S COMING STRAIGHT AT YOU, JUST TURN TO YOUR RIGHT UNTIL YOU CAN SEE HIS ONLY RED LIGHT, AND YOU KNOW YOUR NOW SAFE. IF YOU SEE RED AND GREEN, YOU NEED TO GO FURTHER TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A CRUNCH!

    WHAT LIGHT ON WHAT SIDE? PORT WINE IS RED, PORT LIGHT IS RED.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    richmond, kentucky
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    649
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    Quote Originally Posted by bxrinc View Post
    While night fishing at Jamestown at Lake Cumberland Friday night, someone from another boat yelled that my navigation lights are backwards. My port side is green and my starboard side is red. I have a 1988 16.5 foot Dynatrak bassboat and this is they way it came from when purchased. I only seen one other boat's navigation lights wired like mine that night, all others had port side red and starboard side green. Do the rules change according to size of the boat? I want the navigation lights correct to keep from confusing others. By the way, we did not boat any stripers or walleye Friday night. I had 3 blowups on a Red Fin with no hookup at the mouth of Lily Creek. Started bass fishing and boated 4 Kentucky's and one Smallmouth.
    i bet what happened is if u or someone else changed the bulb out and u or whoever just accidently put the lens in upside down.... it should be an easy fix......

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Paris
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    Quote Originally Posted by ryan_ekubass View Post
    i bet what happened is if u or someone else changed the bulb out and u or whoever just accidently put the lens in upside down.... it should be an easy fix......
    Thanks guys, I will switch the lens around to keep oncoming boaters at night from getting confused. Like I mentioned I saw one other boat Friday night that had the lens wrong also. I wonder if it was from the same manufacturer and Friday just before quitting time when they made them.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    .Louisville
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    I can't say I ever had a close call at night but I always watch which side the lights are on so that I know exactly which direction the other boat is going. If it wasn't a big deal the law would be to not to have them at all or just make them both white.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Somerset, KY, US.
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    Here's my night time boating rules. 1) red and green lights mean bow of boat. 2) white light means stern of boat. 3) avoid all space in between lights. 4) if can only see bow lights or stern light only then stay a very good distance away from that boat. (because you should be able to see both sets of lights if the other boat is running if it is coming at you, but you will only see the stern light if the other boat is going away from you, so I just watch and try to completely avoid it)

    The ones you really have to watch out for are the ones that are setting in the middle of the lake with NO lights on... This has happened to us several times on Cumberland... Most of the time it was one of those very big house boats on the lower end of the lake... And they don't want us to use headlights on our boats at night... Headlights have saved us a few times from hitting one of those floating barges sitting in the middle of the lake with no lights on...

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
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    .
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    Re: bow navigation lights rules

    im 33 yrs. old and bought my first boat 10 years ago. ive been bass fishing and in bass boats night fishing since i was a kid with my dad. i had no idea that it mattered what side the lights were on. i have always just got out of the way when i see them and have had no problems. i guess if u dont know and get out of the way, it could be easier than trying to figure out what light is what. LOL.

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