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Nav light on a Predator

3K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  hoit 
#1 ·
I want to put a nav light on but where is a big problem.
Like ive said ive only got access to the hull from one hole (at my seat)
so how do i secure the lights mount if i cant get at it from the in side?
Anyone got any ideas at all?

Thanks Rik
 
#2 ·
Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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G
#4 ·
Davey G said:
rik, why not just consider one of those 'suction cup' style nav lights - you can pick them up from boat shops for around $20 and they dont require any cutting. they stick to the hull externally. 8)
I agree.

Had a look at the Predator's deck layout, and most of the surfaces are curved which looks like it would be difficult to rig........
 
#5 ·
Rik If you are only mounting the standard white riding light I would be happy with screws only, as there is minimal strain, and take up the deck curve with a thick blob of silicone, when it fully cures over 24-36hrs it would be quite solid
 
#7 ·
Mine sits in a meat crate, 40mm tube out of crate, skinnier tube then, to a Dick Smith LED torch that fits in exactly... more or less. Damn cheap too!

Cheers all Andybear
 
#8 ·
imagineer said:
mmmm, is a white light legal I ve been considering my options for nav light fitting as well.
Regards,
N
Don't know in which state you are.

In NSW, the only requirement is a white light at hand that can be shone at any approaching craft. The next step up is a fixed 360deg white light. Finally, and really only if practical, is red/green port/starboard lights. If you are using port/starboard lights then they should only be used when underway and they should only be visible from the side and from the front (the fixed white light is visible from the rear).

I can see no point in having port/starboard lights on a vessel that travels so slowly. From the perspective of a vessel hooning along at 20kts or more, we are virtually stationary so only the white light is of any value. Slower vessels will have plenty of time to see us charging at them with a single white light.
 
#9 ·
imagineer said:
mmmm, is a white light legal I ve been considering my options for nav light fitting as well.
Regards,
N
You will be legal, a boat under oars or paddles only requires a torch to signal other boats; so using a 360 deg riding light is more than adequate, mount it behind you if you want to retain night vision at all times
 
#11 ·
imagineer said:
what about a couple of head lamps would that suffice?

Cheers
Neil
Neil, a single headlamp is all you need to be legal. There is a popular school of thought that you are much better off also having a riding light - a lot of the guys won't go out at night without one.

I've been out quite a few times at night on middle harbour with just the headlamp. There is so little traffic and it is so quiet that I haven't had cause for concern. I do tend to have the light on all the time when in the main waterway. However, it only takes one drunken hoon to change all that.

Indeed, there is a local eccentric where I live who is seen power walking around the neighbourhood every day, covering substantial distances. He has only one eye. I learned his story. He was one of those drunken hoons who crashed his boat one night in Middle Harbour! I think a couple were killed and he was maimed. He can't work any more. Lost his marriage too (there's more to this than I'm passing on).

There is a possibility that even a riding light wouldn't help in case someone is hooning around at night like that. However it has to give you a better chance than no light.
 
#14 ·
Allright everybody,

I am only a novice at Yakking so bear with me if i say some stupid things here.

I believe that here in QLD, for a powered boat you need a 360o light when stationary and green and red lights port and starboard side when moving.

Here are my thought re yakking.

A 360o white light mounted mid yak would be ideal as when stationary this light would also act as light for a personal light also when re-rigging your line or just plain reaching for the water bottle etc.

A red and green light mounted on your rear would be ideal for when you are moving. Even though dodge mentions this as pointless for a slow moving vessel it might be beneficial as your eyes would adjust to the dark with no white light active so that you may see silouhettes of the shoreline more easily. This then begs the question of how to mount the green and red nav lights on the rear of your yak??? Maybe just mount them on them on the front. Surley this lights would not be as intrusive on your eye sight in the dark like a white light???

Then again I have never been night fishing so what would I know. Just my thoughts.

Would love to hear the arguments against my ideas as this is what I am thinking of doing to my Yak.

Cheers,

Milano.
 
#15 ·
Milan, the port and starboard (red and green) lights must not be visible from the rear. Their purpose is strictly to allow other vessels to know in which direction you are heading - ie for navigation. I don't believe they have any value on a kayak because we move too slowly for our heading to be significant to oncoming vessels. We only need to be seen and that is the function of the riding light.

The riding light will reduce your vision of surrounds if it is between you and what you are looking at, because your eyes will adjust to its brightness rather than anything that it is illuminating. As Dodge wrote, much better to have it behind you.
 
#16 ·
Point taken Peril and the eyes adjusting to the dark with a light behind you was exactly my point. Just thought that the white light while stationary mounted mid Yak could also be beneficial for us while we are fishing. Anyone agree with that??? Or do most of you who have fished at night think that the light is better served being mounted on the back???

Would really like to know so that I don't mount Mid Yak, when I get around to it, to find that it was a feeble idea.

Cheers,

Milan.
 
#17 ·
Hi Milan,

I have my light mounted behind me. It throws out enough light to be useful for rigging my kayak before heading out in the mornings and changing SP's out on the water. It doesn't get in the way of my fishing or shine in my eyes. :)

Regards
Grant
 
#21 ·
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