North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

West Arm on Sunday, slow, slow fishing with black skies threatening to rain on us.

Three muddies and 14 fish, only two fish prior to lunch even with a pre-dawn start.

Misjudged getting the crab pots late afternoon with the tides so it was a night time return to Darwin across the harbour. Filthy easterly blowing in our face with nasty waves at a slow 10 knots home with me telling my 13 year old daughter all was good with a fake smile.

No lights on some boats tied up in the middle of the harbour including only one small all round light on the vessel tied to the Indo and Viet fishing boats confiscated by the navy. Couldn't even see them until they were port of us. There was another after that with no lights on, didn't see him till starboard of us, dead set full on dangerous especially with the city lights behind them all camouflaging them. I had 4 spotties on and led lights down the side of my boat and my nav lights on, at least some of us are conscious of safety. Still couldn't see the buggers, p..s weak!

Next day was dry season blue skies and cool weather.

Yep there's some absolute spankers in the Harbour at night. Is their fishing spot worth dying for or are they too p.ssweak to rig up some lights?

The yachties moored at Dinah beach also need a major kick in the arse. At least 4 boats in the channel with absolutely no lights on.

Having spotlights blaring out the front of your boat isnt smart anyone trying to use your nav lights to determine what direction your travelling
in cant coz they have a face full of spotties

truck465 wrote:Having spotlights blaring out the front of your boat isnt smart anyone trying to use your nav lights to determine what direction your travelling
in cant coz they have a face full of spotties

Lol. yer do agree a little on this one. Plus the reflection of the light affects your night vision and you wont see any duller lights because of it. most anchor lights are duller then million lumen spotlights.

I'm sure you would know cuddles (and can correct me), but I though it was against maritime rules/law to have driving lights on a boat. Hence why those recessed hull units are called docking lights. I know you are required to have not only nav lights whilst under way but also a white light viable to the rear, most people are unaware of this and do not have it on their hulls (an anchor light is sufficient, but a bit glarey for the driver).
Like I said, correct me if I'm wrong

Cheers

The fishing boats may have been confiscated by the Navy how ever they are not their responsibility when handed over to customs and the port authority.

George wrote:I'm sure you would know cuddles (and can correct me), but I though it was against maritime rules/law to have driving lights on a boat. Hence why those recessed hull units are called docking lights. I know you are required to have not only nav lights whilst under way but also a white light viable to the rear, most people are unaware of this and do not have it on their hulls (an anchor light is sufficient, but a bit glarey for the driver).
Like I said, correct me if I'm wrong

Cheers

Interesting one George. Where do we start........Ill just say that if it is an amatures boat, we don't have registration and licencing!!! So legally we could probably get away with having any thing you want or nothing at all! It would then come down to the argument of negligence if something actually went wrong, but until then I don't believe they can touch you if you fought it in court!

The USL code from memory requires a vessel that is "under way making way" should have a mast head light (white above centre line of vessel), a port light (red on left side of boat), a starboard light (green on right side) and a stern light (White facing aft of the vessel) unless the vessel is under 7m and then only reguires a white all round light. Could be wrong ....... I Will have to refresh my memory.

As for driving lights I'm not sure. There is a law that says something like this (off the top of my head) "Any vessel shall maintain a watch by sight, sound, electronics or any other means practicable to avoid collision in the practice of good seamanship". The usl can be very contradictive in parts and I guess if there is a law against driving lights (As I said I don't know of one) you could probably argue that the driving lights a means of keeping a watch and get away with it as long as you didn't have an accident that they were part of the cause IE blinding someone and them crashing into an object.

Cuddles,

absolutely correct mate! I came back into in Dinah beach at night through the week, bl..dy unlit yachts all through the channel (actually inside it!) No mast, anchor or anything lights. The other dangerous thing was the Mooring/Dredge drums out past six mile that are unlit. Big arse dredge their however, several hundred metres away objects for the Inpex gig unlit. Been a while since I had been out on the harbour at night, wow - it is more dangerous than ever now. The Harbour Master should spend less time on ABC radio and more time out there inspecting the infrastructure/boats for the legal safety requirements.

Even more reason to be extra careful.

Doors Off

newnavyfish88 wrote:The fishing boats may have been confiscated by the Navy how ever they are not their responsibility when handed over to customs and the port authority.

Neither above are responsible for the boats, AFMA have contracted DMS (owned by SERCO) to look after the boats until destroyed as per Quarantine regulations

Yes this is an interesting topic. I work on the water and had always resisted driving type lights on my recreational vessel, however the amount of unlit buoys, research buoys, unlit moored vessels and unlit vessels underway has led to a number of near misses that led me to mount a mid powered led under the bow which I use carefully on dark no moon nights and when there are no vessels in site. They have saved me from a number of likely impacts and I will continue to use them with care

Yep/ Ive had a few close encounters with unlit moored/anchored boats. Not all have been yachties though. Some fishos at anchor or drifting in the harbour with no lights.
Ive since bolted a single spottie on the front of mine because I dread the thought of crashing into an unlighted boat anywhere. Catch 22 really