Ok guys, here it is in Writing from the USCG

Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2012 04:58:34 -0800
From: papasbaits@yahoo.com
Subject: Fw: WEB QUEST
To: tacklesmith@hotmail.com



Shawn



Here it is in writing, about replacing the bow lights with LED's from the Coast Guard



Mark






----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Mark Hall <papamark82@yahoo.com>
To: "papasbaits@yahoo.com" <papasbaits@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 6:56 AM
Subject: Fw: WEB QUEST














----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Cappel, Philip" <Philip.J.Cappel@uscg.mil>
To: papamark82@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, February 6, 2012 9:31 AM
Subject: FW: WEB QUEST






I am assuming that the BOW light you are referring to is a red and green combination light mounted on the bow. If this assumption is correct, there is no restriction on changing this combination light for individual red and green lights mounted on the rub rail as long as the lights are properly mounted and the overall white light remains one meter higher than the newly installed lights.



Phil Cappel

Chief, Recreational Boating Product Assurance Branch (CG-54223)

Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, United States Coast Guard
Phone: (202) 372-1076 Fax: (202) 372-1908
E-mail: Philip.J.Cappel@uscg.mil

Web: www.uscgboating.org

I didn't know the rule about one meter, but I knew it was supposed to be the highest point of the boat..


Really makes you wonder what some of these bass boats you see running around with a 16"-18" white light are thinking....Especially in a tournament.

thanks for the great information mark.

With the above regulation in mind, I wonder if the white lights mounted to the cowl on outboard engines are legal? they are not usually 1 meter above the red and green nav lights. They look cool.

Nope. Dealing with the wiring is a hassle whenever you need to remove the cowling. They aren't high enough. One of the deputies that used to work lake patrol on Conroe thought that was cool and had one mounted on the cowling on that old Whaler they used to run. When I showed him that it wasn't legal he mounted it on a 36" pole. A couple of weeks worth of running in rough water caused it to break a chunk out of the cowling under the base of the light. Ever price a cowling for a 225 Evinrude? Then that idiot lieutenant they had mounted a shorty 360 light behind the light bar. I laughed my butt off when an 8 year old kid told him that wasn't legal. I never understood why the Sheriff put those clowns out there, when he had people who actually knew the laws and knew boats.............

The main reason for lighting is not just because you have to have them. The point is to be the most visible you can to other boats. Come on people this aint difficult to comprehend

I have a vessel safety inspection this afternoon, will be using my led lights

Man that is really BRIGHT! Good job. Did you mount above the rub rail? Beat me to it shipmate. Just haven't gotten around to that yet.

Actually Lee it is mounted on the rub rail. It comes with base brackets for either way, on or above. I figured they were far enough forward that they wouldn't get hit. Yes they are very bright. Got them from Fun n Sun, they no longer carry Hoo Doo electronics. They have had to many complaints and returns on them.
Stay Safe!

There's a thread about LED nav lights on the Austin Bass Fishing board that has info from local USCGA. Apparently there is some issue about certification of after market LED nav lighting.

http://www.austinbassfishing.com/forum/b...ent-issues.html

Austin PD who patrols Lake Austin seems to not like them and has stated they will be issuing citations for their use.

Glad I don't live in Austin!

someone simply needs to take a ticket to court and have photo evidence of the difference in brightness and visibility, the argument would be that brighter is safer and if you go to the official state/uscg regs issued as guidelines there is no statement of certification being necessary.

I will keep running my leds.

Brighter is not always safer. Brightness and visibility are only part of it and there is more to it than just being seen. There are requirements for the degree of visibility for both colored running lights and the white light. The lights let other boaters know if you are underway or anchored, which direction you are moving and who will have the right of way in the event of a meeting. If you are going down the lake looking like a Christmas tree, the multi-colored LEDs can easily blend into the lights on the shoreline, private docks, and even other floating Christmas trees.