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 Post subject: Lights for nighttime
PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:08 pm 
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I am going to be wanting to run my 21Sc at night. As well as anchoring and sleeping in the tent over night in inland waters.

I am going to need lights i believe, since it does have a motor.

What would be the easiest way of going about this? I don't really want or know how to run wires up the mast for a mast head white light. And can the little battery powered lights be seen?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:03 pm 
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Location: little Washington, NC
You need three types of lights-

1. Navigation lights for when you are underway and at anchor- check the Coast Guard for sailboat lighting requirements- brightness, color, location, etc. You likely will also need a sounding device in case of fog.
2. Waterproof lights to see what you are doing around the boat.
3. PFD (worn ALL the time at night) with attached emergency waterproof flashlight(s) and strobe/beacon.

There is a thread somewhere on this site about rigging temporary navigation lights. You can do it with individual flashlight type lights or lights wired to a larger battery- probably the only way to do it so they last all night or for more than one night. I wouldn't do this in any location where there is any boat or larger ship traffic. If there is, you may want a radar corner reflector too. Of course, if it is in a location with nighttime water traffic, there will be a lot of rocking and rolling. It would be much safer to beach the boat at night.

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'86 H16, Sail #89057


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 12:15 pm 
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Does anyone have any information on what the SC's came with stock as far as battery and lights?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:04 pm 
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Elfmaze wrote:
Does anyone have any information on what the SC's came with stock as far as battery and lights?


The 21SC was never offered with lights or a battery. Its all going to be custom - there is nothing offered from Hobie to convert. All Hobie Cats are beach cats and not sold as vessels that are to be operated at night (though plenty of people do it)


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 Post subject: Navigation Lights
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:41 pm 
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Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2008 6:13 am
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Location: Seabrook, TX
I was at Academy this afternoon and found these Attwood Navigation Lights:
LED Battery-Operated Bow Light
http://tinyurl.com/9r2x46

LED Battery-Operated All-Round Stern Light
http://tinyurl.com/7mwkuy

Seems like the simplest and most cost effective way to add nav lights to 21SC, or any small boat.

franklin j VIOLA

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:19 pm 
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I did pick up a set of those flashlight based lights. I want to set them up at night and see how far i can see them though. They just seem so insufficient bench testing them.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:30 pm 
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Location: N.C.
I have the flashlite boat lights with the suction cups and run the green/red on the front hull and the white on the back hull. They really stick good. I go out at night often on my 16 and have a ball. It is very romantic and peaceful as the lake is smooth, quiet and almost no traffic. Just me and the wind. I am on a small lake in NC so I only encounter fast fishing boats and party cruisers but the lights work great and have had no close calls at all. I do get a lot of cheers from the passing boats as most folks have never seen a sailboat out at night at least not in this area. I guess I should put a small clip on light and run it up mast but I feel quite safe and what fun!! Also have considered a flashlite to clip somewhere to point up at the mailsail to light it up but have not needed this and probably never will on my peaceful lake.
Cheers,
John


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 1:59 pm 
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Jbernier wrote:
Elfmaze wrote:
Does anyone have any information on what the SC's came with stock as far as battery and lights?


The 21SC was never offered with lights or a battery. Its all going to be custom - there is nothing offered from Hobie to convert. All Hobie Cats are beach cats and not sold as vessels that are to be operated at night (though plenty of people do it)


I was looking at the parts guide and saw that the "battery tie down" is accually the cooler tie down it looks like.

But what is part number 36900001 Running Lights, H21 Sport Cruiser Pg.19 http://static.hobiecat.com/2010_archive/support/pdfs/21SCParts.pdf


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:13 pm 
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Location: Lake Norman NC
Your lights must meet Coast Guard Rules. A hobie at night without great lights is just plain dangerous. A hobie at night with good lights is also dangerous The lights on a hobie are going to be really close to the water making them hard to see Many motor boats around here are going over 50 MPH at night and they can close on you real fast. On more times than i like to think about i have had close calls with other vessels at night and this was in my Hydra Sport Center Console 24 with 2 NM LED lights. Several times i have even had to cut on the four flood lights to keep vessels from hitting me. night boating is all hands on watch all the time.
The question is have i ever gone out at night on a hobie answer is yes was it safe probably not The hobie is a great boat but probably not the best night cruiser
Gary
Been on a hobie since 1971


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 6:49 pm 
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I wouldn't plan much more than a sunset sail. But i did almost get stuck out past nightfall twice because i wasn't watching my tides closely enough. Just trying to gather all the information i can about what has. is and will be done for electrics. I now have a 12V system for my sterio so adding lights would just be a matter of figuring out what and how to add.


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:30 am 
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Location: N.C.
I also keep my trusty mag lite handy to shine on my mainsail which completely lights it up for any approaching boaters. It only seems to take a few moments for them to get the picture whence I can turn off the "floodlight". I only sail at night on a small secluded lake and realize I would definitely NOT do this on a busy waterway or busy lake EVER. Guess there are advantages for living in the wilderness areas of our great nation. Long live the Country Living!! :P

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 Post subject: Re:
PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 5:24 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:02 pm
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Location: Toms River NJ
Jbernier wrote:
Elfmaze wrote:
Does anyone have any information on what the SC's came with stock as far as battery and lights?


The 21SC was never offered with lights or a battery. Its all going to be custom - there is nothing offered from Hobie to convert. All Hobie Cats are beach cats and not sold as vessels that are to be operated at night (though plenty of people do it)


check coast guard regulations, most beach cats below a certain length (~20 ft) and no engine are not required to have running lights.

They are required to have flares and a flashlight that is to be shined into sails to show boats position.

I sailed last summer at night and read through the regs for a H16. There wasn't much to the requirements.

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 Post subject: Re: Lights for nighttime
PostPosted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 5:34 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:28 pm
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Location: Washington, DC
The most important question is not the law. It's whether you want to protect yourself, even though "there isn't much to the regulations." If I were to sail at night, I would at the very least procure a 360 degree white LED light to mount on my mast. Add a radar-reflector if off the coast.

It's one thing to stay within the law. It's an entirely different thing to stay alive instead of getting run over by a cargo freighter in the dark. :?

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Sailing vintage Hobie Cats in West Africa.


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 Post subject: Re: Lights for nighttime
PostPosted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 5:42 am 
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Location: Toms River NJ
Africat wrote:
It's one thing to stay within the law. It's an entirely different thing to stay alive instead of getting run over by a cargo freighter in the dark. :?



This is true. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Not that it is not a dangerous area, but I am use to sailing in an enclosed bay, without commercial traffic, which a water depth of 4-5 ft for a good portion of it. I guess I am being naive about sailing at night. :oops:

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