NYCkayaker Captain and Paddlers Day at Pier 66

[Ralph Diaz]

What I understand from these emails and from folk at the event:

1.  The most important thing is to avoid a collision. Somewhere in the codes 
there is some statement to this effect. If something is on a collision 
course with you, you must do everything you can to avoid it.  An example of 
what I mean was spelled out regarding the rules for the direction oncoming 
ships should bear.  They should pass each other starboard to starboard.  If 
the guy at the helm of the other ship starts going to your port side, i.e. 
the wrong side putting hiis ship directly in your line of travel, the rule 
says ignore the starboard to starboard protocol and go to the other side, 
i.e. avoid a collsion no matter what.   Turning on a strobe would be a 
similar last resort move and defensible under the overriding 
avoid-a-collision principle.

2.  Strobes have a certain rapid frequency and an astute captain knows that. 
A steady white light on a kayaker or his boat can often be obscured 
intermittenly because of the kayaker's head/body or by swells that are 
higher than his boat.  Although not at the right frequency, these can appear 
as a strobe to a casual boater.  There are bound to be alerts of distress to 
the Coast Guard from such casual observers.  I never thought of this until 
mentioned in this string of emails: reflector tape on paddles can have the 
same effect, although it is surprising as they need a strong direct light on 
them to reflect.  The tape works best in daylight when these can catch the 
sun and reflect strongly your presence on the water.

3.  The use of different color strobes.   That was discussed way back in the 
days of the Human Powered Boating Group.  But the Coast Guard concern was 
that there are already several colors in use (as mentioned by John McGarvey 
for police as well as divers etc.) and it did not want to add one more color 
recognition complication for a class of vessel (us).

Use your strobe as a last resort.  Then turn it off, as Lyn and others 
suggest.  Do not use it as a form of running light for an entire crossing.

Back ages ago, fishing boats in Puget Sound concerned about large vessels 
coming into and leaving port, started using strobes as a regular running 
light.  The Coast Guard went after them in a big way.

Another interesting thing about strobes: they can only be used for distress 
in US Inland Waters.  In International Waters they are prohibited.  If I 
remember correctly, the reason for this prohibition is that in European 
ports, strobe type lights are used on directional buoys.  A strobe might 
lead a ship to go AROUND a strobe and go out of a channel into rocks or 
shallow waters.

ralph diaz