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[ruffair]

Sorry for the newbie question.  My tug has a mast with three light fittings on it.  What colour should the lights be?

Thanks

[tigertiger]

Sorry for the newbie question.  My tug has a mast with three light fittings on it.  What colour should the lights be?

Thanks

A guess

Red on the left (port)
Green on the right (Starboard)
And white on top.

PS All questions are equally valid on this forum. So welcome. :)
I was a newbie recently. But I have learned a lot by doing things the hard way

[Bryan Young]

Sorry for the newbie question.  My tug has a mast with three light fittings on it.  What colour should the lights be?

Thanks

all mast lights on tugs are white(clear). only sidelights are coloured. there are a few exceptions such as being aground,not under command etc. Bryan Young, master mariner.

[Colin Bishop]

Two lights are shown by a tug with a tow under 200m in length, three for 200m and upwards. (the "tow" is the lenth of the vessel being towed and not the length of the towrope plus vessel.)

[chromedome]

Yes all 3 are clear

[Kaskazi]

Two lights are shown by a tug with a tow under 200m in length, three for 200m and upwards. (the "tow" is the lenth of the vessel being towed and not the length of the towrope plus vessel.)

So does it follow that a tug without tow shows only one light on the mast?

[Colin Bishop]

So does it follow that a tug without tow shows only one light on the mast?

Of course, just like any other vessel under 50m in length proceeding at night. Vessels over 50m carry two steaming lights, one mounted forward and another, slightly higher, mounted aft. This, together with the port and starboard lamps enables the direction and size of the ship to be gauged.

Have a look at this for a light hearted explanation: http://www.auxetrain.org/navhelp.html

If anyone wants more comprehensive details covering different types of vessel  I can scan in some illustrations.

[janjac]

Hi all
The number of lights and colour also depends on which year the tug is from , ex a tug from around 1900 did not have the same lights as new tugs.
jan

[Colin Bishop]

Good point Jan! The older regulations for various periods might be more difficult to find.

[Tug-Kenny RIP]

Thanks for the site Colin. Very informative.

My Aziz has three vertical white lights on the mast  (all wired up and pointing for'ad) so this would be OK, according to the 'rules'.

There are two at the back of the mast, shining down on the deck  (for loading at night !!).  Would any be required at the stern, do you think?  If so, would they be on a small mast, or clipped on to the back somewhere?


Cheers...Ken

[Colin Bishop]

Ken,

All vessels must show a white stern light. This would usually be mounted on the transom or maybe on the rear face of a deckhouse if it has an unobstructed view aft. Obviousy, on a tug it would need to be in a protected location because of the towrope. Your best bet is to find some pictures of tug sterns to see where the most appropriate place to site it would be.

If the tug is towing then it should show a yellow light above the white sternlight so this should also be fitted and be evident from photos.

As you say, the lights on the back of the mast will be working lights and not navigational ones.

Colin

[MikeK]

If you should be proceeding upriver in fog and you see a white light, followed by a red light, followed by a ringing on a bell, don't panic it's the lock keeper on his bike - sorry 

MikeK

[John W E]

why no mikek if you see a red light on your portside and a white light on your starboard side in thick fog and a red light ahead of ya, followed by the foghorn and a ringing of the bell, you've just about hit the South Shields groyne and if you see a blue flashing light heaven help ya you must be half way up Ocean Road

Aye
John E
BLUEBIRD

[Bunkerbarge]

That's fine, you may as well go and have a beer and a curry then!!!

[John W E]

Hi ya Bunkerbarge, does that mean you have frequented Ocean Road  .   Sad to say it Im not sure if the curry houses as good as they used to be.  Tyne still the same, but not as busy these days  ::)

aye
john e
bluebird

[MikeK]

why no mikek if you see a red light on your portside and a white light on your starboard side in thick fog and a red light ahead of ya, followed by the foghorn and a ringing of the bell, you've just about hit the South Shields groyne and if you see a blue flashing light heaven help ya you must be half way up Ocean Road

Aye
John E
BLUEBIRD

John - long before you saw the lights the smell of curry would tell you exactly how far up Ocean Road you'd got !!

MikeK

[John W E]

MikeK the day after you would nar yeed been up Ocean Road

aye
JohnE
BLUEBIRD

[Tug-Kenny RIP]

Here is a picture of my mast lights.  Just spent over a week embedding some LED's inside empty Biro tubes and filler to shape to the mast.  No way of changing them if they blow now   

They are all wired together with 7 more in the cabins and take 0.25 amps in total.

The rear facing one on the mast top has a chrome reflector behind it and tends to burn the retina if stared at directly.  I forgot to shine it downwards on to the deck and now the glue has set.   :(

[Tug-Kenny RIP]

Here is a side view to show the spotlight on the top.  I have placed the lower rear light below the platform so as to not look so bulky.

Cheer...Ken

[Tug-Kenny RIP]

Wallace reminding me it's time to paint

[Bunkerbarge]

Hi ya Bunkerbarge, does that mean you have frequented Ocean Road  .   Sad to say it Im not sure if the curry houses as good as they used to be.  Tyne still the same, but not as busy these days  ::)

aye
john e
bluebird

When I was last down Ocean Road on a run ashore in the mid eighties the pub doors used to alternate with the curry house doors so a good night out was guarranteed by all.  We came across a group of drunk girls so we picked one up and sat her on top of a post box.  Poor girl couldn't get down and she could still be there for all I know.  I was last in the area when I visited Tyneside college when I looked after company cadets and it wasn't quite the same but it still had a hell of a lot of pubs and curry houses.

[John W E]

Ruffair, sorry for sidetracking your thread - but, our navigation lights failed in the fog.

Bunkerbarge (bob) sorry to say this but South Tyneside College (Marine and tech that was) is now nothing at all like it used to be....now its like an uncontrolled school with no discipline - loads of charvers and louts running about with no respect - not calling the good cadets that are still there but the majority of kids that come from schools to 'do' their 6th year there.  Sad sign of the times.

aye
John E
BLUEBIRD

[MikeK]

So that's where my sister disappeared to 

MikeK

[anmo]

This is massively off topic, but when he was racing, ex McLaren and BRM F1 racing driver Pete Gethin was asked in an interview, "What was the best moment in your motor racing career?". Hie replied, "Two red haired sisters from Bradford". He did have a bit of a 'reputation' did Pete.

[Bunkerbarge]

Ruffair, sorry for sidetracking your thread - but, our navigation lights failed in the fog.

Bunkerbarge (bob) sorry to say this but South Tyneside College (Marine and tech that was) is now nothing at all like it used to be....now its like an uncontrolled school with no discipline - loads of charvers and louts running about with no respect - not calling the good cadets that are still there but the majority of kids that come from schools to 'do' their 6th year there.  Sad sign of the times.

aye
John E
BLUEBIRD

My college was Riversdale which is now a housing estate so it doesn't even exist.  When I did my time from '75-'79 there were thirteen marine colleges across the UK.

Now there are three! >:(