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forward running lights reflecting off bow pulpit

oldfauser

Member III
I sail on a friends 32-3; it has the forward running lights mounted on the bow pulpit. The reflection on the lights kills my "night vision"!!! Short of wrapping the pulpit with black tape that is non-reflective, any other ideas?

thanks in advance

Art
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Putting a 12" piece of black tape on the back side of the front pulpit ss loop might help a lot. I did that on our prior boat for the same reflective problem.
The red/green combo light on the Olson is far enough under the ss loop that it's not much of a problem.

Not much tape is needed -- just a short piece where the light is reflected back, I would imagine.

Loren
 

Guy Stevens

Moderator
Moderator
Black Tape +1

Black Tape, or some of the vinyl that is used in sign or boat lettering works great.

This is a normal problem.

Guy
:)
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Red and green kills your night vision? Or is there a white-light leak....

Now the stern light, yep, blinded. Not that I would ever turn the running lights off....
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Can't say I've had that problem, with either deck-mounted or pulpit-mounted running lights. But since upgrading to a roller-furling jib, the steaming light reflects back off the rolled-up headsail! I haven't figured out any solution to that one and I wonder how much the sail occludes the light to oncoming traffic.
 

u079721

Contributing Partner
I had that same problem big time on our 38 when we first started overnight crossings of Lake Huron each summer, and it really bothered us. My solution was not ideal in that what I did slightly altered the arc through which the bow lights could be seen on each side. But in the photo below you can see that I mounted a sort of circle segment shaped piece of 1/4" thick black rubber gasket material behind the light with zip ties. I kept playing with the size and shape until it was just large enough to block the reflections off the pulpit and from the light itself, but no larger than it had to be. I probably reduced the arc from the required 112° on each side down to 95° or 100°, but at least I didn't have my night vision ruined by my own bow light anymore. Most of the time we were motoring so a masthead tricolor wasn't an option.
 

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oldfauser

Member III
I had similar thoughts about a "shield" to block the light when i first thought about it, but I'm going to try the gaffers tape first. This will be my second option!

thanks

Art
 
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