Navigation Lights

I just wanted to pass on some products that intrest me and may intrest you as well.

I have been looking around the net since I will be upgrading to a Hobie Adventure this summer for rigging parts. What I'd like to do is take everything that I have learned and apply it to rigging this next kayak.

One area that I was unhappy with was the lack of good (waterproof) battery powered navigation lights. I have been looking for a good quality stern light for some time to no avail. During my search I've found the following on the internet and thought that I'd pass it on:

http://www.tek-tite.com/src/products.php?c=6
http://www2.llbean.com/product/41180.htm
http://www.photon-micro-light.com/index.cfm?include=item_detail.cfm&category=16&item_num=6A-5300-2&CFID=1634575&CFTOKEN=43500195
http://www.acrelectronics.com/clight/c-light.html

Any of those seem like they would do the trick.

I also have purchased excellent waterproof LED flashlights:

This is for spotlighting:
http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/streamlight_propolyluxeon.htm

This clips on my hat and does not attract bugs and retains my night vision (red LED):
http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/gerber_infinityultra.htm

Purchased at:
http://www.knifesite.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=78040
and
http://www.fox-intl.com/searchresult.asp?id=3034

and reviews here:
http://flashlightreviews.com/index1.html

State boating Regs:

http://www.uscgboating.org/regulations/boating_laws.htm

and here is US Coast Guard Regs for Paddle powered boats...

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules/Rules/Rule25.htm

I forgot to mention I have upgraded all my electronics from: head lamp to radio, to all be powered by AA batteries.

Why? Because AA batteries are cheap and easy to find. I use 2400 mah NiMH rechargeables. What I do is load up the lights, radio, etc. with batteries fresh off of the charger and put spares in a pelican dry box. That way I do not have to worry about sparing battery use.

On emergency charging, here is a handy product that I have not purchased yet but will soon. It fits with my philosophy of cross compatibility:

http://www.chargetogo.com/index.html

At the Fred Hall show at the Cow Palace last year, I bought a wind-up chargable flash light that also had an adaptor to charge my cell phone. A really cool gadjet which I now take with me on my kayak trips.

 Things that would be nice dept: CG regs appear to change very slowly, probably because they must be compatible with international customs.  However, regs that worked pretty well when there were many fewer people and boats , and types of boats, on the water seem pretty out of date today.  I have had more than one sail boat or power boat skipper tell me that kayaks are very difficult to see in any kind of conditions.  That might be for many of the same reasons that motorcycles are often not seen by prudent drivers - they are looking for large moving objects, not small ones.
  I think that some kind of flashing light could help solve the problem, but I don't think they are legal for non-emergency use.  I'm guessing they don't want them confused with the flashing lights on emergency vessels or aids to navigation, like buoys. (I've sailed the lower Delta and Bay at night, and the biggest problem was spotting the red and green lights against the backdrop of land stop signals and other lights, not strange lights on boats.).
 So we won't use red, green, blue, or white flashing lights. There is better technology now, and it should be taken advantage of, such as different colors, flashing sequences, etc. 
   Happily, most of the time we are out there on our lonesome and it isn't a big issue except at places like Moss on big weekends.

I had read that red flashing lights are ok, white flashing lights are not .  I cannot remember where I had read that so do not act on it with out researching.  Also, although only a flashlight or mast mounted light is required by regs there are no regulations against having full navigation lights.

You are right, just a flashlight is the minimum needed.  Kayaks can have as little as just a flashlight or full running lights or anything in between.  I am land locked with several high traffic lakes, that I frequent so my interest is in making sure I am seen by the other boaters.  I think I have made up my mind (with the help of others on other forums similar to this one) that I will be buying the Tektite navigation lights.  They were the only lights that no one could say anything bad about in regards to performance and reliability. 

Outdoor Adventures in Larkspur- by the Ferry terminal has navigation lights that have a big ole MF suction cup at one end. Should work fine and dandy on the bow of the yak, and looks to fit on the flat spot on the stern of my Prowler as well.