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BIAC Twi-Lights

BIAC uses both commercially available rowing lights (like ArcNav or Durham Boats) and homespun solutions that allow paddlers and rowers to use their favorite bicycle lighting for safety on a shell in the dark. Please use lights on both the bow and stern for maximum compliance and safety.

Coxes should take care of their program's lighting as they do the cox boxes today. Scullers may use the bow light adapters and extra Velcro in the log shed.

Shell Lighting

BIAC's sweep rowing coaches have shown a preference for Innovative Lighting products (shown above). These almost soda can size lights run on AA batteries, have R/G lens and white sets, are waterproof, and cost less than $25 per light. Most of them mount using a suction cup, which is great on our sweep shells but less effective on the more delicate and often angled decks of single and double sculls.

For scullers, BIAC has some shell lighting from ArcNav. These nifty sets are light, water proof, and easy to use and maintain. They are based on single LED lights from Adventure Lights - their Guardian dual function product. The two wafer CR2032 batteries last about 250 hours. BIAC stocks replacement batteries in our tool room.

 

Coxswains are in charge of the lighting for their crews. We keep our lights hanging near the Cox Boxes and their headsets in the erg room's built-in shelf. Please remember to a) Turn on and secure your lights to the shell before removing it from the rack and b) Turn off and return the lights to the boathouse with your cox box.

 

Some of our bow ArcNav lights have been modified to provide better forward or onward traffic visibility by angling the LEDs forward.

All BIAC sculling shells have bow clips and stern patches of hook Velcro. We recommend a rear (not upward) facing lighting system like the modified 3 LED white bike lighting at the bottom of this page.

 

 

 

There are also lights available from Durham Boats where the red and green units wrap arond the oar shafts. If you use these, please make sure that the lights face the bow when your blades are feathered! You will also need a white stern light for optimum safety and compliance.

A BIAC Homemade Lighting Solution

Good commercial soutions have both green (starboard) and red (port) lighting at the bow plus a white light for the stern. This solution admittedly skimps on the proper green starboard bow standard. But it enables you to use common products to go out onto dark water safely and to be seen for sure.

Red flashing lights are in the bow with a white stern light. Once again great products for bicycles adapt well to rowing for $25-$50. BIAC supplies the bow mounting bracket - get one from inside the Log Shed.

Thanks to the generosity of Sally Feuss in 2005, BIAC has more than a dozen lighting adapter brackets available for general club use. The original single LED flashers lasted one great season yet we learned that at least three LEDs and a water resistant package work best.

BIAC's homespun solution will allow repurposing of your own water resistant bike lights to achieve a high degree of safety. A yellow nylon lanyard completes this ensemble to prevent knockoff loss. Red flashers (while rear facing on a bike) will be on the boat's bow and your white light will face astern. White lights can be used (and stored) on the bow bracket (top, above), or stuck to a velcro strip on the boat's stern deck (see below). White stern lighting is required in addition to red/green bow lights so that both ends of the shell are marked.

Velcro fuzzy strips taped to your bike lights allow secure mating to the velcro hook strips on the shell's stern deck or bow bracket. A significant but limited supply of cut Velcro fuzz strips are available at BIAC in the log shed, or see your local hardware store. Attach the bracket's yellow lanyard to the bow ball too (or learn the hard way, like me).

Most BIAC club sculls have a strip of velcro hooks applied near the stern plug. This enables the attachment of a white (steady or flashing) light to face astern while the bow clip bracket is used for the red bow lighting.

At this time scullers are asked to use their own lights while we find the perfect 3 LED waterproof lighting set. Send recommendations to Secretary@GoBair.org. You probably already have bike lighting - if not a red and white set will cost only $40 at REI or any bike shop.

 

 

 

When not in use, the white light can be stored on the bow bracket's top velcro strip. You may keep your BIAC bracket with you and your lighting.

Some scullers are using headbands with white lamps on the forehead and flashing red LEDs on the back. This is a great choice, though this method marks the sculler and not the ends of the shell. Headbands are easily identified on the water as scullers look around.

No matter what your lighting solution, some sets may need a drop of silicon or caulk into the body to help protect it from the salt water. Most red flashing LED sets are water resistant already, but there are fewer choices in white lights that are waterproof.

© Bair Island Aquatic Center 2008 -"info at GoBair dot org"