This isn't recommended practice, but I was shadowed by the Coast Guard one evening this past summer when my running lights weren't working and I was caught out after sunset. I had read that sailboats under _____ feet were only required to have a flashlight to shine on the sail, weren't required to have color running lights port and starboard. I told the Coast Guard that I believed this was true. They told us to wait while they checked their regulations. The finally hailed us and said, "You're right. Do you have a flashlight?" We shone our spotlight on the sail, and the Coast Guard waved us on and took off. Not a page out of the safety manual, but they checked their regulations, and I wasn't nor detained. Now, if we'd been steaming instead of sailing, I don't know what would have happened. ----- Original Message ----- From: mike_matthews@comcast.net To: stever@mail.saabnet.com ; For and about Montgomery Sailboats Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 3:11 PM Subject: re: Nav lights at top of mast If I may, I'd like to interject one comment here. For the last four years I have done a lot of night sailing on San Francisco Bay. The marina where I keep my boat requires me to pass the port of Oakland on my return. The port is heavily patroled by both Coast Guard and blacked out RIBs (Navy?) at night since the 9/11 attacks. The only working running lights I have on my sailboat (26') is a masthead light. We have been unable to find the parts to replace our deck level lights. When I got back into sailing, about 5 years ago, I re-took the Coast Guard Basic Skills and Seamanship class and their Coastal Navigation classes. I posed this very same question to the instructors of those classes, many of whom do voluntary patrol duty as active reservists. The unanimous opinon was that as long as you have any working running lights they're happy. I guess it's all too common for boats to have no running lights at all at night! I don't know why I'm surprised, I see this all the time. Over the last four years I have only been stopped by a Coast Guard boat once at night. On that occasion I had just rewired my DC panel and had accidentally switched the wire for the anchor light and the masthead light. So I was running with the anchor light on. I immediately ran down into the cabin, switched the lights and the coasties waved to us and moved off. Of course, it would be optimal to have all the proper lights. However, I wouldn't stress too much if all you have is a masthead. Michael