I was a bit surprised when my electronics guy recommended a light bar over a remote control spotlight. I've seen sport fishing boats on the Outer Banks of NC using them to negotiate those serpentine channels leading from Wanchese to the inlet, but did not think they were a good idea for general use. I checked another forum and found two distinct groups: those that have them and love them, and those that don't have them and despise them. I see more light bars around the marina each year. I could go either way. The price is about the same. I can't remember the last time I even used the spotlight, but the wiring is there so something is going back on the boat. I welcome your opinions.
Great if you want to ruin the night vision of the guy coming the other way. at least you can aim the beam of a spotlight. I always park mines off center so if I really have to use them the beam starts off channel.
I have often wish I had a bright light following gun mount forward, But then, I would be to blind to find the fire button. I met up with a small boat on the st johns river, with that dam light bar coming at me one night. With 30 gallon tank @ 90 PSI, my air horns did finally get his attention, When he passed abeam, he was further blasted with some just as loud language from me. You want to make enemies quickly, blind everybody in a narrow channel.
I think one ideally needs a combination of lights. Those that will fully illuminate vs those that won't blind and help locate. We use hybrid searchlights which combine LED lights with Xenon. We also have nightvision attached which allows covert targeting. Also, strobe feature on lights. Those are available for use as non-lethal weapons. I think once you realize how lights can be used for defense, you also respect how not to use them in normal use. You don't aim 2500 watts Xenon at other boats and you don't have a full LED bar on bright as other approaching boats are trying to see their way. Lights can make a good weapon. Don't accidentally use them as one.
We use both fishing out of Oregon inlet. Light bar on if your lead boat, spot light controlled by mate and kept on next marker. They have their place. No issues blinding up there cause the captain's correct bad behavior quickly. Light bar is very helpful in pitch black conditions.
Save the lightbar for your cockpit and the waters off your transom for when fishing or people are boarding and put a spot light up front. This may give some illumination : http://commanderbob.com/night-boating/
Would not it be useful to leave all pitch black and use a low powered spot to save your own eyes and night vision? Not criticizing, just asking. It seems to go counter to what the usual (mine) night operations go by; Chart plotter, night vision monoculars, radar are the usual tools with out frying even the onboard observers eyes. I can only guess your lighting up the ocean looking for the waves/breakers over the entrance bar. Then with all behind (following) blinded from the scatter, how do they see the waves?
They are used when traveling from Pirates cove to the inlet. 8 miles of shallow and narrow water, lots of markers, so the boats follow the lit up bread crumbs. It's really a necessity up there. I agree in most other places it kills night vision but in that black water and sky there's so little ambient light to use. Going out the breaking waves it very much helps light up the breakers. The channel markers are not accurate because of constantly shifting sand. We use the action of the waves to help determine water depth. Every boat calls out the depth as they pass thru to help pinpoint the deepest area that morning. It's really stupid that all these vessels need to risk life and property because the government won't jetty the inlet. Truthfully it makes me hate environmentalists and their righteous stance.
A spotlight can do all of that while not killing your eyesight or blinding other boats, and it can be angled away from other boaters. If you're running through shallows all you need to know about is 20' wide in front of you for a little ways since you're going slow. btw: "(b) The Rules concerning lights shall be complied with from sunset to sunrise, and during such times no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights as cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in these Rules or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the keeping of a proper look-out." What do your red/green lights look like to a boat looking at a light bar? I'm thinking invisible.
The captains of Oregon inlet know what they're doing and in my opinion are some of the best waterman I've met. We follow their instructions as does everyone else in that area. When you traverse that area in pitch black you can do it anyway you see fit, I'll stick with the locals method.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying to never use a light bar. I'm saying to use it judiciously. If it's a choice of having one or the other get a spot, cause the light bar needs to be shut off when approaching an oncoming vessel and you'd want to keep a light on your buoy, etc.
A light bar will blind the user in a condition with any amount of fog or smoke, perhaps even a mist. A searchlight tends to project that brightness into a distance more so than the bar, and would prove to be more valuable, especially when trying to illuminate and follow a point of interest. I use a bit of both, small powerful floods for docking or tight situations, and the searchlight for most needs.
