Dinghy Night Light Requirements?

if it has an engine, red, green and either an all around white or a forward white and stern light.
 
See Rule 23 (Intl and Inland)

If your maximum speed exceeds 7 knots:

Same as any other power-driven vessel of that size. Sidelights, a masthead light and a stern light. 99.9% of the time on a vessel of this size, the masthead and stern lights are carried as an all-round white light and the sidelights are a combined color light at the bow.

EXCEPTION: (Intl Only)

If your maximum speed does not exceed 7 knots:

All-round white light is sufficient, ONLY if it is not practicable to install and show sidelights on your specific craft.

This exception is only legal in areas where the International Rules prevail. The U.S. Inland Navigation Rules do not recognize this excepton.
 
Rule 23 [a]: A power-driven vessel underway at night shall exhibit:
a masthead light forward
[iii] sidelights, and
[iv] a sternlight
Rule 23 [c]: A power-driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may, in leeu of the lights prescribed in paragraph [a] of this Rule, exhibit an all-around white light and sidelights.

The hook is "power driven". If you're rowing the dink, then you could show a flashlight in time to avert collision.
 
Most dinks I've seen are using a battery powered white all around light.
 
Yup, what yzer said, except I'll add "tie a safety lanyard to them" as those suction cups suc, or should I say "don't suc very well".

I use the pole mount on my inflateable's transom (white light), always at the ready, and add the red/green for extended night cruising (differs from my dock to mooring run). I run 3 strings around the suction cup of the bow light and tie it off to the port, starb, and forward bow rings.

I put one of those suction cups on the top of my outboard once, about 10 minutes later it was gone, engine vibes and suction cups don't mix well........
 
I got those battery powered lights for my RIB. I got the ones that have a flat disc rather than the suction cups. I plan to use velcro on the top of the OB and the fiberglass on my helm. I didnt think the suction cups looked very sturdy. A 2+" disc of velcro should hold pretty well. I plan on a safety line for the white light on the OB.
 
I know this thread is about nighttime lighting, but a dinghy operating from sunset to sunrise on coastal waters, the Great Lakes and those waters connected directly to them, up to a point where a body of water is less than two miles wide, in additon to the nav lights must carry some type of approved visual distress signal, eg, flares, just like any other boat. The VDS requirement is also for manually propelled boats.
 
Good idea to tie down those suction cup lights............I lost mine the first time I used it!
 
Well, I'll admit it... those suction cups work for about the first year, then then rubber hardens up and the the things don't work worth a darn: even if you spit on the cups before slapping them down. It might work better with a neoprene or silicon suction cup, or the velcro... sounds like a better idea. I haven't used the dinghy much after dark for just that reason.
 
we installed nav lights on my girlfriend's hobie 16... battery operated (2 Ds), they have a small mounting plate you attach to the boat onto which the light itself slides in. while you can't screw the plate on a ruber dink, you probably can tie wrap it to one of the rope holders then just slide on the lights at night.

i see many dinks and small boats with no lights aroudn here,or just a hand held flashlight... not legal obviously...
 
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