LETTERS
STEVE MORRELL,
EDITOR
ble at two miles are not necessary. I think the logic is flawed. Morrell is overlooking the fact that an anchor light barely visible at two miles will be easily visible at shorter distances. Easy visibility at short distance is what is important in avoiding a collision. If less bright (solar-powered) anchor lights are permitted, then they will be harder to spot at a half mile than lights that are bright enough to meet the legal requirement of two-mile visibility. In other words “visible at two miles” is just a convenient way of specifying a brightness requirement. That brightness is needed to be easily seen, not just barely visible, at shorter distances. The brightness standard makes sense even in a small harbor. Jim Butler Aiken, SC Jim, You make a good point, but I remember an event that happened in Marathon at Boot Key Harbor around 5 years ago when the FWC started raiding and inspecting boats at night, whether it was to inspect lights or not (most were to inspect dangerous toilets). The FWC approached one boat and told the owners that the solar light they had hanging on their boat was not bright enough or able to be seen from all around and that they should have a masthead light on (even though a masthead light is not a requirement for their boat, just a two-mile light that has a limited interruption of being seen 360 degrees). The boat owner said his masthead light was on. The police just didn’t notice it, but did notice the solar light (of course, the police ignored the boater’s comment and went on to inspect his toilet.) It was after many complaints and better police relations that the FWC decided to allow the weaker intensity solar lights as acceptable anchor lights in Boot Key Harbor, since they were bright enough for those conditions. It is in those conditions like Boot Key Harbor where I commend the marine patrol for adjusting their requirements. I believe that laws are an estimate of how to regulate relations between people, and they must be enforced with discretion, not blanket to-theletter-of-the-law enforcement. If there is no judgment for each situation, we would not need judges, just a law book and a computer to enforce everything. And in many cases, the judgment must be made in the field at the enforcement level. In a very small harbor, like Boot Key Harbor, the allowing of weaker anchor lights sounds like a sound judgment by the marine patrol. After all— after all these years—have there been any collisions based on weak anchor lights at Boot Key? Not that I have heard of. Yet, at the same time I agree with your point that in a harbor that might be just under two miles, or even less, the brighter lights would be best. But neither of these cases, in my opinion, is an open-andshut decision. Regards, Steve Editor
E-mail your letters to: editor@southwindsmagazine.com 12
September 2013
SOUTHWINDS
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