Prayers for all involved and those still fighting to stay alive. Barge at night that big.......the lights probobly blended in with the coastline. It does not look like they were going that fast. I used to boat at night all the time. Because of threads like these I have since stopped.

There is getting to be some question about whether the barge had any lights or not. I found this post on the Detroit News site.

"Lake St. Clair Boating Accident

See related article


My husband was out boating on St. Clair on the Friday night in Belvidere Bay just in front of MacRay Harbor before the accident and there wasn't any lights on the barges. The lights that were there didn't have any batteries to make they work.

We went out in our boat on Sunday evening coming out of MacRay's and when we return after dark all the lights had batteries next to them and were working and other lights were added. This should have happened before boating season started. It took a couple of deaths before they were lighted properly, better yet lets get the barges out of there.

We know the driver of the boat and one of the people that died and don't know if he was drinking or not and don't know if he was going to fast or not, but the point is that it never would have happened if the barges were removed or lighted like they should have been."

I found others who said there were no lights, too. What is it with people who own barges? Do they figure the barge really can't be damaged by a boat hitting it, so they don't bother with lights?

Michael

This situation makes a great case for radar. I know that at night I have been tempted to rely on gps too much, as if it was radar.

thoughts and prayers with all involved :(

what they consider "lights" is a joke as well.

off topic but sailboaters are a perfect example, most of them that run at night i swear power all thier lights with one aaa battery. and then whats up with the anchor/stern running light up on top of the mast? i dont get it.

thoughts and prayers to all envolved, this is an accident that will be very hard to deal with for many people. makes you shake your head and wonder why? just think how many things had to align with the stars for this to happen. sad dont think it could ever be me, but with the sailboat example who knows for sure?

From the US Coast Guard:

RULE 25: SAILING VESSELS UNDERWAY AND VESSELS UNDER OARS
(a) A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit:

sidelights;
a sternlight.

(b) In a sailing vessel of less than 20 meters in length the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen.

Michael

yea i know the rules, it just makes them very hard to spot. some of those solar powered lights that they sell for anchored boats too, what a joke!!! iam sure they dont have the manpower or money to inforce the rules and heck if they dont have lights or improper candlepower you cant see them to find them and ticket anyways.

i used to run alot more at night then i do now, and its always on familiar water.... but even then you never really know whats out there. just a sad accident

that barge or a similar one was anchored in the same area last fall, very big, minimual lighting and a dark hull. It was anchored between the entrance to two major marinas, make no sense. todays paper states the owners decided to move it.
ed

Boating at night always scared the sh*t out of me even though I have done it a hundred times.

Scott,
A brighter light would add to their global warming.