I agree you can add lights. If I am a boater in close proximity and your headlights make it so I can't see the red and green is when it becomes a problem.Thanks for the link. I see that the boat's lighting complies with "The International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea (COLREGS) apply to all vessels upon the high seas and vessels on most waterways, bays, inlets, rivers connected to the sea."
Some limited research reveals that additional lighting is not a violation of any Coast Guard regulations unless it interferes with the navigation lights described in COLREGS. I have a DeWalt spotlight like this model but it's older and has a red light too. I use it regularly so perhaps I'll put that on the boat for now.
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I was on a Coast Guard vessel that had a large spot light mounted forward to spot floating logs. That light was 6' above the water and lit up an area that reached out 150yds. Our Red and green lights were 30' aft and 20' above the spot light. A complaint was made by a mariner and we had to scrap that light.
Another example is the Deadliest catch boats. Those huge lights are supposed to be used to light up the deck for crew safety. They like to leave them on and use them for headlights and to see what the waves are doing. They get warned often to shut them off. The lights are so bright that you cant see the running light.
The spotlight is a good option.
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