Spotlights aimed at the lake

[ITD]

Come on people, I understand having spot lights pointed at the lake for night time swimming, but turn them off when you aren't out there. One of the great features of being here versus the city is the ability to see the milky way and northern lights. Spotlights and other bright lights are making it harder and harder to see stuff at night. If you need a light on all night, consider going back to the city. I am absolutely for dark skies initiatives.

[WinnisquamZ]

Originally Posted by ITD

Come on people, I understand having spot lights pointed at the lake for night time swimming, but turn them off when you aren't out there. One of the great features of being here versus the city is the ability to see the milky way and northern lights. Spotlights and other bright lights are making it harder and harder to see stuff at night. If you need a light on all night, consider going back to the city. I am absolutely for dark skies initiatives.

Agree with your argument. Must add many of today’s homes have motion activated floods. I have a few myself. On a windy evening like yesterday tree movement will activity them.


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[thinkxingu]

YES.

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[upthesaukee]

Back in the 80s, boating with Dad, there was not a lot of "light pollution" and it was easy to see the stars, and flashing markers didn't get hidden too much by shoreline lighting. My wife actually enjoyed boating at night on Dad's 17 ft Thompson.

Fast forward to 2011 when we bought our 19 ft Sunbird. I had to reacquaint myself with the SE end of the lake, Gilford - Wolfeboro - Alton Bay. Considerably more shoreline lighting, not only more but also directed more out onto the lake as opposed to lighting the shoreline and docks. My wife loved to assist in locating the flashers. It made her feel a little more secure about traveling out on the lake at night.

Case in point: traveling from Wolfeboro to Alton Bay, we would look for the two flashers at the mouth of Wolfeboro Bay, the one at Sewell Point and the other off Little Barndoor. Passing them, take up a heading of around 220° and look for the double flasher off Moose Is. Pass that and look for the flasher at Little Mark. Finally look for the double flasher at Echo Pt. and we were home free. In the 80s, very easy. In these times, very difficult due to all the back lighting on the shore lines.

Wife asked me more than once "You do know where we're at, right? " I would make an "X" on the dash and confidently exclaim right here, as I finally spotted the flasher in the myriad of lights.

ITD, you're so right.

Dave

[fatlazyless]

In 2012 the old style flasher buoys on Lake Winnipesaukee which were a yellow light, were replaced with a new style flasher with a white light. The old yellow flashers lasted for a longer period of time than the new white flashers, maybe 1/2-second vs 1/5-second, and the old yellow flashers were easier to see from a distance. The old style flasher were similar to a yellow tinted incandescent lamp, and the new style flashers are similar to a white tinted fluorescent lamp.

The new style flashers which are more difficult to see from a distance are probably made by www.sealite.com in Tilton NH. It is both the white vs yellow color, plus the 1/5-second vs 1/2-second exposure for each individual flash that made the old yellow flashers easier to see from a distance. They showed up better with their yellow color, and longer lasting .5-second "Y-E-L-L-O-W B-L-I-N-K" ......... as opposed to a brief .2-second "white blink" ..... you get this picture!!! .... blink-blink-blink!!! ....

[Descant]

Former posters are absolutely right. We used to b e able to navigate by land shapes because islands had no lights and mainland had few. Totally different now, and most of the lights we see are a negative, not an assist. Turn them off, please. No bad guys are coming by boat, so they are not there for security.

[FlyingScot]

Not many bad guys coming by land either. We really don't need them all night long

[thinkxingu]

Can we also address how many people keep their pontoons' docking lights on or who drive their cars around normally with high beams on?! Geesh!

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[Pine Island Guy]

thank you ITD for bringing up this topic, it is something that has been on my mind a lot too! I hope that we can revive it next summer when there are more folks reading the Forum that are near their light switches.

There are so many ways to cut down on light pollution that will still put light where it is needed, without broadcasting it across the lake and into the sky. Even now, way out of season and mid-week, I look across to the shore at bright lights. Guessing that some of them are on timers for houses as a deterrent that aren't occupied currently. One in particular has what looks to be long line of lights along a deck... on every night until about 11pm... for what?

Similar to what others have posted, I remember as a kid in the early '60s, lying on the dock at night in the middle of the summer and it was pitch black, looking for shooting stars, or figuring out the constellations... the darkness was amazing!

For more on "Dark Sky", the link below has some interesting info. I've thought for a while it would be a great project for Boy Scouts, or "Lake Host" interns, etc to do some canvassing/educating of shoreline residents about how to light effectively without blinding everyone else.

https://skyglowproject.com/dark-sky-movement

Great to have a little snow today, it makes the winter more enjoyable. Will be putting up the boat and walking to the island soon! -PIG

PS: have also been meaning to write the LRCT about the mega-watt flood lights at Castle in the Clouds and/or water plant. Although they make a great nighttime navigational reference on the lake, they are exceedingly bright and on from dusk till dawn... for what purpose?

[Descant]

I certainly agree that too many lights are a negative. In commercial site plan reviews, most planning boards will not allow a light spillover. Unfortunately, these rules do not apply to residential lighting.

There are light rules to prevent mis reading lights for boat navigation. I hate to add more rules/laws, but maybe they should include shoreline lighting as a general practice?
Is this all coming from newbies from away?

[ITD]

Originally Posted by Descant

I certainly agree that too many lights are a negative. In commercial site plan reviews, most planning boards will not allow a light spillover. Unfortunately, these rules do not apply to residential lighting.

There are light rules to prevent mis reading lights for boat navigation. I hate to add more rules/laws, but maybe they should include shoreline lighting as a general practice?
Is this all coming from newbies from away?

It seems to be here, newly renovated houses, 2 or three in a row, lights pointed across the water pretty much all night, although one used to be a little cottage with one light, now it is bigger, fully lit up with at least two spot pointed across the lake.

[WinnisquamZ]

Also, with the introduction of led and low voltage lights it’s much cheaper and safer to light up the night.


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[Descant]

Originally Posted by ITD

It seems to be here, newly renovated houses, 2 or three in a row, lights pointed across the water pretty much all night, although one used to be a little cottage with one light, now it is bigger, fully lit up with at least two spot pointed across the lake.

Let me guess--they cut down trees and installed lawns, too? And a landscaper spreads fertilizer 4-5 times a year?

[WinnisquamZ]

Originally Posted by Descant

Let me guess--they cut down trees and installed lawns, too? And a landscaper spreads fertilizer 4-5 times a year?

Exactly


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[escaped from NJ]

Agree that island homes should use outside lights sparingly when needed. We used to have complete darkness and could sit on end of our dock and watch the stars which were so bright. The complete blackness was great for sleeping. Now we have a cottage across the lake from us that has a spotlight on all night that shines right over to our dock. It's about 1/4 mile away but surprising how it shines across the water. It really kills our star watching. Then we got new neighbors that put "party" lights on their dock and porch on one side and on the other side, the neighbors have a motion activated (but sometimes left on all night) spot light that shines into our bedroom window. I know I could get black out blinds/drapes but I like to wake up with the sun. That light isn't too bad unless it is on all night.

We don't know either neighbor well. I've thought a lot about how I might approach them but I decided it isn't worth the potential bad will. It's really the spotlight across the lake that is the most offensive and I don't know them at all. Hope they are reading this.

[tis]

There is some kind of law about light nuisance.