As modern LED technology provides brighter, more energy-efficient and reliable lighting solutions, older navigation lights are quickly becoming outdated. Many mariners and harbour managers are therefore upgrading, replacing or retrofitting marine navigation lights. These improvements enhance lighting quality and help prevent dangerous faults..
Replacing Sandwick Bay’s sector light
In December 2021, Hydrosphere upgraded the navigation lighting at Stornoway Harbour, the main port of the Hebrides and one of the best-equipped harbours in northwest Scotland. During this project, our team replaced Sandwick Bay’s sector light, which marks the entrance to the harbour on the Isle of Lewis.
The existing light was an ageing PEL 3 unit, a projector-style marine beacon. After many years of service, mariners found it increasingly difficult to see at night. The light was installed 10 metres above sea level in the Battery area of Stornoway. However, its soft output and slow flash rate made identification difficult. Vessels entering the harbour often struggled to distinguish it from the bright background created by buildings, street lighting and moving traffic.
Hydrosphere recommended and installed an upgraded solution. Previously, we supplied a VLS-46 precision sector light for Stornoway’s River Creed. The local ferry operators responded very positively to that installation. Based on this success, we proposed installing a VLS-46 Ultra unit. This solution provides sufficient intensity for visibility during daylight and beyond the harbour limits.
The VLS-46 is a high-powered LED light that offers a cost-effective solution where precise navigation is required or traditional leading marks are impractical. As with the River Creed installation, our team configured the projectors to alternate between red, white and green. This arrangement provides additional navigational information and offers an intuitive display for users.
The VLS-46 operates with minimal power consumption, making it particularly suitable for solar-powered applications. These sector lights also feature turn-down capability at night. As a result, they remain conspicuous without becoming intrusive, unlike some conventional lamp-based systems.
Improving visibility and precision with the VLS-46
The VLS-46 precision light has dramatically improved visibility and clarity at Sandwick Bay. Mariners can now see the light well outside the harbour entrance during both day and night. It also stands out clearly against the surrounding terrain and background lighting.
The inclusion of alternating red/white and green/white sectors between the central white sector and the red and green side sectors provides a more precise indication of a vessel’s position. During the upgrade, our team also increased the Isophase (Iso) characteristic from Iso 6s to the faster Iso 4s.
During night-time alignment, the benefits of the new sector light became immediately apparent. The installation significantly improved the quality of navigation lighting at Stornoway Harbour. Alasdair Smith, pilot and assistant harbourmaster at Sandwick Bay, is delighted with the result.
‘It is instantly identifiable during pilotage, and the alternating sectors give more precision as to where a vessel is located within the white sector. We have had very positive feedback from the local ferry, commercial vessels, fishing vessels and yachts. The difference truly is remarkable’.
As the UK’s leading supplier of aids to navigation, Hydrosphere supplies a range of navigation lighting solutions from self-contained marine lanterns to long-range LED beacons, in a range of colours and distance ranges to suit various applications, including wrecks, ports, docks or marinas. Contact us today at +44 (0)1420 520374 or email sales@hydrosphere.co.uk to discuss your next marine project.
