gimble lamp/marker lamp

[JayneDiffley]

Hi, bit of a query .... We have an old marker lamp (navigation lamp, gimble lamp, port and starboard lamp) which came from my husbands father (now deceased so we cant find its origin) It has a white stripe in centre, blue stripe to the left and red stripe to the right.
We are trying to find out where it would have came from, as my father in law is now deceased we have no-one to ask and my mother in law doesnt know. It has been hung outside my mother in laws house for approx 30 years so we think its quite old. My father in law worked on an old Thames London Barge so we wondering if it possibly came from this, the only person know who is experienced with boats thinks the marker should be green not blue so we are now confused!!! Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you :-) Jayne xxx

[Ivan Cloherty]

Jayne

Navigation lights are

Red for port side
Green for starboard side
White for Masthead, stern or anchor lights

Barges did not normally carry masthead lights just port and starboard lights also stern lights

Police boats did carry a blue light as well as port, starboard, stern and masthead lights (in the old days the blue lights were not the flashing or rotating type but just a 360 degree all round steady arc

Sometimes on small boats the port and starboard lights were contained in one body, but never with a white light in the centre as the port light had to be seen from right ahead to 15 degrees abaft the beam on the port side and the starboard light had to be seen from right ahead to 15 degrees abaft the beam on the starboard side. They did at times incorporate a white light but this would be above the red and green but never below them.

The masthead lights had to be seen in an arc from 15 degrees abaft the beam on the port side traversing forward to 15 degrees abaft the beam on the starboard side

I do hope the above makes some sense to you, the colours and arcs of the navigation lamps have to be strictly adhered to internationally so that in the dark each vessel can calculate the exact direction the other is taking to enable each of them to plan collision avoidance.

Someone may have an answer to your configuration later on, but blue lights are a rare thing usually confined to police and Customs cutters but never integrated with navigation lights

Well at least we've made a start and more will surely follow.

[j.sabourn]

Objects were on gimbols to supposedly assist to keep them upright when the ship rolled. Oil lights mounted on gimbols for illumination in accommodation were usually mounted such. When you say you have a triatic lamp, is this not a 3 part lamp Red to the left green to the right and a white light right ahead or in the centre. This in that case could have been more than likely a lamp belonging to a fishing boat or some other smaller vessel. Another use of gimbols was the magnetic compass which was and still is mounted on gimbols on all ocean going vessels. If your lamp is only a dual light port and starboard is probably from a small sailing craft. As you say if the colours are painted on the lamp maybe they ran out of the required colours and marked it to suit. More than likely is off your ancestors barge . When towing unmanned barges such vessels have such lights on their bow to assist the towing vessel on how the tow is lying and indeed if it is still there at times. Regards John Sabourn PS As Ivan says the white segment of the light if there is one would have to be mounted on a different plane than the sidelights, so would be a very odd shaped and unusual lamp. JS

[JayneDiffley]

Thank you for your reply's .... The lamp we have is definitley in 3 parts, glass and looks like original not replaced. Definitely blue not green. Hopefully will get more responses to find its origin :-) very very puzzled!!! xx

[j.sabourn]

Trying to remember the lights of a Korean fishing vessel pre 1960 in the old rules and regulations for preventing collisions at sea. Rule 9 if remember correctly refers to a triatic light that could be shown. If Brian Kong has any old literature on the old articles he maybe able to look up, . Rule 9 or 15 but almost sure it was 9. Thanks Brian. Put the old brain cells to rest. Cheers John Sabourn.

[j.sabourn]

With an old edition of Reeds Seamanship will have the old Articles in and can confirm or not the Triatic light shown by Korean fishing vessels at that time. Cheers John Sabourn

[Roger Dyer]

Hi Jane,

With no wish to belabour the point as you have already stressed the colour blue, but wondered if at all the exposure to daylight, weather, over thirty years plus, could have changed the original colour of the paint. Depending on the type and quality of the paint used, certain deterioration and change of colour can occur. Have seen it quite often here in Oz, but then again it might only be because of the effects of very hot sunlight. If not, I share your confusion and that of others. Don't suppose you could upload a 'pic' of the lamp (which may help us to help you)?


.............Roger

[j.sabourn]

Sometimes make their own rules and regulations for inland waterways and harbours. A good example of this used to be up the Great Lakes, where they applied their own rules re navigation of inland waters although being up the lakes was like being at sea, John Sabourn

[Gulliver]

Come on folks it's GIMBAL(S).

Now I'm not being pedantic,but being a proof-reader, errors like that are the first things that strike my eye upon reading a post,and I just have to correct them,otherwise they detract from my enjoyment of the post.,inasmuch that from then on all I see and think about is that mistake. ..) so I suppose I'm blessed with a touch of OCD as well )

(I bet some of you think I've put a letter 'r' in proof-reader,don't you?)Laughing.gif.Well really!

Gulliver( being Hannibal this morning)Elephant.gif-- and why not?-as long as it doesn't hurt anybody)

So...GIMBALS !

[j.sabourn]

Tossed up between an A or an O Gulliver, obviously lost the toss. Thank you. Didn't look in the dictionary as thought it wouldn't be there. Cheers John Sabourn