Tug had ais. No info on the tow.
When very close, u could see a faint black line, the pipe. I took a photo, but didnt show much.
Guessing: no place to hang lights on the tow. So, a daylight only operation, I suppose? Can't imagine shooting an inlet with that load.
We sometimes see a towboat with a log boom on that is over 1000' long. Never AIS on the tow, sometimes none on a smaller towboat, never any indication what the tow is, nor its length. In choppy water it is often hard to see a flat tow until you are close.
At night, a log boom usually has lanterns, as required, but they are so dim you would never see them without looking for them. Also the stacked white lights on the towboat are two for under and three for over, 200m.
In addition hard to see tows are required to have:
COLREG 24 (g):An inconspicuous, partly submerged vessel or object, or combination of such vessels or objects being towed, shall exhibit:
(i) if it is less than 25 metres in breadth, one all-round white light at or near the forward end and one at or near the after end except that dracones need not exhibit a light at or near the forward end,
(ii) if it is 25 metres or more in breadth, two additional all-round white lights at or near the extremities of its breadth,
(iii) if it exceeds 100 metres in length, additional all-round white lights between the lights prescribed in subparagraphs (i) and (ii) so that the distance between the lights shall not exceed 100 metres,
(iv) a diamond shape at or near the aftermost extremity of the last vessel or object being towed and if the length of the tow exceeds 200 metres an additional diamond shape where it can best be seen and located as far forward as is practicable.
