Anchor light solar for Mooring

[COLINFLTENG]

I need anchor light solar power with photo cell that I can raise up on my mast. Transport Canada says that I need anchor light while moored in Comox Harbour bay BC

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[UNCIVILIZED]

You can connect a light sensor, which detects ambient light (@ Radio Shack), up to a small bulb. Then seal them in a Baby Food jar, with sealed holes in it's lid for power wires. Put some alligator clips, or small terminal connectors on the ends of the wires. And hoist your new light up the mast. Making certain, of course, that your power wires are long enough. And that they're well supported by the light's "down haul" tether line.

And on the power part, you could simply skip the long wires bit, if you use a low draw LED, & in that case, put a 9v battery into the jar to power the thing.
Using rechargeable 9v's, you should be set for quite a while, knock on wood.

Although I can't help but to think that there are plenty of commercial versions of such available already. My neighbor has solar powered lights which line the walkway up to his door. Which switch themselves on, on their own when it gets dark.

[ozskipper]

If youre only using it occasionally, solar garden lights are a really cheap alternative.

[COLINFLTENG]

May try home depot solar lights

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Jim Cate]

If Transport Canada requires an anchor light that meets Colregs specs, the garden lights fail miserably to satisfy. None are bright enough, even when fresh and in the early evening, and most if not all then get progressively dimmer as the night wears on.

As unofficial courtesy lights they are ok, but not as bona fide anchor lights.

jim

[jheldatksuedu]

My friend uses 2 solar walkway lights the first on top of the second, the light from the first keeps the 2nd off till the first dims and then the 2nd comes on, not quite legal, but cheap and often effective.

An interesting thing about cheap LED lights they often have iron leads that rust badly. it should be possible to combine 3 or 4 sets of these walkway lights and start to be close to legal.

[deblen]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ght-94675.html


http://www.mcdermottlight.com/catalo...phat_solar.htm

[wolfesmy]

I agree thyat none of the regular "garden" solar lights will work for you as they don't have the appropriate lumens or 2 NM range.
There is a an LED product made by Davis (approx $40) that meets the requirements. Davis 3300 megalight. it plugs into a 12 V cigarette lighter type socket and has a solar trigger and uses regular battery power to conform with the required light output. It has about 30 ft of wire so it can easily be hauled up on a flag halyard. I have one as a spare and it has served multiple purposes as well as an anchor light. I've used mine as a late night dinner light in the cockpit, and emergency engine room light. A cheap solution that complies with the regs.

[goat]

Wouldn't it be easier just to use a regular anchor light and use solar to charge your house bank? I'm sure you could hook up a light sensor between the power supply and the light. Maybe I'm missing something.

goat

[dick sargent]

a solar garden light works surprisingly fine for anchor light...and available in ss and cheap. dick

[domander]

Dick sargent... and at the same time is not legal. If you are involved in a collision at night, forget about your insurance helping you with your damages, or even worse, with fighting your liability for someone else's damages, injuries or death. Insurance companies try hard to find a reason why they don't have to pay. No point in handing them a gift reason.

- Brian Domander

[wolfesmy]

I Agree with Domander. Dont screw with the insurance and liability side of the equation.
Be Compliant!!!. A cheap solution that doesn't meet the regs isn't worth the risk to your life , vessel, or others.

[BobH260]

You need a regulation compliant light, your insurance coverage may depend on it. We replaced the old bulb in our anchor light fixture with an LED, it came with a certificate of compliance with the required regulations.

If you are on a mooring a solar panel to top up your batteries is probably a good idea anyways, add a few extra watts to run the anchor light. The LED bulbs draw so little just leave it on.

Bob

[TrentePieds]

Many of you have said it - let's say it again:

Colinflteng: You MUST be compliant with ColRegs.

And at Comox I would think you've got Transport Canada's people and the Canadian Coast Guard breathing down your neck all the time.

A garden light deployed as an anchoring light will be taken by insurance companies and by any hearing following and accident to be prima facie evidence that you are a scoff-law. Just not worth the slap in the face and in the pocket book. Spend the money on an anchoring light visible 2 nautical miles!

If you already have a compliant anchoring light at your truck, the wiring from it, where it exits the mast, can be taken to a deck mounted light sensor and thence to your house batts. Not a difficult thing to do at all.

But do the math on the power draw of the light you actually have. With an "automatic" arrangement you can't expect without having tested it that your house batts will hold up while your boat lies unattended on the hook for two weeks.


TrentePieds

[Moontide]

All the comments about solar garden lights being no good are correct, but remember what an anchor light's purpose is - to keep you from being run into in the middle of the night. Do you really want to get woken up by a big crashing sound? Just get a regular anchor light and connect to the batteries. Should be able to get an LED one that will use a whopping 1-2 amp hours each night. and you will sleep easier.

I'm big on saving money, but there are certain things that are "baggage" when you have a boat, and proper nav lighting is one of them.