Lantern as anchor light?

[hamburking]

In the past I used a Davis Mini Amp Mega Light...which is a pretty nice little anchor light that runs off 12 Volt with a looooong cable. It uses very little power. It's bright and has a fresnel lens too. But that was before LED lights became inexpensive and common.

Now I use a battery powered (4AA) weatherproof LED lantern. I find that one set of batteries lasts about 10 summer nights (summer nights are much shorter than regular nights). I hang it forward, because it attracts flying insects. In addition to extra batteries, I also carry an exact spare, just in case.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Rucksta

I hang a (battery operated LED) lantern from the lazy jacks.

- 360 degree white light.
- more visible from the dinghy than a masthead unit.
- easy to service.
- illuminates the deck.

Similar to how it was done before electricity.

We use, and have used for years and years, a small electric light with a long cord which goes through the bow hatch to a 12v socket. It hangs in the fore triangle above boom height so visible all around except for the mast which constitutes less than 6 degrees, and anyhow, it swings a bit so it is seen from all directions. We put it away when sailing (or motoring). It used to have a photocell to turn it on at night but that failed, and now we just plug it in at dusk.

Our current version has a short strip of LED lights wrapped around where the bulb should be. It takes un-measurable electricity.

This light is clearly visible for two miles and is much easier to notice from a dingy or other small boat approaching at night because of its low angle to the horizon. Plus, in a crowded mooring field ours stands out because it's the only one which is not at masthead height, and therefore easier to pick out when being delivered by a panga driver, for example.

We have no lights at the masthead except the windex light.

[Martkimwat]

Originally Posted by Adelie

“Where it can best be seen” can be taken at least 3 ways:
A. No obstructed sectors
B. Max range, especially underway,
C. Minimal range for low vessels operating nearby

Best approach would be an all around light at masthead plus 24/7 deck lights that couldn’t be mistaken for any other nav light.

Working deck lights are fine but another all round white light is better as long as it is situated at the stern and lower than the masthead light. Rule 30(a)(ii). In practical terms an all round light hanging off the end of the boom which would illuminate the cockpit, along with the masthead light, would cover all the bases, lot of folk use all round LED garden light which would seem to fit the bill as long as it's bright enough. If its a large ball type light it should still be visible from in front of the mast.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Benz

It only matters if you're anchored where anyone cares. When I lived at anchor in Newport Harbor, a light wasn't required, since it's a designated anchorage. If you cruise NY harbor or the Sound, look for designated anchorages on the chart--there's lots of them, and you need not show a light there. So you only need it when anchored, say, off the channel in the ICW, where there might be a CG patrol going by (my LED headlamp hung from the boom gallows was good enough for them). If you anchor where other people don't go, which is my usual plan, you don't need to bother. If you anchor near a mooring field, where none of the moored boats have lights, you can skip it as well.

So, you will speed through stop signs when you know there are no cops around, I guess.

A few years ago a couple sleeping on their anchored boat was run over by a tug pushing a barge and killed. The description of it brings chills to me. They were in shallow water out of the main channel. But the tug took a shortcut. According to the operator, there were no lights seen. Might have been the fault of the operator, but there were no witnesses left to testify. Since the barge drew about 1 foot less than the water depth, the boat and its occupants were not drowned, they were crushed.

No, anchor lights do matter for your own safety even when surrounded by other anchored boats. I almost never enter anchorages after dark, but sometimes it just happens. It can be difficult to come into an anchorage at night when some folks don't have anchor lights. We creep in at just enough speed for steerage, about 1 knot. Fortunately the radar works at very close range, which saved us from a few near collisions.

[sanibel sailor]

I had wondered what the rings were for.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by OS2Dude

According to Merriam-Webster
Definition of masthead
1 : the top of a mast

Don't forget a light's LOCATION also lends meaning. A white light (or more) on the deck may be visible, but does not necessarily denote ANCHORED or STEAMING. Depending on the area you are in, lights at deck level can be lost among background lights along the shore. IMO the best is two, a light Forward mounted high (masthead) and second light lower above the cockpit (hanging from backstay). That gives you the best of both and complies with regs.

I see multiple boats nearly every night covered in light ropes, lanterns, and underwater lights. Sure I can SEE them, but I can't make out the navigation lights among the clutter. What kind of vessel is it? Is it anchored, under sail, steaming, coming at me, going away, WHAT? (Not to mention with all those lights I doubt they can see much beyond their rails either.)

Ref masthead, we have had that discussion before and I was corrected that the mast head was the front side of the mast, for instance a masthead light is the steaming light, often a combo deck light as well.
Supplemental lighting is allowed and I believe encouraged, but it is hard t near impossible to determine direction of travel of a fishing trawler as they are lit up like a circus ride or or a cruise ship, cruise ship you can watch their AIS track, but the fishing guys turn theirs off cause they don’t want to advertise their fishing grounds, they also usually won’t include vessel name etc for the same reason.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

....

Corollary: would a 360º anchor light legally replace the combo stern light and forward steaming light?

COLREGS Rule #23:
“(d)(i) A power-driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may in lieu of the lights prescribed in Rule 23(a) exhibit an all-round white light and sidelights.”

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageNam...gamated#rule23

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Adelie

COLREGS Rule #23:
“(d)(i) A power-driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may in lieu of the lights prescribed in Rule 23(a) exhibit an all-round white light and sidelights.”

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageNam...gamated#rule23

See, I knew one of our Colregs experts could answer this .

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Shrew

All around white light requires a 2 mile visibility.

And so many boats have some useless bloody glowworm or worse still, nothing at all.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by OS2Dude

According to Merriam-Webster

Definition of masthead

1 : the top of a mast



Don't forget a light's LOCATION also lends meaning. A white light (or more) on the deck may be visible, but does not necessarily denote ANCHORED or STEAMING. .......

For the purposes of COLREGS “Masthead light” is defined as:
“(a) "Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.”

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageNam...gamated#rule21

This does not actually require that the light be at the top of a mast which can be misleading but that’s the law for you.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

See, I knew one of our Colregs experts could answer this .

I’m not an expert, I just have a freakish ability to remember trivia and where to find it.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Personally I would say spreader lights on is a bit extreme unless you are concerned about dinghies or jet skis speeding through at night....

In fact, this is a primary concern in some harbors... and they are often drunk as lords.

[geoff3nebel]

In addition to a masthead all-round white Aquasignal LED display I hoist an anchor ball with an LED lantern suspended beneath it high in the fore triangle for two reasons: 1) both can be seen clearly by day and by night and 2) should you be hit you can demonstrate to your insurers that your vessel was displaying the correct day signal and night light - and the drongo who runs into you should have been looking where he was going..

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Adelie

For the purposes of COLREGS “Masthead light” is defined as:
“(a) "Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.”

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageNam...gamated#rule21

This does not actually require that the light be at the top of a mast which can be misleading but that’s the law for you.

I don’t believe that is describing an anchor light. Go to rule 23a where it talks about power vessels and see what it’s calling a mast head light.

I believe that (e) (all around light) may be the anchor light, or are we saying that an anchor light only has to be seen for an arc of only 225 degrees?

[LouN]

I made a lantern by mounting an anchor light on a block of wood with a long cord that I plug in. I hoist it in the fore triagle in front of the mast.