Stern + Steaming = Anchor Light?

[Marathon1150]

Originally Posted by OliverSnowbird

Well, seems like nothing is ever easy...

I was just about to order the Davis Mega-Light, when I realized that it also isn't USCG approved. Since our boat is under 7 meters I don't really care, as I would just call it a 'work light', as which it is actually being sold.

Reading through this article, it however seems that the LED version, which I would want, isn't however all that great, compared to the former incandescent version https://www.practical-sailor.com/sys...nchor-lighting

A couple of things. The last Davis light that I bought came with two bulbs - the standard incandescent bulb and an LED version. Its useful to know as per the Practical Sailor article that the LED version is not great. However, the incandescent bulb uses only slightly more power than the LED bulb. With the on/off sensor, the incandescent bulb is not going to be a big hole the amp-hr bank.

Secondly, the Practical Sailor article makes this statement: "Although there are photocell systems that will turn lights off during the day, a low-draw LED anchor light draws little more than the sensing circuit, so you can just leave it on."

I suspect that they mean you can leave it on in the anchorage but they are not specific on that point. I am often dismayed by the number of boats that I see motoring or sailing with their masthead anchor lights on. This is a very confusing signal - an anchor light means the boat is not moving and not going to move (other than around the anchor).

Lastly, their review of supplementary anchor lights is, other than the lack of clarity around "just leave it on", quite good, and definitely an article worth reading. Thanks for sharing it.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by OliverSnowbird

...

Hi Bill, are you talking about this light, with the integrated dusk to dawn sensor?


I was looking at it before, but didn't quite understand how it is installed.
It only seems to come with a clip for the cable, what however means that it would be hanging upside down.
My concern was that it might then fill with water when it's raining, as it doesn't appear to be sealed.

Am I missing something? Am I overthinking this?

Oliver

Hi Oliver,

Others have already answered your other questions. I am responding to your inquiry to me.

Yes, the portable anchor/utility lights El Pinguino and you linked are what we use in two places:

-On our inner forestay- directly under the anchor ball day shape- as our anchor light. This location is only obscured by the mast for about 3° astern- well within the 6° allowed by the COLREGS.

-We often hang a second of these lights inside our cockpit enclosure primarily for cockpit lighting. It is not visible for 360°, nore is it normally on all night (white light attracts flying insects...)

As others have mentioned, this portable light hangs upside down, is waterproof, and does a great job of lighting the area below it as well. That is why I prefer using these lights; our foredeck is lit, and can always be supplemented by the dedicated deck lights mounted on both masts as needed. (The USCG approved anchor light on top of the mast is 60ft above the water and not too useful in close quarter maneuvering situations nor lighting any other portions of the boat- as designed...)

The third version of this same light is a permanent mount above our dinghy davits. We call this our 'garage' light. It is mostly visible astern (not 360°) and since it also shines down, is adequate for us when deploying/parking the dinghy in the dark. [It is dark by 3pm here in winter...] This light is always on when at anchor (dusk-to-dawn...)

In the following photo you can see the light in question permanently mounted directly below the stern navigation light in the top right of the photo. (A 1500 lumen 'back-up' light is mounted in the center- above the dinghy winch.)



All 3 of these lights use this 12 LED cool white light bulb (0.1A @ 12V DC) which comes installed in the lighting fixture if purchased from Cruising Solutions (and perhaps others...)

I hope this helps clarify things.

Best wishes with your project.

Cheers, Bill

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by MartinF

So you can meet the requirements with the current set-up:
-under way under sail: p+s lights and stern light
-motoring: p+s and masthead light
-at anchor: masthead light

What do you call the masthead light? Would that be the steaming light? If so, then it only shines forward in an 135 degree sector iirc… so for motoring it can not replace the stern light.

- under way under sail: p+s and stern light or a 3-color top light
- motoring or motorsailing: p+s and stern light + steaming light
- at anchor: anchor light.

During the day you don’t need a day sign under sail or motoring, but you need the inverted cone while motorsailing and the ball while anchored.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

What do you call the masthead light? Would that be the steaming light? If so, then it only shines forward in an 135 degree sector iirc… so for motoring it can not replace the stern light.

- under way under sail: p+s and stern light or a 3-color top light
- motoring or motorsailing: p+s and stern light + steaming light
- at anchor: anchor light.

During the day you don’t need a day sign under sail or motoring, but you need the inverted cone while motorsailing and the ball while anchored.

225* sector for a steaming light. Stern light is 135*.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

225* sector for a steaming light. Stern light is 135*.

Thanks, it felt wrong when I wrote it but I was too lazy to look it up

[Mickeyrouse]

In the real world, nobody cares- until you have a midnight collision. Surely some time, somewhere, the coasties or game warden or harbor cop or something wrote a ticket on the inadequacy of an anchor light. I’ve never heard of it, tho.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Mickeyrouse

In the real world, nobody cares- until you have a midnight collision. Surely some time, somewhere, the coasties or game warden or harbor cop or something wrote a ticket on the inadequacy of an anchor light. I’ve never heard of it, tho.

In Holland I have seen them write tickets even for not having the day signs so your statement isn’t for “the real world” but maybe for a smaller area?

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by OliverSnowbird

I'll make an aluminum adapter plate, which goes on the mast head, and then install a Perko 1183DP0CHR combined steaming and anchor light on it. These lights are also USCG certified.

I didn't look at specs for that fixture, but FWIW an LED fixture (like that) could save you a boatload of battery at anchor overnight.

-Chris

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

In Holland I have seen them write tickets even for not having the day signs so your statement isn’t for “the real world” but maybe for a smaller area?

My frame of reference is the US, where anybody is a “ captain” who can finance a boat down payment. (“It drives just like a car, right?”)

[jalmberg]

You just need a bright, rechargeable LED lantern. There are loads available on Amazon these days. I carry a couple for general lighting, and as a back up anchor light.

Turn it on, hoist it up the forestay, and you are done. It's probably brighter than most 'official' anchor lights. Certainly better than the many incandescent anchor lights that are still dimly shining into the night.

[Bill_Giles]

With such a boat there are really two issues:

1. Lack of an installed anchor light. Clearly the steaming light plus stern light does not crack it. Therefore a separate light is required.

2. Also with a small boat would one want to drain probably limited battery power by having light plugged into the onboard system?

I would get myself an LED battery powered all round lamp hoisted to the mast top. Also If I were to have sufficient house battery power I’d consider installing a permanent lamp if I were to be frequently at anchor.

[gulfislandfred]

I like the cheap LED 'garden lights'. They charge all day with the built in solar cell, and shine all night, if you get half decent ones. the ones with a pointed stake on the bottom fit into pvc pipe that can be lashed to stanchions, stays, etc.


I also carry a couple of plug in LED all around lights like the one pictured in other posts, for winter cruising, when there's not enough light to charge the solar cheapies. I seldom use the plug ins, but it's nice to have them.



It's very common, here in BC, Canada, for boats to anchor in sheltered, known anchorages, in rural areas, with no lights showing. I don't recommend it, but in 50 years of cruising these waters, I haven't heard of any serious problems. Note I said rural areas. In urban areas, people tend to go faster, night or day.

[skenn_ie]

In time, I will remove the rear wall of my steaming light and fit a fresnel lense and a 2nd light in the same 6" diameter enclosure. In the interim, I have an LED anchor light from "Wish", the only one of about 6 items from them that I didn't immediately discard !

[OS2Dude]

Slathering the boat in lights can be counterproductive, if not illegal. You can not obscure the actual running lights or have other lights that confuse an observer as to which are the running lights.

Especially disliked are color changing lights that turn red/green/white.

When I anchor, I have a true masthead anchor light and a small lantern I hang from the backstay near the stern. This lantern is lower so easier to see.

[aqfishing]

In South Africa on our commercial vessels we may only use Wheelmark approved globes. LED’s are also not allowed unless Wheelmark approved. LED’s supposedly can cause all sorts of interference.

The builder fitted some very expensive approved LED nav lights to a new vessel we had built. They had a 5 year warranty. In the first year they replaced 3. Only problem is you cannot just replace the bulb, you have to replace the whole light, stupid, because if it blows while out at sea there is nothing you can do. We do 3 week trips.