Steaming lights

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by Gudgeon

MichhughV you are incorrect the steaming light and mast head light are the same. A lot of people are under the misconception that the mast head light is at the top of the mast it is not.
\

Part of the problem with that is the switches for these lights are almost always labeled incorrectly from the factory. The switch marked "masthead light" turns on the anchor light. This is wrong, the all round white light at the "masthead" is the anchor light. The fact that it is at the "masthead" is irrelevant.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

The white light in front of the mast is commonly known as a steaming light. ie, it's on, when the boat is under power, or should be on, though not everyone does this..

A white light on top of the mast is commonly the anchor light.

Where am I wrong ??

You are not wrong.

[Gudgeon]

The white light mounted on the front of a sail boats forward mast is the mast head light ( it is commonly called the steaming light), the all around light on the top of a sail boats mast is not themast head light it is the anchor light. It is a nomenclature that is confusing many.
The steaming light should be 1 meter above the red/green side lights. Most are more than that. A sail boat underpower should display red &green side light a white stern light and a white "steaming" light.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

The white light in front of the mast is commonly known as a steaming light. ie, it's on, when the boat is under power, or should be on, though not everyone does this..

A white light on top of the mast is commonly the anchor light.

Where am I wrong ??

Colregs rule 21.
These lights have names that are legally defined and used in courts of law. "Commonly called" just means that people commonly use the wrong term.

RULE 21
Definitions
(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.
(b) “Sidelights” means a green light on the starboard side and a red light
on the port side each showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon
of 112.5 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5
degrees abaft the beam on its respective side. In a vessel of less than 20
meters in length the sidelights may be combined in one lantern carried on
the fore and aft centerline of the vessel.
(c) “Sternlight” means a white light placed as nearly as practicable at the
stern showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 135 degrees
and so fixed as to show the light 67.5 degrees from right aft on each side of
the vessel.
(d) “Towing light” means a yellow light having the same characteristics as
the “sternlight” defined in paragraph (c) of this Rule.
(e) “All-round light” means a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of
the horizon of 360 degrees.
(f) “Flashing light” means a light flashing at regular intervals at a frequency
of 120 flashes or more per minute.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by wholybee

Colregs rule 21.
These lights have names that are legally defined and used in courts of law.
...

A "white light at the top of the mast" may be an anchor light or it may be the combined masthead and stern navigation lights displaye in lieu of them under Rule 30 (d) (1):
"A power-driven vessel of less than 12 metres in length may in lieu of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule exhibit an all-round white light and sidelights;"

But it is NOT a masthead light by definition.

The rule for anchor lights just says "where it can best be seen". That is not necessarily at the top of the mast but the light stipulated in 30(d)(1) can be used as an anchor light as long as it is not displayed with sidelights.

Also see Annex 1 of COLREGs: Positioning and technical details of lights and shapes

2(c)The masthead light of a power-driven vessel of 12 metres but less than 20 metres in length shall be placed at a height above the gunwale of not less than 2.5 metres.
2(d) A power-driven vessel of less than 12 metres in length may carry the uppermost light at a height of less than 2.5 metres above the gunwale. When however a masthead light is carried in addition to sidelights and a sternlight or the all-round light prescribed in Rule 23(c)(i) is carried in addition to sidelights, then such masthead light or all-round light shall be carried at least 1 metre higher than the sidelights.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Have a look at virtually any cruise ship or any working Queensland shrimper... they are so festooned with lights that finding even the running lights is nigh unto impossible.

The above quoted rule is surely not followed by the pros... I'm not too worried about being brought up for non-conformance on my yacht!

Jim

Amen

[MicHughV]

You are not alone....it's probably a fair bet that most sailors plying the worlds ocean care little to know the intricacies of Colregs

" hey ma, lookit dat sailboat, yeah, the one wid the white shiny thingy on top of the mast, yeah, dat one..."
" I dunno Joe, izzit on top of the mast or in front of the mast....I canna tell..."
"c'mon, ma, you gotta look up Kolregs 345212, it'll tell ya"
"Kolregs what, Joe?? "
" ah, never mind....go fetch me anudder beer..."

[capt jgw]

I have to admit I get a little hung up on the nomenclature. I spent over 20 years teaching various USCG Master courses and had to spend a LOT of time getting the students to "unlearn" those common terms. To have any hope of passing the Nav Rules exam you need to know the exact terminology and wording used in the official NavRules book. There are lots of wrong answers one might choose if they don't know the official terminology.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

There are lots of wrong answers one might choose if they don't know the official terminology.

Yep, when I shovel in the coal and fire-up the boiler I try to remember to turn on the steaming light.

[MicHughV]

Ya, Colregs only ever comes up when there has been a collision or some other mishap at sea. Then the lawyers come out, but I'd venture to say, most sailors are familiar with the basic rules or the road, without all the lawyer speak.
A 1,000 miles from the nearest land, or in other territorial waters, who is to say what really happened.

[MicHughV]

A case in point. It's often amusing to be in the B'mas to hear some or other yachtie get on the vhf to provide a blistering lecture on the correct use of the vhf. The Bahamians and most of the cruisers there consider the vhf as a telephone. Nightly restaurant menu's, taxi service and other entertainment and or events are broadcast on the vhf willy nilly with no thought as to "correct" procedure.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by MartinSG

Hello everybody,

I'm new in this forum.
I think my case is related, so I decided to post it here.

My current light setup is:
-Anchor light at the top of the mast,
-Masthead light 1/3 up the mast combined with a deck flood light (both broken),
-3 Navigation lights at deck level (stern,port,stbd) (stern light broken).

I am looking to replace the lights for LED, and at the same time try not to spend too much. After reading the COLREGs I came with this solution and I want to know if it's 100% legal, because I may have missed something.

-On top of the mast, a combination of anchor light and tricolor.
-On the bow, a combination of Port/Starboard lights.
-A fwd deck light on a spreader.

My boat is 39ft, slightly below 12 meters, so my understanding is that I can use the anchor light as masthead and stern light combined when under motor. I can also combine both port and starboard lights in one single fixture at the bow.

Is this setup 100% legal?
Is it advisable?

Any thoughts or ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Martin

That setup can work if you have it switched properly. It gets complicated though. If you are sailing, engine off, you may not have the masthead aka steaming light on. So either the mast top tricolor OR deck level red/green sidelights and deck level stern light. Mast top anchor light must be off. When the engine is running the masthead/steaming light must be on, whether part way up the mast or combined in the anchor light. Deck level stern light may never be lit at the same time as the mast top anchor light or vice versa. And lastly when anchored the anchor light is on and all the others are off. If you can switch all of these configurations independently it would work. Too complicated for me, I'd stay with the masthead/steaming light partway up the mast and the the deck level red/greens and stern light. Mast top tricolor is optional and switched independently, to be lit only when sailing with the engine off. Anchor light can be at mast top or lower in the rigging, also switched independently.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Ya, Colregs only ever comes up when there has been a collision or some other mishap at sea. Then the lawyers come out, but I'd venture to say, most sailors are familiar with the basic rules or the road, without all the lawyer speak.
A 1,000 miles from the nearest land, or in other territorial waters, who is to say what really happened.

COLREGs should come up every time two vessels are in proximity and risk of collision exists. They are what dictates what each vessel should do.

COLREGs ARE the "basic rules of the road". There's no "lawyer speak" in the Rules, they are quite clear to anyone with a modicum of sense and the ability to read plain English (or French ).

[MicHughV]

true, but how many sailors are familiar with all the rules ??

[StuM]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

true, but how many sailors are familiar with all the rules ??

Not enough!


How many sailors should be familiar with all the rules?