Anchor light = Masthead light + Stern light?

[Kettlewell]

I would get a portable anchor light you can hang lower down in the rigging somewhere. I find them much more useful for me entering the anchorage after dark.

I should add that I also have a masthead 360-degree anchor light that is quite bright and I do use it when anchored someplace with few or no other boats. In that situation you want to be spotted from way off, but in crowded harbors your anchor light at the top of the mast just gets lost among all the other lights and doesn't really do anything for safety. Of course, there are many in-between states where one or the other type is more useful. Ideally, have and use both.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by dk_igor

I just took possession of my new-old boat and am realising that we do not have an anchor light (anchoring overnight is not super common in my waters).

But we do have a masthead light (motoring light) and a stern light ... would those two togehter (without the bi-color bowlights) be a sufficient anchor light?

It depends on their placement. There are some combination lights that are intended to serve all three purposes, for example, and as mentioned upthread you can use any combination of lights that appears to be a single light at a reasonable distance.


But if your motoring light is more than about a foot away from your stern light, the two in combination would not be a sufficient anchor light.


Several people upthread have posted that a portable lantern may provide a superior anchor light as it would be more visible. You could look at the Sofrin BLF LT1 or the Lumentop CL2 as candidates. The Sofrin LT1s isn't sufficiently waterproof, mine failed.


Also keep in mind that on recreational boats, the requirement for an anchor light is, in all jurisdictions I'm aware of, an operational requirement and not an equipment requirement. You are not required to have an anchor light. You are just required to display an anchor light when anchored at night.

[deblen]

To muddy things further...The top of a mast is called the "top" or "truck"
It is a common,but not the only place, to mount an all round white "anchor light",on a power or sail vessel.
A light at the top of the mast is not a mast head light,unless it is part of a tri lite on a sailboat only.

The "masthead" is the leading forward face of the mast.A light mounted on this front face,facing forward with a 225 deg.display field is a "steaming or "mast(a)head" light and it's height relationship above the sidelights is specified in Rules.


The answer to the OP's question is No.

[NorthCoastJoe]

I have used a cheap anchor light mounted on 1" PVC 8' pipe set in a fishing rod holder when needed. Also a 2 pin trailer light connector total cost under $20

https://www.amazon.com/MARINE-Nautic...d86d8e02f8d1a6

https://www.amazon.com/MARINE-Nautic...d86d8e02f8d1a6

[wrwakefield]

You list your boat as a TUR84 [sailboat] and your location as DK [Denmark?]

Since you have a sailboat, the steaming light must be a higher elevation than the deck level navigation lights, so you cannot use them together to make an all around white anchor light- unlike some powerboats. [See below COLREGS quote, paragraph ii.]

As previously mentioned, some smaller powerboats have the steaming and stern lights mounted back-to-back on the same location so both together make an all around white light [but using 2 bulbs and 2x the power consumption of a single bulb dedicated anchor light fixture.]

What to use?

Even though we have a 3 mile anchor light mounted at the top of our main mast 60 ft [18m] above the water on our ketch, I prefer to mount a light in our forward rigging lower down for better close quarter depth perception for other vessels. [Even though we rarely have other vessels in the same anchorage…]

I use a light that also projects downward so it also illuminates the foredeck.

The same type of light is mounted permanently in the dinghy davits- effectively being the ‘garage’ light, and also an all around stern light when anchored.

Here is our boat at anchor from ~2.5 miles out showing the highest [bow] and lowest [dinghy garage] as well as a light in the enclosed center cockpit. [from our blog post about Sleeping well at anchor…] [Note that the mast top anchor light is off in this photo, and the snip of red light is a night light showing through a cabin port; i.e., it is not a NAV light.]




And what do the international rules say about all of this? (COLREGS Anex I)

(i)All-round lights shall be so located as not to be obscured by masts,
topmasts or structures within angular sectors of more than 6
degrees, except anchor lights prescribed in Rule 30, which need
not be placed at an impracticable height above the hull.
(ii)If it is impracticable to comply with paragraph (b)(i) of this section
by exhibiting only one all-round light, two all-round lights shall be
used suitably positioned or screened so that they appear, as far as
practicable, as one light at a distance of one mile.”

Since we hang our anchor light from the inner forestay, the roller furled jib and the mast can partially obscure the light. But since the above quoted COLREGS allow for it to be obscured for up to 6°, we are legal. [Don’t forget to display your day shape for anchoring to be strictly legal…]

A quick rule of thumb to meet the 6° or less shadowing of the anchor light is to keep the light a distance of at least 10 times the width of the obscuring object. [e.g., Our roller furled jib is ~4 inches wide, so 4 x 10 = a minimum of 40 inches light to jib. Likewise it is positioned far enough from the main mast…]

I wish you joy with your new boat.

In case any of this is useful.

Cheers, Bill

[TrentePieds]

Igor:

Her har du hele molevitten fra officiel dansk side :-)!

http://lrn.dk/wp-content/uploads/201...kompendium.pdf

Wakefield has it right. There are two aspects to the "problem". The first is that you need to be compliant, whatever else you do. However, in the opinion of many of us, being compliant is hardly sufficient as far as safety goes. But once you are compliant there are lots of things you can do for safety's sake.

For a number of reasons, not least that in "your waters", anywhere in Øresund and many, many other places, I would expect the shoreside lights to be numerous enough and bright enough to "drown out" a regulation anchoring light. Furthermore, as you suggest in your OP, anchoring out is not common in those waters, and local seafaring men are not likely to expect boats to lie on the hook, and they may not, themselves, be sufficiently in compliance with Rule 5 to actually see your pokey little regulation light.

Other places, such as north of Munkeholmsbroen in Isefjorden, many, many small boats "ligger på svaj" without the least regard to regulations.

One PRACTICAL way of dealing with the safety aspect is to not only show your regulation light, which of course you must, but ALSO to let your deck lights shine. Spreader mounted deck lights illuminate the hull in so certain a fashion that even someone "three sheets in the wind" will see you :-)!

These days, with LED-lights'n'all, it's perfectly feasible to use your spreader lights all night within the capacity of your batteries. Particularly so in the short nights of the summer cruising season where you are.

Sov godt :-)!

TrentePieds, FDP

[OS2Dude]

I find it confusing that the light used to denote under power is called the Masthead Light, when it is not at the top of the mast. (Definition of Masthead according to Merriam Webster: Top of the Mast.)

While I have my anchor light on I will hang a smaller lantern from my back stay closer to the water. Allowed by colregs it allows other boats to notice me even if they are not looking up.

[TrentePieds]

Calling the light you show to indicate that you are under power a "masthead light" is a piece of terminological inexactitude native to the US.

Even here, in this 'ere colony, it is called a "steaming light".

Obviously no longer terminologically unassailable, but rather more indicative of the light's function, nevertheless.

TrentePieds

[Fintry]

Originally Posted by OS2Dude

I find it confusing that the light used to denote under power is called the Masthead Light, when it is not at the top of the mast. (Definition of Masthead according to Merriam Webster: Top of the Mast.)

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Calling the light you show to indicate that you are under power a "masthead light" is a piece of terminological inexactitude native to the US.

Even here, in this 'ere colony, it is called a "steaming light".

Obviously no longer terminologically unassailable, but rather more indicative of the light's function, nevertheless.

TrentePieds

Although many people in the US and elsewhere call it the "Steaming Light" to avoid confusion, the official International Rules name is "Masthead Light". This may or may not be "native to the US".



COLRegs Rule 21(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° and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5° abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.

Note that the rule does not say that it must be at the masthead. The rule governing its height is Annex I 2(a) which specifies different heights for different size vessels.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Nekton73

No.


Combining the steaming light and stern light does not constitute an all round anchor light.


Technically it would mean you are under power, but not under way. A little used combination but still that's what it means.

PDV underway have sidelights. You're thinking of the various special boats (NUC, RAM, fish) that turn off the side and stern lights when not making way.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Calling the light you show to indicate that you are under power a "masthead light" is a piece of terminological inexactitude native to the US.

Even here, in this 'ere colony, it is called a "steaming light".

Not in the rules it doesn't. It's called a masthead light.
Power-driven vessels often have masts, if only to hold up the lights. They might also support antennae of various uses, and possibly a flag hoist or two.

[Happ]

Originally Posted by dk_igor

I just took possession of my new-old boat and am realising that we do not have an anchor light (anchoring overnight is not super common in my waters).

But we do have a masthead light (motoring light) and a stern light ... would those two togehter (without the bi-color bowlights) be a sufficient anchor light?

No! You need the Port, Starboard and Stern light on when sailing. Under power you must add the Steaming light which is mid mast. For anchoring you need a 360d light at the top of the mast.

[Srpulpo]

any light is better then nothing in the short term as long as it would not confuse other boaters at night, but you should get a proper light if you will be anchoring in the future.