Who the Hell Turned Out the Anchor Lights in the USVI?

[Jim Cate]

Want to meet new people, have new experiences?

Anchor long enough with no anchor light (or for that matter, day shape) and eventually some one will hit you. If there is significant damage, or if someone is hurt or killed, your life will be enriched with new experiences which may include jail time and/or court appearances.

The oft quoted bit about designated anchorages is mostly malarky. There are very few such in the USA, and AFAIK none in most countries. Just because there is a little anchor symbol on a chart does NOT mark a "designated" anchorage with no requirement for lights. One is responsible for following lighting rules just as you are responsible for following rules of the road.

Point in case: Jill Knight, a well known cruiser and author was anchored in the Brisbane river (Queensland, Oz) a few years ago. She routinely used two anchor lights, one high, one low. But late one night, two young men, quite drunk, hit her at high speed in a racing inflatable. They both perished as a result. In the following days, they were attempting to charge her with manslaughter... manslaughter! It was ugly for her (she's a friend of ours) for a while, but what saved her bacon was the fact that her neighbors could report that her boat was always lit, and that it had been lit earlier that night .

The area in which she anchored had other anchored boats plus some permanent moorings. Local practice does not require anchor lights on moored boats, and it is a popular opinion that thus boats at anchor nearby shouldn't need them either. Her decision to not follow this practice kept her from a very difficult fight to keep her freedom.

Made a believer of me for sure. We had always used an anchor light, but now (thanks to LEDs) we have both masthead and over-the-boom lights with light sensor switches that ensure them being on at dusk... plus a big black anchor ball hoisted in the foretriangle. Paranoid? Maybe...

Cheers,

Jim

[Pelagic]

I like your paranoia Jim

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Want to meet new people, have new experiences?



plus a big black anchor ball hoisted in the foretriangle. Paranoid? Maybe...

Cheers,

Jim

Now if you would only get a triangle and fly it inverted when when motoring with a sail up (just kidding Jim )

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Now if you would only get a triangle and fly it inverted when when motoring with a sail up (just kidding Jim )

Nahhh, ain't THAT paranoid!

Jim

[CaptTom]

Let's step back a little and look at the international Nav Rules:

RULE 30
Anchored Vessels and Vessels Aground
(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:
(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;
(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level than the light
prescribed in subparagraph (i), an all-round white light.
(b) A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an
all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights
prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule.
(c) A vessel at anchor may, and a vessel of 100 meters and more
in length shall, also use the available working or equivalent lights to
illuminate her decks.

Assuming we're in the "less than 50 meters" range, if you used two anchor lights they would HAVE to be as described in (a), above.

Far better, to protect you legally and as a practical matter, to follow the advice in (c).

That is, use one anchor light at the top of the mast and illuminate your decks. I buy those LED lawn lights for about $1 each, and keep several of them attached to railings. The do tend to get knocked overboard from time to time, so I have spares. I also converted my regular deck lighting to LEDs so in a particularly dark anchorage I can leave them on all night without too much draw on the house bank.

[justjohn]

I love rule 30!!!!!


The Lady Euphoria

[JPA Cate]

Out here, we've seen some people using the lawn lights INSTEAD OF anchor lights. What happens here is that they usually get very dim late in the evening, and if this is at an entry port when one is coming in for formalities at the end of a voyage, this lack of proper illumination has made an unnecessary difficulty for us.

To the poster who complained about the fishermen. Yes, it is always hard for us when the nets or crab pots or fish traps are out, but, it's their livelihood, and we're only out here playing!

Ann

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Let's step back a little and look at the international Nav Rules:

RULE 30
Anchored Vessels and Vessels Aground
(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:
(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;
(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level than the light
prescribed in subparagraph (i), an all-round white light.
(b) A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an
all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights
prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule.
(c) A vessel at anchor may, and a vessel of 100 meters and more
in length shall, also use the available working or equivalent lights to
illuminate her decks.

Assuming we're in the "less than 50 meters" range, if you used two anchor lights they would HAVE to be as described in (a), above.

Far better, to protect you legally and as a practical matter, to follow the advice in (c).

That is, use one anchor light at the top of the mast and illuminate your decks. I buy those LED lawn lights for about $1 each, and keep several of them attached to railings. The do tend to get knocked overboard from time to time, so I have spares. I also converted my regular deck lighting to LEDs so in a particularly dark anchorage I can leave them on all night without too much draw on the house bank.

The practice we apply, and that of many other cruisers these days is actually following 30/a/i and ii. Eg, the masthead all around light is in the forward half of the vessel, and the over-the-boom light is aft and lower.

Seems like we are doin' it right.

Meanwhile, your garden lights are bloody useless IMO. We see them used a lot out here, and they are too dim and too short lived to be considered anything but decorations.

Use of deck lighting may help, as stated, but seems redundant when the lower anchor light illuminates much of the deck and rigging. Further, on our boat the deck light (very bright LEDs) shines directly into the forehatch and into our eyes in our forecabin where we sleep... not a starter for us.

Jim

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by justjohn

Last night Great Cruz and Cruz Bay where both full and dark. Went over to St Thomas and red hook, the two after the cut and StJames bay where all full and no lights. Finally came to the Arm Pit and 3 out of 17 boats had there lights on. Just kind of sucks when your tired and looking for a hook spot. I think that most folks who are on the ball don't think they need a light on.


The Lady Euphoria

When have you been to Cruz or Great Cruz and not seen them full? I've never seen Great St James full. There has always been room to anchor in 25' of water on the south side of Christmas Cove even with an extra 50 boats there for the International Regatta. I assume you are saying that you ended up going into Long Bay on St Thomas and didn't want to. Why didn't you anchor up behind Hassel or Water Island?

I'm not disagreeing with you that many boats do not use anchor lights at night.


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[justjohn]

I did end up on hassle but needed to be in red hook for business. I have never seen Cruz or great Cruz dark and full but they are always full. And St James is crappy on the hull and is full of bugs so that is hell for me.


The Lady Euphoria

[a64pilot]

Just like anchors, there are good garden lights, and there are junk ones. In particular the ones Lowe's sell and advertises to be 8X brighter than standard ones are very bright, and if exposed to a full summer days sun, last all night.

But, only a fool would use them as an anchor light, but as a light to help identify and or find your boat at night, or as lights to light up the cockpit for an evening meal, or as I just found out on this trip, they are great to illuminate the interior of the boat at night under passage, but aren't so bright as to ruin the Helmsman's night vision.

[Rubikoop]

So you know Cruz and Great Cruz are always full and you don't like Christmas Cove. You are frustrated because the places you don't like or are full have unlit boats in them?


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[justjohn]

No Captain I'm frustrated that people like you don't turn on there anchor lights or bother to read the whole tread. I can park my boat anyplace I have respectful safe room if I can see!!! This is about lights not crowded bays .... That thread starts out .... holy crap there are to many cats in the VI sucking the life out of the harbors !! Different topic


The Lady Euphoria

[Rubikoop]

I read the whole thread from start to finish. And you are right, I do not turn my anchor light on every night. My boat is in a slip. I don't turn it on when anchored out every night either...there's a nifty little photocell that turns that LED on and off as needed for me! No need to get your panties in a wad. Just trying to follow your thought process and it wasn't making sense to me. I understand why I was confused now.

Fairwinds

PS. If you think there are too many cats here, I strongly suggest you not go to the BVI.


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[Robin3]

Maybe they were using their battery power to watch the USA lose to Belgium in the World Cup football and are too embarassed if american to light up again.