Anchor Lights - Is it a Law ?

[John A]

International regs. require a masthead white light.

It there is any litigation for claims while you are at anchor, a lawyer would have a field day if you didn't have the light on.
Your choice.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by John A

International regs. require a masthead white light.

It there is any litigation for claims while you are at anchor, a lawyer would have a field day if you didn't have the light on.
Your choice.

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf

Page 40 gives definitions of 'masthead' (225*) and 'all around' (360*) lights.

Pg 106 indicates anchored vessels should use an 'all around' white light and discussed requirements and preferences for location of light. Masthead location is not required.

To the best of my research, there is no prescribed height for all around lights on vessels less than 20m.

Pg 144 section 9 b i indicates all around light should not have shadow zones bigger than 6*, but exempts anchor lights if an impractical height is required to meet this.
My take is that if the anchor light is hung on the backstay or suspended between the mast and roller furler, you are unlikely to get a shadow zone in excess of 6*. If the light is hung on the mast or furler, you may have a shadow zone that is too big.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by John A

International regs. require a masthead white light.

It there is any litigation for claims while you are at anchor, a lawyer would have a field day if you didn't have the light on.
Your choice.

And just where did you get this misconception of the definition of an anchor light?

[Bash]

Originally Posted by John A

International regs. require a masthead white light.

No. The anchor light has to be "all-around," but it's not required to be at the masthead.

[John A]

Originally Posted by Bash

No. The anchor light has to be "all-around," but it's not required to be at the masthead.

OK. Take your chances with third world interrupition of the law.

[Adelie]

I would be more worried about an overly punctilicious German official than somebody in the 3rd world. In the 3rd world if they are trying to shake you down it will be for supposed violations of their law, not international law, too easy to get tripped up playing with international law. In Germany if someone goes over the top, you can appeal.

[landonshaw]

Thank you for the thread. I will run a power line up the mast but put off buying the tri-color light and anchor light combo. Want to get LED but they are way expensive. Until then will put a light lower that I already have. Next trip back to US, I will buy the mast light and carry back.
Came into a bay a week ago at 3 A.M., expected no one to be anchored but didn't remember a light on the hill. Slowly came in, have a hand held spot light to keep off of the reef. Concentrated on this light WAY up in the sky, only to finally see it was on a mast. A thread stated that the mast light might be too high, I personally see how that can be. No chance of hitting the boat but had a surprise at 3 A.M.

[sailorboy1]

Boats/laws/rules - words that when used together will result in disagreement!

It seems to really bring out the "expert" in some.

[savoir]

Originally Posted by Bash

No. The anchor light has to be "all-around," but it's not required to be at the masthead.

Correct

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by John A

OK. Take your chances with third world interrupition of the law.

Could you provide a link where your interpretation comes from? I'm curious since the actual text from the Colregs is posted in this thread in two separate posts, and links to the Colregs appear in at least three others and they all state the same thing.

John

[savoir]

[DeepFrz]

I personally think that masthead lights are way to high for safety. They can get lost in the stars and the boats themselves can be almost impossible to see from a dingy. By the way the light doesn't have to be just one light, so long as it is perceived as one light. Two lights that are less than 1' apart will be perceived as one light from a short distance away. (just thought I would throw that in to keep the thread going).

I personally think that lighting the boat in other ways is a big safety factor. Rail lighting, lights shining on the anchor roller and the stern are great ways to make your boat more visible.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

Thank you for the thread. I will run a power line up the mast but put off buying the tri-color light and anchor light combo. Want to get LED but they are way expensive. Until then will put a light lower that I already have. Next trip back to US, I will buy the mast light and carry back.
Came into a bay a week ago at 3 A.M., expected no one to be anchored but didn't remember a light on the hill. Slowly came in, have a hand held spot light to keep off of the reef. Concentrated on this light WAY up in the sky, only to finally see it was on a mast. A thread stated that the mast light might be too high, I personally see how that can be. No chance of hitting the boat but had a surprise at 3 A.M.

Check out the Bebi Owl anchor light. I have no affiliation except as a very satisfied customer. They appear much brighter than conventional incandescent 2nm lights. LED Anchor Light-Waterproof & Rugged for Marine RV and Offgrid Use

I hang two -- one on each side of our boat about 6 feet above deck level. I prefer a lower light because drunks in dinghies sometimes fail to look up, and a masthead is less visible to a close boat, and could be confused with stars to someone with "less than perfect vision" or impaired judgment.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

I personally think that masthead lights are way to high for safety. They can get lost in the stars and the boats themselves can be almost impossible to see from a dingy. By the way the light doesn't have to be just one light, so long as it is perceived as one light. Two lights that are less than 1' apart will be perceived as one light from a short distance away. (just thought I would throw that in to keep the thread going).

I personally think that lighting the boat in other ways is a big safety factor. Rail lighting, lights shining on the anchor roller and the stern are great ways to make your boat more visible.

Bingo!

Come to foggy Maine and motor through an anchorage at night. The boats with lower anchor lights are far easier seen and depth perception of the actual location is far easier to determine. That being said those with dim low power solar lights, or the Davis lights, can really throw off depth perception of actual boat location despite being mounted lower. I nearly hit a boat one night last summer in the dinghy because it had a very low power anchor light that looked to be about 200 yards away when in fact it was less than 40 feet away in reality.

As has been pointed out an anchor light is NOT required to be mounted at the top of the mast. I have both, one at the top of the mast and one on the stern mounted radar pole, but use the one on our radar pole 98% of the time as it is far more effective at preventing an accident in an anchorage and far more easy to see in hazy, rainy or foggy conditions. I have circled in the dinghy and there is virtually no area of broken light when you could have a blind spot so as to miss this anchor light.

[noelex 77]

I agree with what seems the general consensus that lower mounted anchor lights are better.
I had an anchor light on the backstay, but I felt the arc of obscuration was just a bit too great for comfort.
I have changed to 2 Bebi owl lights. These are very bright (much brighter than the Aquasignal led) and light up the boat superstructure which make depth perception much better for other boats coming into the anchorage. With 2 at least 1 is always visible.