Recommendations on a Masthead/Anchor light?

[jreiter190]

I'm over those overpriced tricolors.Got a four functions anchor light (led). Got my steaming (masthead) light wired to engine ignition. If the engine is on, the steaming light is on, day or night. Got the fore deck flood wired to steaming light switch. Threw away the sealed beam, blind the helmsman (person ) spreader lights. Works for me.Don't need a weatherman (person ) to tell which way the wind blows.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Alternative?

Steady's Simple Solution: Get some retroreflective red reflective self adhesive tape (link below). Tape it to the bottom of the windex (in the right spots). Then at night, while you are at the helm, you simply shine a small torch or flashlight up to the windex to see the position.

This is LOW cost, NO maintenance, NO electric wires, NO problem with the other fixtures etc. It will NOT be confused as an anchor light.

The attached photo shows you where to put the reflective tape.

Red Scotchlite Tape
Amazon.com: 3M Scotchlite Reflective Tape, Red, 2-Inch by 36-Inch: Home Improvement

That is what I would do, if in your boat shoes.

[Cheechako]

If you have a masthead anchor light I see no issue with using your anchor lite to illuminate your wind indicator for a few seconds. But if you want to see it more often, just use a flashlight. It's handier than going below to turn a switch anyway. As mentioned a tri color will often glow enough to shine off the reflective tape on an indicator also, but a Tri color is not per regulation for all sailing.
The windex's I've had all had reflective tape already on them.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by andrewembassy

I went to the top of my new C&C 34's mast the other day to check out the sheaves and see why our masthead light wasn't working, and in the process of removing the cap the small bolts that held the cap on sheared off, meaning it's time to replace the fixture.

There seems to be a lot of options for masthead/anchor lights, but many of them seem to focus their light in a horizontal band; I want to make sure that the light is able to illuminate my wind indicator.

Has anybody replaced theirs recently and if so, what did you use?

Andrew,

If your windex doesn't already have some, a low tech approach to seeing your wind direction indicator in the dark is to stick some reflective tape on the under-side [the side you see when you look up at it...] of the wind vane tail, and the two fixed tabs. [Use a different color on the wind direction indicator tail...] It takes just a small amount of light to reflect back. [Red LED flashlight on low power, etc.]

I also like to use some light weight reflective cord as tell-tales on the stays. [sold in sporting goods stores for for use as tent guy lines to help prevent tripping on them in the dark...]

Regarding a replacement anchor light, consider a sealed LED like this one for $89US.

I also really like having a couple of these Megabright Anchor Lights lighting up our deck while at anchor. They draw practically no current and help others clearly see our boat when we are at anchor in the dark. [If you had just one, hang it over the boom near the cockpit and light up everything. Great if you have to make a rapid trip from sleeping to on-deck to investigate something in the dark.]

In case this is useful.

Cheers!

Bill

[jreiter190]

Or, for a really low cost wind indicator, grow some side whiskers. Good tip, Steady

[steve77]

We installed a Stecktronics LED light which is a combined tricolor/anchor/strobe light. When sailing at night, it definitely illuminates the windex.

I'm not familiar with other models, but one thing I really like about the Stecktronics is that it only requires one pair of wires for the installation. Turn the switch on, and the light is a photosensor-controlled anchor light. Turn it on-off-on, and it is a tricolor. Turn it on-off-on-off-on and it is a steady anchor light regardless of ambient light (no photocell control) Additional features include a fast strobe, slow strobe, and a flashing SOS.

And yes, it comes with a little laminated card for the nav station to tell you how many times to turn on the light switch to get the function that you want.

Cheers!

Steve

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by andrewembassy

Maybe I'm betraying my ignorance - how else do you illuminate your wind indicator while sailing at night?

You can see the windex with a tiny hand held flashlight you are holding.It has reflective markings on it which work great at night.

You can tell the wind direction at night by how it feels on your face.
Also, if you are hard on the wind, feel the heel of the boat.
Using these methods (face and heel) you can steer with your eyes closed. I've demonstrated this many times. Try it.

However, who steers anymore? Set the autohelm then stare at the chartplotter like everyone else!

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by andrewembassy

I went to the top of my new C&C 34's mast the other day to check out the sheaves and see why our masthead light wasn't working, and in the process of removing the cap the small bolts that held the cap on sheared off, meaning it's time to replace the fixture.

There seems to be a lot of options for masthead/anchor lights, but many of them seem to focus their light in a horizontal band; I want to make sure that the light is able to illuminate my wind indicator.

Has anybody replaced theirs recently and if so, what did you use?

If you are anchored, the wind is almost always from directly ahead.

If you are sailing, you should not be displaying an anchor light.

[steve77]

Gentlemen,

I'm going to request that we give the OP, who is new to the forum, a break. All the posts about not showing an anchor light while sailing are not only wrong, but not helpful.

Now, whether he meant to or not, he specifically stated "masthead light" which is a "white light placed over the centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees ...". The masthead light is NOT the anchor light. On our boat, the masthead light is the white part of the tricolor.

All of you guys who are mixing up the anchor light with the masthead light need to get out your Navigation Rules and refresh.

And give the new guy helpful advice.

Steve

[jreiter190]

Thank you Steve, for pointing out the cavalistic nature of this forum. You got to be very careful posting and get your terminology exactly right to avoid getting jumped on. Not that there's anyone very scary here.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by jreiter190

Or, for a really low cost wind indicator, grow some side whiskers. Good tip, Steady

I used to have a very long handlebar mustache and a long beard too, and can confirm that whiskers do indeed give one a good sense of wind direction.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by andrewembassy

I'll go ahead and answer my own question, apparently it's wrong to use one's anchor light to illuminate a wind indicator, which makes sense; I'm surprised that this isn't a more talked about and design-ed around issue; all the boats I've sailed on (admittedly all built in the 70's/80's) have never had anything but an anchor light on the top of the mast, so if you wanted to see your indicator that was the only option.

In doing research I'm finding options such as this but ~$350 is a little beyond what I was hoping to spend (especially since it doesn't fix my need for an anchor light). Anybody else have other options?

Andrew, perhaps the cheapest combo masthead lights (tricolor/anchor) are made by Hella.

They may not be as sturdy as the higher priced units but I am only guessing based upon cost. You have to decide if your plans my be tough on your masthead light and whether you can justify the higher priced units.

Best of luck with your search.

Cheers!

Bill

[jreiter190]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

I used to have a very long handlebar mustache and a long beard too, and can confirm that whiskers do indeed give one a good sense of wind direction.

Back in'72, I had a 50' yawl. Off Lauderdale one night, reaching in a strong breeze, we were tearing along when I looked over my shoulder. I hadn't trimmed my beard in four months and, it was kinda long. When I looked back with my mouth open, the wind blew my beard right down my throat. I couldn't let go of the wheel, the hairs caught in between my teeth, I gargle for someone to take the wheel and jumped down into the boat, grabbed a pair of scissors and chopped off six or so inches of beard,then went back on the wheel

Afterwords, it was pretty funny, but, with 40,000 lbs.of boat under me at the time. ...

[Badsanta]

Originally Posted by steve77

Gentlemen,

I'm going to request that we give the OP, who is new to the forum, a break. All the posts about not showing an anchor light while sailing are not only wrong, but not helpful.

Now, whether he meant to or not, he specifically stated "masthead light" which is a "white light placed over the centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees ...". The masthead light is NOT the anchor light. On our boat, the masthead light is the white part of the tricolor.

All of you guys who are mixing up the anchor light with the masthead light need to get out your Navigation Rules and refresh.

And give the new guy helpful advice.

Steve

Your right not to beat the guy up but the op stated masthead/anchor light which should be stated as a mast top anchor light.

But in no way is the white lense of a tricolor a mast head light.

The tricolor is used only under sail.

The mast head light is used only under power and is to be above the bow nav lights by several meters and turned off when under sail.

[jreiter190]

You're right, Bad Santa. When you're right, you're right. Together, we'll muddle through.