Are Blinking Anchor Lights Legal ?

[hellosailor]

"but may look like a cop light which would be handy."
The charges are usually "impersonating a law enforcement officer" "illegal use of a blue flashing light" and similar. I'd bet that handy light could cost you $500 a shot if a water cop of any kind came over to see what it was all about, and considering why those lights are restricted in use--I'd have no sympathy for the fine.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"but may look like a cop light which would be handy."
The charges are usually "impersonating a law enforcement officer" "illegal use of a blue flashing light" and similar. I'd bet that handy light could cost you $500 a shot if a water cop of any kind came over to see what it was all about, and considering why those lights are restricted in use--I'd have no sympathy for the fine.

LOL

Your lights are red and blue on the cop cars are they not?
police lights usa - Google Search

Going on your reasoning I cant have a blue because it looks like a cop
I cant have a red because it looks like a fire engine
I cant have a yellow because it looks like a streetsweeper
I cant have a white because it looks like a cardinal light
I cant have a pink because it looks like an ice cream van ???

The light I was thinking of would be like this Blue LED Knight Rider Car Scanner Flashing Light+Remote: eBay Motors (item 270642667264 end time Nov-28-10 21:02:11 PST)

Hardly a police light

[hellosailor]

catman-
"Your lights are red and blue on the cop cars are they not?"
They used to all be RED for "emergency vehicles". Then some states started using blue, as I figured out after I blew past a state police car in another state one night at a rather high rate of speed. (The gods kept him busy with someone else.) Then I think our bicentennial made red-white-and-blue racks popular, now they pretty much all seem to use red and blue, and your guess is as good as mine about fire trucks. Which in the US were always "fire engine red" (although there are about 200 shades of that at one fire engine maker alone) but since the 70's, some nitwits have been using "lime yellow" aka "chartreuse" because it is easier to see at night, when red becomes dark gray.
First time I heard sirens and looked around to see what it was...I didn't look twice at the funny YELLOW TRUCK down the road behind me. Yes, that's why fire engines are supposed to be FIRE ENGINE RED in the US, despite modern variations.<G>

You'll find COLREGS has things to say about light colors. As do your own state or national regs, for both boats and cars and even planes.

Got a solid blue light on your boat? Uhuh, that's reserved for warships, don't complain if someone opens fire on you when you don't respond on their guard channel.<G>

You can do whatever you want--except, you can't do whatever you want when you're in a society that has rules governing public behavior. That's just the way it works, and the reason why folks take off and head out to the boondocks.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Got a solid blue light on your boat? Uhuh, that's reserved for warships,

We are talking flashing blue here but wow, if I have flashing blue and solid blue I should be safe from pirates, after all, they'd have to be pretty silly to rob what appeared to be a cop boat and a warship

[cat man do]

But back to the original question "Are Blinking Anchor Lights Legal ?" Apparently not

Are you likely to get pinged for it? Probably not especially in more casual countries

Will they make you more visible, therefore safer on the water ? Absolutely

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by cat man do

But back to the original question "Are Blinking Anchor Lights Legal ?" Apparently not

Are you likely to get pinged for it? Probably not especially in more casual countries

Will they make you more visible, therefore safer on the water ? Absolutely

Safer, Unless another vessel mistakes the boat as a north cardinal mark and sails onto the rocks as a result. Not too much safer as his kids drown, wife dies after stepping on a stone fish and the poor skipper knocks his beer over as a result of the carnage. What a tragic waste of beer!

All jokes aside. Yeah, its probably safer, illegal but safer with some minor risk to the owner as a result.

Cheers
Oz

[Blue Stocking]

ODE TO COLREGS

Blinking white, cardinal light,
What can one safely do,
Masthead white, or star at night,
Confusion here, rampant, too

Cruise ship lit up, bright as day,
Every color under the sun,
Subs orange, cops blue
Limiting my fun

Around the mooring field I steam,
And now I start to gloat,
Christmas light, really bright,
I'm alongside Mark's boat.

Spakesheare

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by ozskipper

Safer, Unless another vessel mistakes the boat as a north cardinal mark and sails onto the rocks as a result. Not too much safer as his kids drown, wife dies after stepping on a stone fish and the poor skipper knocks his beer over as a result of the carnage. What a tragic waste of beer!

All jokes aside. Yeah, its probably safer, illegal but safer with some minor risk to the owner as a result.

Cheers
Oz

Which is why I will have a slow blue flashing light
No nav lights are flashing blue, so it will not be mistaken.
As you well know, if you drive down the road and see a blue flashing light in the distance you tend to slow down and be cautious.

Tell me how that is a bad thing when coming into an anchorage?

It will not be a primary anchor light but it will be an as well as.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by cat man do

The light I was thinking of would be like this Blue LED Knight Rider Car Scanner Flashing Light+Remote: eBay Motors (item 270642667264 end time Nov-28-10 21:02:11 PST)

Hardly a police light

If you're thinking of spending that much money you'd be much better off with the Bebi owl light someone else already mentioned LED Anchor Light-Waterproof & Rugged for Marine RV and Offgrid Use. I have 2 of them -- mount one on each side in the shrouds about 6 feet off deck. Very bright, waterproof and low amp draw.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

If you're thinking of spending that much money you'd be much better off with the Bebi owl light someone else already mentioned LED Anchor Light-Waterproof & Rugged for Marine RV and Offgrid Use. I have 2 of them -- mount one on each side in the shrouds about 6 feet off deck. Very bright, waterproof and low amp draw.

Thanks
This is really what I had in mind, just couldn't find them before

$6 and Power Consumption: 0.1A Max

12cm Flexible Waterproof LED Strip (Blue) [12FW_ledstrip_blue] - A$5.95 : BL LED Optronics Corp., Lighting up with LEDs!

They are decorations , not anchor lights

[Joli]

We always have some sort of deck lights when anchored. Who sees an anchor light 100 feet up when ripping around in the dinghy (drunk)?

[MarkJ]

So after all these 41 posts my solar flashing Christmas tree lights are OK?

Not only can people absolutly know there is something in the water, that on closer inspection they see that I must be a friendly sort of person and good for a beer and a chat

Its prolly in Colregs somewhere... b.... b for beer.... section 17 (i)....

[David M]

I would put up a solid white light, just to be certain of being legal. Anything else after that is just fluff and harmless....except for a flashing blue light, a strobe or having any other nav light on while at anchor.

[ozskipper]

First it was flashing lights now someone wants to use blue flashing lights.

Hey, lets all make up our own rules and use what ever we want. Surely that would never get confusing for other vessels. ( sarcasm intended!)

Cheers
Oz

[bewitched]

I use coloured flashing lights regularly - I don't think they can be mistaken for other lights specified in Colregs (rule 20 b) and so I don't see any problem using them.

Another alternative would be to use a decklight or spreader light to illuminate the deck. Which is encouraged by Colregs (rule 30 c ). LEDs would be ideal