Anchor Balls

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I have never flown an anchor ball and don't intend to. The rational reason not to is zero gain in safety. Anyone who is idiot enough to run over an anchored boat will not be deterred by an anchor ball and wouldn't know what it meant anyway.

Perhaps true in some cases, but would give his insurance company one less reason to deny the claim.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

I can't say I've ever seen anyone else display an anchor ball where we cruise, but we use one religiously. So those displaying the ball in the US may be in the minority, but it's certainly more than zero.

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

Another vote for a US vessel that flies an anchor ball all the time when on the hook. I can think of no rational reason not to.

Seems kind of like using your turn signal on the road--Not as common as it should be.

In general, the larger the boat, and the more professional the crew, the more likely the ball is to be used.

[dfelsent]

Dockhead did not speak to us about the anchor ball. We were very much in the states and the only ball around.
And it was Labor Day in the US so we dressed for the occasion. The anchor ball was up before and after we dressed.
PS. We use an anchor light too. Same thing.

[s/v Jedi]

Day sign, of course we do that… but not always.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Chotu

alright. i’m getting one in the spring then.

unless you have to take it down every night. is that part of the process?

No reason to take it down at night. Same as it's not a big deal if the anchor light is left on all day. The ball isn't really visible at night, so nobody will see it until the sun comes back up.



I keep ours tied to a spare boat hook. When we drop the anchor I walk it forward and place it in one of the fender holders (no rigging to hoist it from) and it stays there until we pull up the anchor to leave.

[nightowle]

I don't even know where to buy one.

[JPA Cate]

Most chandleries carry them, even in the US. They disassemble to fold flat for stowage. In the past, some people would paint their radar reflector black, and use that (when it looked like a "ball" from a distance. Other people buy kids play balls, and paint them black, and rig an uphaul and downhaul for them. One is not required to pay a lot, not in terms of boat bucks.

Ann

[Jim Cate]

^^^^^
Specifically, we use a black plastic playground basketball, purchased at a local big-box store for ~3 AUD. I sewed up a couple of 1" nylon straps into a harness with loops above and below. A ~10 foot pennant on the bottom hooks to a stanchion base and a halyard is used to raise it. The whole kit is stowed in the big bucket that the snubber is kept in, so it is handy when we anchor. It is simply not an issue to use it.

And no, I don't think it will ever help avoid being struck at anchor, but it will indeed help in a courtroom should one, in fact, be struck.

Jim

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Most chandleries carry them, even in the US. They disassemble to fold flat for stowage. In the past, some people would paint their radar reflector black, and use that (when it looked like a "ball" from a distance. Other people buy kids play balls, and paint them black, and rig an uphaul and downhaul for them. One is not required to pay a lot, not in terms of boat bucks.

Ann

seems to make a lot of sense to me to use one of those old round radar reflector things. It’s already round. Can serve double purpose to bounce a nice strong signal back to anyone who is using radar.

probably the route I will take in the spring. Currently I’m in an Anchorage that is quite well known and I haven’t seen any boats this month. OK I’m lying. I did see one. But that’s it. A single boat. i’ll take my chances until spring ha ha

[carstenb]

Having sailed both the east and west coasts of the US, I can testify that (most) Americans not only do not use an anchor ball - they do not know what it is

When we are in larger anchorages that have a cruisers net, I usually do a Trivia section for the morning net.

Invariably when I ask the question:

You are coming into an anchorage and see several boats flying a round ball what is your appropriate action?

I get the comment "I didn't know there was a dayshape"

Same is true for the inverted triangle, dayshape for motorsailing. Americans also do not know what that is

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Having sailed both the east and west coasts of the US, I can testify that (most) Americans not only do not use an anchor ball - they do not know what it is

When we are in larger anchorages that have a cruisers net, I usually do a Trivia section for the morning net.

Invariably when I ask the question:

You are coming into an anchorage and see several boats flying a round ball what is your appropriate action?

I get the comment "I didn't know there was a dayshape"

Same is true for the inverted triangle, dayshape for motorsailing. Americans also do not know what that is

This is accurate. If this was not an international forum, many of us (myself included) wouldn’t know about these on small boats because they aren’t used.

Those who are exposed to the colregs (like me) see them as for bigger, commercial boats, kind of like lights.

who here can display red over white over red on their small pleasure craft for instance?

Day shapes fall into the same category for us

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by nightowle

I don't even know where to buy one.

Here's one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XYS1R7V..._dp&th=1&psc=1

It's only 13.8", so per colregs, only suitable for a boat 37.5' or shorter. It would work for your boat!

Just for reference, a 50' boat would require an anchor ball at 18" or thereabouts.

[paul2884]

I expect if you got hit by another boat the first question from the insurance company would be were you correctly anchored and displaying the correct day mark/lights at night. If not then you were not complying with the coll regs and were negligence.. therefore not insured?

[JBP]

What gets me is the crazy price range:

Amazon $11.99
West Marine $269.99
Defender $11.30
Walmart $113.45
Hamilton $14.49 for 12", $172.79 for 24"

[JoeRobertJr]

Originally Posted by JBP

What gets me is the crazy price range:

Amazon $11.99
West Marine $269.99
Defender $11.30
Walmart $113.45
Hamilton $14.49 for 12", $172.79 for 24"

That $270 version at WM is 24" with a collapsible SS frame. WM also has a $20 plastic 12" version, which is the one I use. I think I got mine via Amazon.

Correction: I got mine at Defender: https://defender.com/en_us/nuova-rade-anchor-ball-16185