Anchor Lights

[seandepagnier]

Is it normally ok to turn the stern running light on with the spreader light when anchoring?

This makes for interesting wiring if I can do it this way. Otherwise should I get a different type of light for anchoring.

[Bash]

no. running lights mean that you are running.

[bewitched]

Col Regs require an all round white light. On a sail boat this is usually located at the top of the mast.

It is a waste of time and I personaly have been on a boat at anchor which was T-boned by a fishing boat - obviously he never saw the light / thought it was a star or something on land.

You can buy cheap, flashing, battery operated lights in all colours to hang off the boat. They come on automatically at night and actually make your boat visible.

Using running lights will just confuse others.

[MarkJ]

We have 5 solar garden lights around the boat. In total I think they are 1 all round white light visable from 1 nm.

In an emergency a steaming light plus stern light would be fine as it too shows an all round white light visable over 1 nm


With soral lights change the battery inside to a higher power one. They normally come with cheap 900ma and you can easily get 2500 ma batteries

[Boracay]

I fitted a LED anchor light that I got from my local megachandler. One of those on a pole. Not a lot of money.

Only problem was I gummed up the bottom to make it watertight and it got condensation. Removed the gum and it works good.

It feels like it uses next to no power, and it's been the brightest light in all the anchorages we've been to.

If you want something really supa-dupa I'd go with one of the Bebi ones from Fiji.

[forsailbyowner]

I believe you'd be in compliance. You would be showing white light 360 degrees.

[Zanshin]

Actually, having two lights would not be correct according to the COLREGS, from abeam one would see 2 white lights and no running lights, which would mean a vessel of more than 50m but less than 100m at anchor.

[FSMike]

I've been told that it is technically illegal to have an anchor light aft of the mast for those vessels required to have just one anchor light.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by FSMike

I've been told that it is technically illegal to have an anchor light aft of the mast for those vessels required to have just one anchor light.

Part a, ANY vessel can show two all round whites, one forward higher than the one at back.

Part b, IF you're less than 50 meters long you MAY show one light anywhere it can best be seen instead of doing part a.

Part c, more lights are better, required on greater than 100 meters.



This forum is good, makes me really read things carefully and learn more. The two lights on any vessel I learned in the last anchoring thread.

John

From the ColRegs:


(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:

1. 1. in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;
   2. 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.

[osirissail]

And if you are in dangerous waters outside of the USA, you show no anchor lights at all, as this signals to the pirates that a "fresh target" is available. Locals never show any lights at night.

[sck5]

Spreader lights are good to really light up the deck and show people you are there. Also not a bad thing to flash on and off when you are sailing to get the attention of ships who you thing might not see you - The spreader lights light up the sail which is very visible. They sell LED spreader lights nowadays that dont suck up too much power.

[Vasco]

Here's mine. Salt shaker, GM sidelight bulb, less than 0.2 amps

[GMac]

I made one like Vasco's except I used 6 LEDS all aiming out sideways and glued to a bit of plywood inside a Marmite jar. Even put a variable resistor in it so I can wind up the juice for more light if lots of big fizz boats are around (some of them are driven by complete morons down this way).

If I wind it up high you would get sunburn Works very well and uses no power or not enough to register on the metre.

[Vasco]

I've been thinking of led's for a while but haven't found the ones I need. I'd like to keep the salt shaker as it's kind of like a fresnel lens. I keep on looking for led's. The GM sidelight is real easy, any automotive store you can get a socket and bulbs.

[cal40john]

For years I sailed on a friends Cal 34 that had a bare car taillight bulb with zip cord soldered to contacts on the bulb, so no worries about corrosion in contacts. A loop was tied in the zip cord such that you wrapped the cord around the backstay, forced the bulb through the loop and that was it.

John