Anchor Lights in a Mooring Field (USA)?

[requiem]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

OK, I see that, but very few mooring fields (I think) are going to be outside the demarcation line.

I was wondering about that; the first that came to mind is outside Monterey, but I'm not sure how things are on the Atlantic side.

[capt jgw]

A vessel under 20 meters in length in a "Special Anchorage Area" (they're marked on the charts) is not required to show an anchor light. Period. So if your mooring field also happens to be in a Special Anchorage Area, as mine is, no lights are required. Been there 25 years and I only light the boat on the 4th of July when the fireworks show is launched about 1000 feet from my mooring. 10,000 boats, all operated by drunks. Purely self defense.
Back in the day we had battery operated anchor lights with a photo cell that only came on at night. They ran up the rigging on a halyard and with the photo cell the battery would last all summer. Made by Guest as I recall but don't know if they're still around. Solar panels and LED's have made them obsolete. Davis also made one with a photo cell, available to install at the mast top or run up a halyard. Was before LED's but didn't use much power. Again I don't know if they're still made.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by Anders

Two garden solar lights are cheap but will show other boaters where your boat is.

I've used those too. About $10 and pretty much install and forget. You should remove or cover them when actually underway at night though.

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by requiem

I was wondering about that; the first that came to mind is outside Monterey, but I'm not sure how things are on the Atlantic side.

There are actually a few (several?) more I can probably think of, but the bottom line is this - inside the demarc line an anchor light is required while on a mooring unless the mooring is located in a special anchorage. Outside the demarc line you're still in the US (for the purposes of the OP's premise), do you really want to hang your hat on an ambiguity in an international treaty when the local rules are clear? I don't think I'd like to argue that one with either the court or an insurer.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by SaltyDogsLLC

Admittedly, this will evolve into a food fight but hey, it'll be entertaining!

Ok - there are some mooring fields (Titusville, FL USA, and Boot Key, FL USA come to mind) where the controlling "agent" requires anchor lights to be lit while in their field. Putting those aside, my understanding of Rule 30 is anchor light does not have to be lit while in a mooring field - only while at anchor and not in a "special anchorage" (like the one at St Simons Island in the USA). As I say this, the boats around me here in Annapolis all have their anchor lights lit in the mooring field, except for a few, myself included, that say not required.

Edited to add - what is your interpretation of Rule 30 as it applies here. I understand everyone will have their "technique", but I am asking if it is required. Sorry - didn't state that at first.

Thanks in advance for the discussion. I searched around and didn't see this discussion so I thought I'd have a thread on it.

I think this is one of those "if you don't know the correct answer you need to take a class right now.



Special anchorages are marked on charts and there are not very many. For example, there are only 6 in the Chesapeake Bay area, and Annapolis is not one of them. Thus, a private or city mooring field has no special status whatsoever. You are just anchored and must show a light. Simple. They are listed in the Coast Pilot and in 33 CFR 110 subpart a.



COLREG 30
(g) A vessel of less than 20 meters in length, when at anchor in a special anchorage area designated by the Secretary, shall not be required to exhibit the anchor lights and shapes required by this Rule.

[mvmojo]

We ALWAYS have an anchor light on our boat, whether moored or at anchor. As others have opined (and quoted the statutes), we believe it is required by law. Additionally, given the low power draw of LED's and the inexpensive availability of solar panels, there's no reason not to have an anchor light. Ours is on a $6.99 circuit that automatically turns it on at dusk and off at dawn - see https://smile.amazon.com/Solu-Photos...0167061&sr=8-7.

Consider an dinghy running through the mooring field at night. If the operator runs into your boat and is injured, will you be held liable for the injuries because your boat wasn't lit in compliance with the law? Ditto for a larger boat. Do you really want to argue in admiralty court as to whether or not your boat needed to be lit? For the small cost of running an anchor light you just may avoid someone being injured and/or a lengthy and costly legal fight. Will your insurance company stand behind you if you are found in violation of the law? Light it up!!

[jim King]

There are so many cheap alternatives available to light up your boat at night:
solar light that charges in the sun during the day and lights up at night ($6 on eBay), Soft solar panels you can attach to keep batteries charged up ($25). If you're going to leave your boat for any amount of time, I'd want to make sure it is seen and batteries kept charged. It's simple and inexpensive.

[mcneilms]

I just took my Captains license test and we discussed this.

If a boat Is at a dock or in a specially dedicated anchorage, it does not have to run an anchor light.
If it is on anchor, on a mooring, even tied to shore on a tree or rock, it is Anchored to the ground and must run anchor lights. That is that.

If you are not running an anchor light, and someone hits you, you are responsible for any damages as you violated the colregs.

I'm really not sure why this is still discussed. If you are not docked, you are either anchored, underway, or working.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by requiem

I was wondering about that; the first that came to mind is outside Monterey, but I'm not sure how things are on the Atlantic side.

Here is some official publication on the topic:

https://scdhec.gov/sites/default/fil...Anchorages.pdf
https://www.martin.fl.us/sites/defau..._of_10-5_0.pdf
Moorings are fixed, anchorages can have fixed moorings but not always.
Managed mooring ensure that certain protections exist for environmental concerns and regulation.
Do I leave a light on at nite while not on the boat... Always!
But NOT always the anchor lite.
Solar lites are deployed all around the rails., or 1 powered LED on the bow or transom.
Ever come in at night in fog?
Your going to want to see something!
If your worried about running your battery down doing this, you probably should be checking your boat more often.
SV Cloud Duster

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by steffan

Some of the boats in my MARINA leave their anchor light on.

Some condition their batteries that way!
SV Cloud Duster

[contrail]

Originally Posted by mcneilms

I just took my Captains license test and we discussed this.

If a boat Is at a dock or in a specially dedicated anchorage, it does not have to run an anchor light.
If it is on anchor, on a mooring, even tied to shore on a tree or rock, it is Anchored to the ground and must run anchor lights. That is that.

If you are not running an anchor light, and someone hits you, you are responsible for any damages as you violated the colregs.

I'm really not sure why this is still discussed. If you are not docked, you are either anchored, underway, or working.

I think the operating word is "sea bed", not "ground". Don't think you are correct about the tree or a rock, unless that is part of a bow and stern system, where the other end is, in fact, anchored.

[Dooglas]

Originally Posted by Lazerbrains

I always have my light on in a mooring field, but mainly so I can find my boat when dinghy-ing back at nighttime.

Good answer!

[waterman46]

The previous quotes did not seem to define lights as REQUIRED, only using the word "may" and not "shall". So I found this, where "shall" is actually part of the wording - if your boat is smaller than 7 meters you don't have to display lights but most of us don't fall into that category:


Rule 30 (Anchored vessels and vessels aground)


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

(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;

(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level that the light prescribed in subparagraph (i), an all-round white light.

(b) A vessel of less than 50 m 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 m and more in length shall, also use the available working or equivalent lights to illuminate her decks.
(d) A vessel aground shall exhibit the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Rule and in addition, where they can best be seen:

(i) two all-round red lights in a vertical line;

(ii) three balls in a vertical line.

(e) A vessel of less than 7 m in length, when at anchor, not in or near a narrow channel, fairway or anchorage, or where other vessels normally navigate, shall not be required to exhibit the lights or shape prescribed in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Rule.
(f) A vessel of less than 12 m in length, when aground, shall not be required to exhibit the lights or shapes prescribed in subparagraphs (d)(i)

and (ii) of this Rule.


The above is from

https://ecolregs.com/index.php?optio...id=402&lang=en

[jack630]

We almost got hit by a guy trying to anchor on top of us, even though we had our anchor light on and it was a clear night. We flipped our deck lights on just in time to stop him from backing down into us.

Last year, I bought a pair of amber LED tiki torches that flicker and are solar powered for about $30 on Amazon. I wire tied them onto our back stays, above the height of the bimini. They come on at dark and add a nice warm glow visible from quite a distance. Of course, I turn them off if we're sailing at night but I really like these things. They give me a little more piece of mind that someone won't run me down while I'm sleeping.

[C420sailor]

I was very confused by a vessel that had limo style color changing lighting on it. It was a large, 50ish foot powerboat. It had red/green/white in the changing colors, and my brain simply couldn’t process what it was seeing—i thought they were nav lights on a vessel underway until I got close enough to realize it was an anchored vessel with nightclub/limo lighting topside.