Anchor Lights in a Mooring Field (USA)?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I'll let the COLREGS wonks answer the legal question. I take a practical approach to this: Why would you NOT want to be seen, regardless of what the law says?

An anchor light is a useful tool because it makes a potentially invisible boat, visible. Why would you not want this?

I'll go a step further to say a high up anchor light can be useless near a town and in a field of boats. It's like stars in the sky. But a light glowing in the cockpit or on deck can be valuable.

[Auklet]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I'll go a step further to say a high up anchor light can be useless near a town and in a field of boats. It's like stars in the sky. But a light glowing in the cockpit or on deck can be valuable.

Here’s where one needs a pair of 7x50 Fujinon binoculars in the cockpit!! In any event, as I suspect you may know, an anchor light is not required to be placed at the masthead. A lantern in the fore triangle is legally sufficient. But I doubt in the cockpit. An approaching vessel might need or wish to know where lies the bow end of the boat. Here, convention (rule) might be necessary for best safety.

[grube]

Clearly yes. Whether you are in a “recognized” mooring field or not is entirely irrelevant. You are sitting on the water at night not moving. If you are completely dark someone might hit your boat. The difference between anchoring and mooring is the method of attachment to the ground below. The person who hits you because you are dark but moored is not likely to admit he should have seen your mooring ball.

[Ndavies]

One simple question- why would you NOT want your boat to be seen? Yes, the regs outdated in this respect. With modern solar and photo diode technology, there’s no reason not to have an anchor light on. Not to mention more idiots that are likely to hit your boat!

[stubones99]

Originally Posted by C420sailor

Two (and a half) reasons.

0.5) I don’t live on my boat. I take it on trips and such, but the overwhelming majority of nights, it is all by its lonesome, on its mooring, in a massive field. If you manage to safely navigate through the many, many rows of unlit boats just to crash into mine, I won’t be angry—I’ll be impressed.

1) I don’t have solar. My light is LED, so it’ll probably run for weeks, but still.

2) Related to 0.5, I do not like the idea of leaving the batteries on while away from the boat.

Now, if I feel it’s necessary given the circumstances and/or I’m not on a mooring in a field? Anchor light. Sometimes even the LED deck lights, too.

A bunch of boats on moorings in the Brevard County area (including titusville, melbourne, etc.) use low cost solar yard lights mounted on the boom. Every day, it charges the little battery, and the light lasts most of the night, hopefully.

So, even without solar chargers and battery banks, you can kinda comply with colregs with a yard light zip tied to your boom.

[Sanddallor]

I sort of agree, but the drunk motoryacht operator that hit my boat at 0200 did not see the anchor light (Stated in the accident report and insurance investigation). A light down lower is better and still within the COLREGs. I place solar lights to mark the corners and midship of my cat at anchor or mooring.

[MVDarlin]

Rule 30 doesn't matter. Surely you must sign an agreement with the marina that requires you to comply with THEIR RULES. While there may be exceptions if their rules conflict with
USCG I doubt there is a problem with rules that augment. Why the hassel? Surely you have a low amp led to satisfy this requirement. It nay add to your safety. Remember: Life is easy if you follow the rules.

[hvkelley]

I always assumed that an ANCHOR light should be used ONLY when on an anchor to let others know that you have a wider swinging arc than someone on a mooring ball. I have searched for a definitive answer over the years without success as well, and this is the approach I have settled on.

[Bill_Giles]

Someone said to me ‘why do you leave your anchor light on when you are in a Marina?’ I answered ‘so I can find my boat after 4 beers and a bottle of wine.’

[skipgundlach]

belt and suspenders:

We have inexpensive solar walk lights mounted in 3/4 x 1/2 saddle tees with 1/2 x 1/2 thread/slip street ells; the end of the lens housing fits snugly into the slip end of the ell.

I have to put a bit of weatherstripping inside the saddle because OD on a 3/4" pipe is 1.05" and it wouldn't grab a stanchion or rail (we have rails).

But it not only makes it simple to find our boat, it puts light at near the water where someone trying to make their way through a crowded field can see it rather than an anchor light far above...

[Sailmon]

Couple thoughts:
The exemption for “special anchorage” is an “inland” rule. The boot Key Harbor mooring field in Marathon Key is outside the line of demarcation & therefore considered “international” in COLREGS eyes.
In terms of enforcement, FWC is known to ticket boats that do not display anchor lights at night if moored on a ball around the periferie of the field, but generally leave boats on balls in the interior alone.
Finally, in terms of visibility, we purchased a portable LED anchor light with photo cell from West Marine. When anchored (or moored), we hang the light from a line strung between the main halyard & the boom end - situated approximately 4’ above the boom (approximately 16’ to 18’ off the water. We believe this light is much more visible than the original anchor light at the mast head 60’ above the water.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by hvkelley

I always assumed that an ANCHOR light should be used ONLY when on an anchor to let others know that you have a wider swinging arc than someone on a mooring ball. I have searched for a definitive answer over the years without success as well, and this is the approach I have settled on.

What the heck does the swinging arc matter? An anchored vessel doesn't tend to swing around the breadth of its swinging circle, but generally sits in a small area downwind/stream of the anchor.

Do you think 1000' long supertankers don't show their lights when on a mooring?

[Auklet]

Originally Posted by Lodesman

What the heck does the swinging arc matter? An anchored vessel doesn't tend to swing around the breadth of its swinging circle, but generally sits in a small area downwind/stream of the anchor.

Maybe tribal legacy at work there.

[Auklet]

InM

Originally Posted by Lodesman

What the heck does the swinging arc matter? An anchored vessel doesn't tend to swing around the breadth of its swinging circle, but generally sits in a small area downwind/stream of the anchor.

Do you think 1000' long supertankers don't show their lights when on a mooring?

It's really the situation that so many boaters either don't know or disregard the rules that they cannot be deduced from observation. This is quite evident with the fixed mooring versus anchoring. If folks see a whole mess of boats in a mooring field with lights off at night they evidently conclude it's because they are on a fixed mooring rather than anchored. They likely arrive to that conclusion b/c many boats moored (fixed) under the international COLREGS don't display. Similar to the black ball dayshape situation.

[Nicholson58]

This has been around many times. It always digresses into a macho shouting match of righteous indignation and citing of rules.

Please re-read Mike’s several posts.

Why would you choose to risk your person or boat over a few mili amp hours of LED lighting? One cycle of your bilge pump uses more amp hours than a week of LED anchor lighting.

If you are hit or you hit someone there will be no end to the discussions with the CG and your adjuster. Guess who wins.

Let’s assume you have a tiny battery and you also are to cheap to enable your bilge pump. I hope you can afford a Home Depot season clearance path light. Usually several to a box. Take up a collection and share the cost between you and the other pig headed, unlighted dopes in the anchorage. Generally about $9.00 each. You could go on line and pick up a box of LUCI lights.

Here is reality. We live aboard June to November in the Caribbean. No USCG, no enforcement, also no help whatsoever if you have an issue. Your best and only defense is in your hands only. We try to avoid entering a harbor after dark. For you northern sailers, this is an abrupt lights out at 6:00 PM in southern latitudes. Sooner or later you will sail into a harbor in the total dark. There may or may not be shore lights. Your dodger and other things will obscure your view of any mast light not already camouflaged by shore lights. 1/3 of the anchored boats will be unlighted. This is local untended boats and cruisers who think they are in a country where US rules are followed and you can go get a lawyer to sort out your broken stuff. Most of the places you sail will have no lift and no marine services.

The point is that the rules absolutely do not matter. Even less so outside the US.

The white mast all around light standard on sailboats is a rule problem. Ours is 80 feet up. Not visible from most other boats and not noticed by dinghy drivers. It disappears against shore lights. Power boats, no mast, no problem. This is a stupid rule that should have been addressed long ago. What do cruisers do?
As mentioned, LED solar charged deck level lights. Path lights or LUCI lights are pretty good. The color cycling LUCI is highly noticeable. The fake flickering flame path lights are excellent. Both are seen easily by boats under way, dinghy drivers, and aid you in finding your boat. We have solar charged LED blue Christmas lights strung all around the lifelines bow to stern both sides. Not only do you see the lights but you see the space occupied by the hull. We also have SOLAS reflective tape on the mast. Even a tiny flashlight makes the boat jump out of the gloom.

Note that most power boats and all mega yachts are lighted like a Christmas tree in Times Square. Many with flashing and strobing underwater lights.

This should not be another pointless discussion of THE RULES and what you can get away with. This should be about the common sense solutions to the lack of an effective rule.