Visibility While at Anchor

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by rwidman

That's the part I don't understand, that he would expect boaters to arrive at an anchorage before him and light his way. If you're going to leave the dock as captain of a boat, you have to be ready to do whatever needs to be done to keep your boat and your passengers safe. You can't count on other boater to do it for you.

What surprised me was his nastiness at my suggestion that it wasn't other boater's responsibility to help him find his way into an anchorage. We light our boats to be legal and to protect them.

It's probably the best plan to plan on arriving at an anchorage before dark, especially if you've never anchored there before or if it's a tricky anchorage. That may mean getting underway earlier or it may mean selecting anchorages closer together. One risk you run when planning a late arrival at an anchorage is that there may not be room for your boat. What then?

We have many times in the past arrived at an anchorage well after dark, but these were anchorages we knew well and very probably had recorded and tested GPS entry/exit waypoints of. Even then we would approach with extreme caution, with our radar running and set on short range and with our powerful handheld searchlight ready to use. We have also arrived at a mooring field late at night, in thick fog too as it happens just to add to the angst and found every buoy was already occupied. We chose to leave and move several miles along the coast (about 30nm as I recall) to another place where we knew we would not arrive until after dawn but that if the fog still persisted there would nevertheless be room for us to drop anchor safely out of harms way.

I doubt that I would ever consider entering some remote, unknown to me anchorage even if I could see what appeared to be other vessel's anchor lights there. Try and explain that decision to an Insurer in the event of mishap!

But to return to the thread discussion. I certainly advocate having a very visible anchor light. Because of possible confusion with shore lights however I prefer to use my plug in 2ml visibility Fresnel lens LED hanging light
http://www.amazon.com/Davis-Utility-...vis+mega+light
suspended at a height more easily seen by an incoming vessel. we still retain a standard masthead all round white but this is in reserve and can double if the steaming light and or stern lights fail and be used in conjunction with the regular bow lights. We also as I said in an earlier reply have a modified 'hurricane light with built in batteries and bright white LEDs.see here for a similar type http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Hurrican...hurricane+lamp

I don't think my previous reply should have riled Wrong and I hope my saying much the same again here will not do so either.

[redsky49]

Notwithstanding the belligerence of (aptly named) WRONG's position, the use of anchored vessels' masthead anchor lights as aids to navigation is absurd, not to mention unseamanlike.

As for additional illumination, I have been using solar powered lights for several years with excellent results. These are not the garden variety cheapies, but were reviewed in Practical Sailor several years ago, and were well regarded.

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp...2581&id=988405

They do indeed last all night, even in the winter when daylight is in short supply. I have mounted them both fore and aft and they are worthy additions to the masthead light. Better still, they are auto on/off so that I needn't worry about remembering turning them on at night. Not two mile visible perhaps, but certainly visible for over a mile.

On occasion I have also lit my foredeck light when worried about speedboats or drunk operators (read Florida).

All this, plus some SOLAS tape on the stanchions, let me sleep well at anchor.

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by redsky49

Notwithstanding the belligerence of (aptly named) WRONG's position, the use of anchored vessels' masthead anchor lights as aids to navigation is absurd, not to mention unseamanlike.

As for additional illumination, I have been using solar powered lights for several years with excellent results. These are not the garden variety cheapies, but were reviewed in Practical Sailor several years ago, and were well regarded.

SolLight Solar LED Rail Light

They do indeed last all night, even in the winter when daylight is in short supply. I have mounted them both fore and aft and they are worthy additions to the masthead light. Better still, they are auto on/off so that I needn't worry about remembering turning them on at night. Not two mile visible perhaps, but certainly visible for over a mile.

On occasion I have also lit my foredeck light when worried about speedboats or drunk operators (read Florida).

All this, plus some SOLAS tape on the stanchions, let me sleep well at anchor.

What is it with idiots like those?? We watched one (40 footer mind) leave a neighbouring marina 4th July with an already very 'merry' crew, they apparently forgot their large cooler left on the dock so one jumped overboard and swam back to get it, the boat returned to pick him and the beer supplies up but by then one passenger was already passed out on the foredeck. We Called the local Sherriffs Office to report it but nobody was remotely interested in preventing a potential disaster.We later learned that particular boat owner was well known for such boozy parties on board but nobody dared to challenge him as he was known to often react very 'badly'

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by redsky49

Notwithstanding the belligerence of (aptly named) WRONG's position, the use of anchored vessels' masthead anchor lights as aids to navigation is absurd, not to mention unseamanlike.

That is a strange one, alright... One feature I typically don't associate with "remote anchorages", is the welcoming sight of previously anchored earlier arrivals...

:-)



In places like the Bahamas, for instance, he may be in for an unpleasant surprise some night, if the masthead light he's relying upon for 'guidance' in conning a boat with a 5 or 6 foot draft into an anchorage, just happens to be atop the rig of a multihull anchored in 3 feet of water...

:-)

[Dockhead]

I don't understand what you guys are arguing about. Peace, brothers. Surely everyone can agree that it's good to be well-lit at anchor. You protect yourself from possible collisions, and at the same time you make it easier for other sailors to get into the anchorage. There's a complete alignment of interests here, so why the argument?

Of course you should think about other sailors, and not just yourself -- that's the way we do it -- part of our code. But here nothing special is required.

Well-lit boats in an anchorage certainly help your orientation when you come in after dark. It doesn't mean you're using them as buoys or anything -- it doesn't replace radar or chartplotter. It just gives you a visual reference, which is helpful. I often anchor in the dark, and am glad if there is a well-lit boat in ahead of me.

[sailorboy1]

I don't really understand all the "passion" of this thread. I seems pretty simple, if you don't want to get run into at night have enough lights on to be seen. If you come into an anchorage etc. expect there to be boats in it, even if they don't have any lights on.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Jon Eisberg

. . . In places like the Bahamas, for instance, he may be in for an unpleasant surprise some night, if the masthead light he's relying upon for 'guidance' in conning a boat with a 5 or 6 foot draft into an anchorage, just happens to be atop the rig of a multihull anchored in 3 feet of water...

:-)

No one advocated:

1. Steering a rhumb line towards someone's anchor light without checking the chart for obstacles; or;

2. Assuming that because there's an anchor light over there, there's plenty of water for me.

These would be silly positions, which no one on here would advocate. You shouldn't put words in people's mouths. This is an argument about nothing.

If someone gets a helpful visual reference from my well-lit up boat in the anchorage before them, I am glad of it. I am going to light up my boat well in any case.

[zboss]

What about putting up-lighting on the top inside edge of the spreaders to light up the top half of the mast but not illuminate your neighbors or your deck?

That would look kind of nifty. I was also thinking that it would be nice to have directional uplighting on my backstay to light up the US Flag we can fly from there.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by zboss

1 What about putting up-lighting on the top inside edge of the spreaders to light up the top half of the mast but not illuminate your neighbors or your deck?

2 That would look kind of nifty. I was also thinking that it would be nice to have directional uplighting on my backstay to light up the US Flag we can fly from there.

1. Not a bad idea, but most folks do have curtains in their boats, not sure I understand the "issue" of not letting people sleep. Strobes would be the worst and as mentioned are not proper.

2. My understanding is the flag should come down at night.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

1. Not a bad idea, but most folks do have curtains in their boats, not sure I understand the "issue" of not letting people sleep. Strobes would be the worst and as mentioned are not proper.

2. My understanding is the flag should come down at night.

1) "not sure I understand the "issue" of not letting people sleep." - Really? We sleep with our hatches and portholes open for airflow, thus no shades. Sleep is pretty important to us and it would make me pretty upset to have some guy blowing up a peaceful anchorage with spreader lights on.

2) You could fly any flag.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by zboss

What about putting up-lighting on the top inside edge of the spreaders to light up the top half of the mast but not illuminate your neighbors or your deck?

That would look kind of nifty. I was also thinking that it would be nice to have directional uplighting on my backstay to light up the US Flag we can fly from there.

I thought about doing this when I had my mast down two years ago. I finally decided it would be kind of tacky (like those blue lights shining underwater) and didn't do it), but sometimes I regret this decision. Such lights would certainly make you extremely well visible at anchor, and yes, I admit, I think it would look cool. You sometimes see superyachts with this arrangement here, and it does look cool!

I did install LED spreader and deck lights -- which shine down onto the deck. I leave these on sometimes when extra visibility is needed. Greatly helps to find the boat with the tender after dark, too.

[noelex 77]

It is nice to have anchor lights that don't restrict night vision forward. Dragging boats will come from ahead and it is sometimes necessary to keep an eye on other boats in the anchorage, especially those with a potential to hit you.

If a boat does start dragging down on you it is not the time to start turning off lights.

Ideally, if you can, arrange your displayed lights at anchor so there is minimal impact on night vision especially forward, but still retaining some general illumination of the mast or superstructure to provide depth perception for boats entering the anchorage (or dragging).

A masthead light combined with some stern illumination of the deck is a good combination but upward facing spreader lights are another possibility to substitute the stern illumination. The only drawback is there is little illumination at deck level and people in tenders or small fishing boats are less likely to be looking up, but upward facing spreader lights are hard to miss.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

You sometimes see superyachts with this arrangement here, and it does look cool!

They do look cool on the superyachts - that is what gave me the idea! I also like the underwater lights... thats also a way to increase visibility without disturbing your neighbors, and look cool while doing it.

I could never sleep with my deck spreaders shining all night.

[JPA Cate]

Anchored in an anchorage with a lot of boats, with the anchor ball displayed, we were T-boned, twice, by some very "merry" incompetents. I'm here to tell you visibility isn't enough; we need a force field!

Our mainsail bag has lazy jacks, and we tie the lower anchor light above the boom, and it does not interfere with view forward.

Cheers, guys.

Ann

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Anchored in an anchorage with a lot of boats, with the anchor ball displayed, we were T-boned, twice, by some very "merry" incompetents. I'm here to tell you visibility isn't enough; we need a force field!

Our mainsail bag has lazy jacks, and we tie the lower anchor light above the boom, and it does not interfere with view forward.

Cheers, guys.

Ann

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