Anchor Light Regulations

[Orion Jim]

All around white light visible for two miles.
I know many newer boats have a masthead light but can anyone prove that the old fashioned anchor light raised several feet off the foredeck along the forestay is no longer legal? I believe they still are legal, prove me correct please.

[rwidman]

Do a web search on "navigation lights" and you can find the regulations.

I don't think there have been any significant changes.

[Group9]

Not only legal, but probably safer when you have small powerboats zooming around you at night. Powerboaters, like deer, don't look up much.

I always hang a light off of my fore stay when anchored. The mast light is just too far up (62 feet on my boat).

[jcapo]

Originally Posted by Group9

I always hang a light off of my fore stay when anchored. The mast light is just too far up (62 feet on my boat).

Wondering what kind of lite and how you power it?

[zeehag]

light up your cockpit so you can be seen.
i found is best to have the regulation anchor light no ton masthead, and to have cockpit lighted well.

masthead lighting i have found, is useless against the ambient background lighting in many pueblas and cities used as ports. no way to see other boats.
lighted cockpit is easy to see, as it is a unique shape and moves. moving lights attract attention.
anchor lights on bow moves, and anchor lights above the boom move, but the masthead lights do not. boat spins, light does not.
light up your cockpit as well as have a proper anchor light. be seen.

my bow anchor light is a perko oil lamp.

[MarkJ]

Mine is in the cockpit.

Up the top of a modern cruising boats mast just looks like a star.

[Vasco]

Mine is in the fore triangle hanging on a jib sheet. It's the best in the world but unfortunately no longer made. Owl Light from Bebi Electronics. Luckily I have three of them. I can always tell my boat from all the others when coming back at night.

An anchor light at the top of the mast is hard to see when you're dinking in the night. Especially the led ones which look like stars.

[cal40john]

I have one of these to hang in the rigging:

Aqua Signal || Series 40 Standard



As someone else pointed out the Colregs are available both online and in print, but for those a little behind on internet searching abilities (nothing about tops of masts anywhere):
Navigation Rules Online

Rule 30 - Anchored Vessels and Vessels Aground Return to the top of the page

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

(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;
(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level than the light prescribed in Rule 30(a)(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 Rule 30(a). Vessels at Anchor

(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. Vessels at Anchor

[El Pinguino]

' A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen' is the important bit.... at the top of the mast a bit to the left of Sirius isn't where it can best be seen...
If somewhere quiet with no shore lights I hang mine from the boom.... if busy-ish I also leave my deck light on....

[savoir]

Anchor lights do not have any two mile requirement. This is all you need :

1. white
2. all round
3. where it can best be seen

[Orion Jim]

Thanks folks, you're the best.

[Hudson Force]

There is a geographical factor to be attentive to regarding anchor lights. Zeehag presents a good point for anchor lights too high being confused with the background distant lights on land in her area where shore lights are higher. If you are anchored in Florida or the Bahamas a higher light can be more easily distinguished from the lower land lights in the background. I find that the best lights at anchor have a high light that "moves" by parallax in relationship to the lower lights and low light too. If I'm in a dark wilderness anchorage I'm well suited with one good light, but if I'm in a place with other distracting lights I set a clear and strong high light as well as lower lights.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by savoir

Anchor lights do not have any two mile requirement. This is all you need :

1. white
2. all round
3. where it can best be seen

Not so. Here are the requirements:

Rule 22 - Visibility of Lights Pilot Vessels Return to the top of the page

The lights prescribed in Rules 20-31 shall have an intensity as specified in [ Section 8 of ] Annex I to these Rules so as to be visible at the following minimum ranges:

(a) In vessels of 50 meters or more in length:

(i) a masthead light, 6 miles;
(ii) a sidelight, 3 miles;
(iii) a towing light, 3 miles;
(iv) a white red, green or yellow all-round light, 3 miles.
[(v) a special flashing light, 2 miles. ]

(b) In vessels of 12 meters or more in length but less than 50 meters in length;

(i) a masthead light, 5 miles; except that where the length of the vessel is less than 20 meters, 3 miles;
(ii) a sidelight, 2 miles;
(iii) a sternlight, 2 miles;
(iv) a towing light, 2 miles;
(v) a white, red, green or yellow all-round light, 2 miles.
[(vi) a special flashing light, 2 miles. ]

(c) In vessels of less than 12 meters in length:

(i) a masthead light, 2 miles;
(ii) a sidelight, 1 miles;
(iii) a towing light, 2 miles;
(iv) a white red, green or yellow all-round light, 2 miles.
[(v) a special flashing light, 2 miles. ]

(d) In inconspicuous, partly submerged vessels or objects being towed;

(i) a white all-round light; 3 miles.

[Dennis.G]

I hang one of these little Davis lights from the bimini frame over the cockpit in addition to masthead light. I like the Davis light as it acts as a low level night light for the cockpit if sitting and just enjoying the evening.

I came to within about 4 feet of a dark blue hulled boat on night when motoring in my dinghy, and they had just a masthead anchor light on. If far away a masthead is good, and likely good from the bridge of a ship, but in a crowded anchorage masthead lights are not a lot of help for small boats. In Mexico you're most likely to be hit by a panga or another cruiser in a dinghy when in a populated anchorage, so a cockpit level light really is needed (even if not required by regs).
http://www.davisnet.com/marine/produ...asp?pnum=03300

[savoir]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Not so. Here are the requirements:

You have posted the wrong thing. Those rules are limited to the running lights and have nothing to do with anchor lights.