Anchor Lights

[danleach]

Hey there Sailing experts. Question for the collective from a newbie.

I'd like to use a traditional anchor light instead of burning the batteries all night long. But I see on the West Marine website a note that the US Coast Guard does not approve the Den Haan lights Weems and Plath sells to mark a boat at anchor.

Are there other traditional lights that are approved?

I can't seem to find anything on this on the coast guard site.

Anyone have more info?

[ssullivan]

Hi Dan,

Here are the Coast Guard and International rules/specs for the lights you speak of. Some pretty dry stuff, but I pipe in again near the end..

The International (and Inland) nav rules specify in Rule 30 that a vessel aground or anchored shall show an "all around white light" where it can best be seen. (vessels less than 50M in length)

The rules further go on to describe an all around white light (in Annex 1, #7 and #8) as a light with specific color and specific intensity. (I doubt every anchor light out there is actually producing these exact colors and intensites).

Annex 1, #7: All white nav lights shall conform to the following standards, specified by the International Commission on Illumination:

(i) White: x .525 .525 .452 .310 .310 .443
y .382 .440 .440 .348 .283 .382

Annex 1 #8: Intensity of lights
Min intensity shall be calculated using the forumula: I=3.43 x 10^6 x T x D^2 x K^(-D)

Where:

I is luminous intensity in candelas
T is threshold factor 2 x 10^(-7) lux
D is range of visibility in nautical miles
Kis atmospheric tranmissivity, and shall be .8, corresponding to a meteorological visiblity of approx 13 miles.

Now, with all the technical crap out of the way, the problem is likely that an oil lamp can't reproduce the color or intensity as described above. In the event of a maritime accident, if you have a standard anchor light that meets the above criteria and is on when you are struck, you are not likely to be at fault. If you do not have equipment that meets these criteria, you may be found at fault and charged.

That is really what the warning is all about.

So... it's a gamble to run the oil lamp. Personally, I like the idea of using the oil lamp, but have to err on the side of caution, especially since I have customers on board.

[CSY Man]

Yeah, the anchor light question.

I have used an oil (kerosene) lamp in the past, but it made me nervous to have it burning while I was sleeping.

Being an ex-liveaboard I take anchor lights pretty seriously, and this is what I use these days:

For a regular, quiet anchorage with no traffic I use the standard mast-head, all around light

If I anchor in a "high risk" area, such as along the coast of South-East Florida where some drugged up fast-boat owner may come buzzing by @ 0300, I use 3 or 4 "anchor lights".
The one up on top of the mast, 2 hanging lights in the cockpit at different angles and heigts, and the fordeck light.

The more lumes, the better. Let the amps flow and let the boat look like a Christmas tree.
It may cost 5 amps per hour, but it sure beats a collision @ sea.

Next morning we will motor away and charge the batteries anyway.

If ya are anchored for several weeks at the time, use an LED bulb and find a protected anchorage where minimum lumes are required.
Don't ever NOT display any kind of light..It can be deadly trying to save amps....

[ssullivan]

Another good idea (for safety) is to anchor in an area that is specially designated as an anchorage and has many other boats. While this may not be as safe if anyone drags, you are less likely to be struck by another vessel that isn't paying attention.

As CSYman points out... the more lights (that illuminate the deck, in addition to the all around white light the better. Illuminating your decks is also mentioned as an option (in addition to the all around white light) in the Nav Rules.

[markpj23]

I absolutely agree - the more lights the better!! The man we bought our boat from suffered a TOTAL LOSS of his Endeavour 37 while anchored one night in the Bahamas. Batteries had run down and the coastal freighter that took a shortcut through the well-known / marked anchorage never saw them until after the collision. They were lucky to escape with their lives...

You will know my boat by its reputation for lighting up the anchorage at night...

[Fishspearit]

I've never been a big fan of the masthead anchor light myself. The people racing through anchorages in fast boats at night aren't usually looking up in the sky, there looking straight ahead. So lighting up the cockpit always seemed like a much better idea. One low cost, low amperage solution I've known a lot of cruisers to use is a real small low amp bulb, the type normally used for small indicating lights, drawing only about .2 amps an hour. This tucked down inside one of those Pizza hut type pepper shakers with the refracted glass put out quite a bit of noticeable light at cockpit level.
For determining the proper lumen intensity, hop in your dinghy and motor a safe distance away. If only an idiot or a blind man could miss your light, than you have the "proper" intensity.

[Talbot]

Why not use a decent LED (or several) to minimise power loss. recommend you consider this one

[kraker]

just want too throw this in for what its worth. I was going up the ditch a few years ago ...and witnessed a sailboat being towed in to port. Obviously having been rolled over. mast gone and stanchions bent....turned out it had been anchored in a creek off the waterway. Ashrimper came out during the night and hit him. shrimper claimed they didnt have an anchor light...owner claimed he had set a light ...crew all swore they had a light ...as there was no entry in the log of light being set...the court took the shrimpers word....long story shortened up .....always enter in your log.................................anchor light set and operating.......

[CSY Man]

long story shortened up .....always enter in your log.................................anchor light set and operating.......

Hmm, good point..

Just may start a log to prove the future.....A 3 second entry ain't asking too much.

On the subject of oil anchor lamps, I have and use these lamps. I was advised by a number of friends, and a local Coast Guard auxilliry member that the oil lamps were not legal. I read and re-read the CFR's, and could not find any real reason that these lamps can not be used. I was told by another local that the reason that oil lamps should not be used is due to their inability to burn through the night. This sounds as reasonable as any reasoning I have heard so far. I will say that when using my oil lamps, from shore, the anchor light is as visible as other boats with electrical lamps. This may not be very scientific, but it is good enough for me.

[Rippy]

These are all great comments; we certainly would reinforce the need to make all appropriate log entries regarding your anchoring situation. We even mention length of chain out, position if it is near a designated channel and of course the time the anchor light went on. We also like having a couple of visible lights: one at the masthead is a Davis mega (low amp) light with a on/off solonoid for hours of darkness; and one at deck level. The one we use at deck level we purchase from either Lowes or Home Depot for about $20. It is one with a very small solar panel and it turns on automatically with low light. Of course, it rarely stores up enough energy to operate all night long, but it does help. The cockpit level light is important for boaters in small runabouts who may not look up for the masthead lights.
Cheers,
Roger Rippy
SV Tin Cup

[kraker]

I remember a trip on Tampa Bay...with a small runabout pre sail boat days....got caught on the bay by a north easter moving thru...we took a real bouncing around as I was coming into the anchorage the clouds cleared and we had stars all over the sky ...beautiful .....OH this happened after sundown.....I was looking at the stars and not realizing some of them were anchor lights .....wow almost nailed a sailboat.....almost caught one as he was leaving the harbor.......those lighs fade into the background.........

[southernman]

if any one is interested here is the link to our Tri Light in LED format. They are well priced and in our tests at night have been seen at 4 nm.

www.bebi-electronics.com

Made in fiji and awesome quality - very pleased with the product and I don't have any financial interest in the company!

[NoTies]

hey southernman, where can these be bought in NZ? I was sent the link a while ago and was really impressed with the simplicity and durability of them. Blowtorch test!!

[CaptainK]

They sure look simple to install. And the price is very reasonable!!