Do you use a Daytime Black ball at Anchor?

[CatNewBee]

Wasn't the cone an invitation to a bonfire?

[Group9]

Never used an anchor ball, but at night we light up our boat with multiple lights in addition to the required 2nm one.

All you have to do is watch one idiot power boater go through an anchorage wide open at night to become a believer in, the more lights, the better!

[Mike OReilly]

Poll numbers keep creeping up, but the ratios have remained pretty constant for a long time now.

Too bad the poll can’t also correlate where people are based to their Yes/Sometime/No/Huh? answer. Although reading the posts indicates most Yes will be in Europe and most No will come from North America.

[CatNewBee]

Yes, and Americans have lateral buoys green on the wrong side too...

Just saying...

[Elzaar]

Jim, thanks for that reply. My philosophy was to raise it if I was anchored in a location or situation where it wasn't obvious I was anchored. I always use an anchor light in darkness.

Reading your response I felt like smacking myself for not having thought of the liabilty angle. I should know better. It will be part of the anchoring routine from now on.

[seabum]

The point of the black ball has to do with the rules of the road. It's to show that you are NOT underway, rather than to be seen (because if you can see a black ball, you can probably see the boat!). However, I never see them displayed here in the Pacific Northwest probably because of the substantial depths of the water. I mean, if you're anchored, you're probably well out of the navigated waters, i.e much closer to shore than boats underway. Of course, the anchor light is definitely important at night. I almost ran into a boat myself once leaving an anchorage at 0Dark:00 because it had no lights.

[Training Wheels]

Have an anchor ball, never used it. Never seen one used (on pleasure boats). Pacific coast Mexico.

[Perfect Ride]

Yes: 15 meter boat raise the black ball 98% of the time at anchor.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

Have an anchor ball, never used it. Never seen one used (on pleasure boats). Pacific coast Mexico.

Maybe you could sow the seed to start a useful trend...

[Elzaar]

Seabum, I hear you and that was my approach, too. It certainly makes the most sense if there were no snow-flakes around the PNW. ��

JimCate's post just reminds me that there are some people willing to call an attorney at any opportunity.

[Dauntlessny]

It's great to see how many are so proud of the fact that they don't follow the rules or display lights that are confusing to all but themselves.
Don't worry though, your insurance will sort it out when the time comes.
I once almost ran into a boat head on because it was displaying a flashing red light at the top of his mast. I thought it was a distant land based radio tower.
After our near miss, i called him in the radio to fix his lights. He did.
I didn't even know we had day shapes, until i got my license, from then on I noticed.
Working boats in the USA have them. Few private boats.
In Europe almost everyone has them.

[Apollo366]

One of the reasons US boater/sailors are so ignorant of COLREGS is that no license whatsoever is required in our waters!
This is because the Boating Industry lobby does not want anything in the way of making a sale to the customers.
Even though I'm a licensed USCG Master, I don't remember there being many questions about day shapes, except Dredging (if you can't tell a dredge from a barge, you're blind) and Diving Operations.
Also as a charter Captain, I've never had day shapes provided on board the vessels.

[gwyn]

I have a commercial ticket and abide by the IRPCS, otherwise no commercial ticket and/or jail.

Once skippered a boat which did not have one so used a spherical fender with a black bin bag on it.

[parkstone bay]

Yes - the anchor ball is required by IRPCAS. One poster earlier derided the use of the "motoring cone". I fear that he has missed the meaning and intention of the shape. The "motoring cone" (which certainly in the UK is more honoured in the breach than the observance) says to the outside world "I may look like a sailing boat, but I am under power. Treat me as a power boat, and I'll treat the rest of world as if I'm a power boat". As an example, I am in a sailing boat, on port tack, crossing with a starboard tack sailing boat. Other things being equal - and I stress those words - I am the give-way/burdened vessel. But, if he's showing a motoring cone, I am entitled to assume that he's a powerboat, and he knows he's a powerboat, and has therefore assumed the onus onto himself. Another example, I am in a powerboat and see a sailing boat crossing from my port side. Other things being equal - again stressed - I am, again, the give-way/burdened vessel. But, if he's showing a motoring cone, I am entitled to assume that he's a powerboat, and the rules as between powerboats apply. Or, put another way, you see a sailing boat, with rags up, clearly under power, (exhaust out of the transom, sailing dead to wind'ard at 6 knots, etc, etc), no motoring cone. How do you treat this individual? Does he know that he's a powerboat, and will apply powerboat rules, or does he think he's still a sailing boat, and should be treated as such?

[boat driver]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

I can see how they may have some use on a yacht where it can easily be hoisted and seen from all angles but how are we, for example, supposed to do it?
No mast and if running rope from roof to bow, only visible from the front.

that difficulty can be held as responsibility of the vessel captain/Owner.
a boat hook mast with ball stuck into chain locker hause can work.