Anchor Light Problem

[AllAboutMe]

I have a friend with a boat moored in Ft Myers City Yacht Basin. He's stuck in Texas on a job, and just realized that he needs to have his anchor light turned on, beginning this Friday, or risks getting a citation from the city. Is there any one in the area, that, for a fair fee, would be willing to row,motor,swim, out to his boat and power up the light for him? I can put you in touch with him to work out the details.
Larry Wilson

[Sailorman375]

Might help to know where in Texas. It's a big state you know.

[dandrews]

Hmmm I must have missed something. I believe the OP said his friend was in TX but the boat was in Ft Myers FL that needs the anchor lite turned on. Size of Texas probably does not matter in this one instance...Thumb

[Sailorman375]

Sorry my mistake. Shouldn't read these while taking cold meds.

[roverhi]

There are LED anchor lights on a cord with automatic light sensing switches. Just plug in the light and hang off the boom or somewhere convenient. Rowing out every morning and night to switch the anchor light is a pain and, if it's an incandescent light, are battery drainers. Still might want to buy a small Photovoltaic panel to keep the batteries topped off even with a switched LED light.

[David M]

There are LED nav lights with heir own built in battery and solar cells. You can buy them as one unit, they turn themselves off an on automatically. They are mostly used by government and commercial entities but are sold to the public. You can see them on many of the recently retrofitted nav aids.

Example...
http://vijalight.trustpass.alibaba.c..._VIJA_370.html

[AllAboutMe]

There is a solar panel that will keep the batteries charged, so all that is needed is one trip out to the boat to turn the switch on, for now. Repeat, one trip...and then he'll be back in Ft Myers to install a wind genny and an led with a light sensor.

[hellosailor]

Allabout-
Is there a "harbormaster" at that city yacht basin? Or a local repair yard, or West Marine store?
Might be worthwhile to call someone who works in the area, who'd be willing to make an extra $50 to go out and turn on the lights, as a "job". There's always someone willing to do boatwork. Launch service? Often the launch drivers will be glad to make an extra $20 AND keep an extra eye on the boat as well.

[Vasco]

Are anchor lights required on a mooring? I was under the impression that they are only required when anchored.

[Dockhead]

I know someone who might help. PM me the details including, particularly, whether he just needs the light switched on, or whether there are problems with access or power to deal with.

[hellosailor]

Rick-
"Are anchor lights required on a mooring?"
In the US, there are special anchorages and general anchorages, and the Coast Pilot details the different regulations for each. Then there are state and municipal regulations that may apply as well.
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." [Dorothy]

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Rick-
"Are anchor lights required on a mooring?"
In the US, there are special anchorages and general anchorages, and the Coast Pilot details the different regulations for each. Then there are state and municipal regulations that may apply as well.
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." [Dorothy]

Those are anchorages. I'm familiar with designated anchorages and lights not being required there. But we're talking about moorings here. A mooring field is not an anchorage. I've been in a few mooring fields on the east coast US and no anchor lights are required. Is Ft. Myers different?

[AllAboutMe]

Apparently Ft Myers has passed an anchor light ordinance, part of a plan to do away with derelict, and undesirable boats.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by AllAboutMe

Apparently Ft Myers has passed an anchor light ordinance, part of a plan to do away with derelict, and undesirable boats.

And it requires an anchor light when not at anchor?

[hellosailor]

Rick-
"A mooring field is not an anchorage."
You would think. But I've been moored in what the charts call an "anchorage". In a "general anchorage" you may be required to have an anchor light and radio watch, in a "special anchorage" everything is "special". That is, subject to local regulation which may include a mooring field. Where *typically* the boats are dead and black at night, subject only to the local rules.
A mooring is, after all, simply a ball getting in between a boat and an anchor--which often has been permanently set by a local authority, or by their terms and permissions.
In the NE US, everybody claims they own the bottom. Sometimes, in fact they do. I have no idea where the split in anchorages comes from, just that anytime the chart says "special anchorage" it means there's often someone local to be answered to. Whether that's legal or just "creep"....damfino.

Rights of passage, of navigation? In "navigable waters" there are federal regulations for that. Anchorage law? Predates our national government, and the old Crown Patents and other complications still often apply.

Remember that Fort Myers is in Florida, and Florida is one of the few US states that has laws sometimes based on SPANISH not ENGLISH law/tradition. Can't assume anything there will be the same as it is in the original Colonies. Same goes for Louisiana (follows Napoleonic Code), California (where even the federal courts usually rule opposite the rest of the US) and a few other places.

If you asked the average American whether there were states or provinces (huh?) or was Canada just one country....I suspect they'd tell you it was just one country, no states up there. Well, those of us who could tell you that Canada was mainly north of the US, anyway. (Mainly north of most of the US, anyway.)