Is an all-in-one masthead light legal?

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Graphic shows some of the options but not all.

Indeed, the graphic shows the customary configurations, but not all options, for example, Red over Green Sailing Machine, albeit not many of those around.

Rule 25 – Sailing vessels underway and vessels under oars

(a) a sailing vessel underway shall exhibit:

(i) sidelights;
(ii) a sternlight.

(b) In a sailing vessel of less than 20 meters in length the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen.

(c) A sailing vessel underway may, in addition to the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule, exhibit at or near the top of the mast, where they can best be seen, two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower Green, but these lights shall not be exhibited in conjunction with the combined lantern permitted by paragraph (b) of this Rule.

(d)

(i) A sailing vessel of less than 7 meters in length shall, if practicable, exhibit the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Rule, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.
(ii) A vessel under oars may exhibit the lights prescribed in this rule for sailing vessels, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.

(e) A vessel proceeding under sail when also being propelled by machinery shall exhibit forward where it can best be seen a conical shape, apex downwards.

[capt jgw]

Back to the original question, the all round white light atop the red-green-white tricolor is an anchor light, not a masthead/steaming light. They would never both be shown at the same time. There is also sometimes a white strobe in there too, it would only be lit when in distress. And yes, some sailors just turn them all on. Yes, I see you, but I can't tell what the heck you are doing. (Except proving your ignorance).

[Montanan]

Shall we talk about black, pointed end down, cone day signals next?





And then there is my favorite, the illuminated rotated mirrored glimmer balls, they add a nice sparkly effect, especially with changing colors of bright spot lights shown onto them.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Not about my boat. I'm good.


It's about boats I noticed at the last show with no side lights at deck level. Only a tricolor. Should have taken pictures and better notes.

If the boat has an engine, that would not be legal. Must have red-green side lights and white stern light at deck level and white masthead/steaming light at least one meter higher if under power. Tricolor is purely optional and may only be lit if there is no engine propelling the boat.

[goboatingnow]

correct , if you light the tricolour for sailing only , you should not use your side lights as well

[Dave Lochner]

From COLREGS, page 61:

Sailing Vessels Underway and Vessels Under Oars
(a) A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit: (i) sidelights; and
(ii) a stern light.
(b) In a sailing vessel of less than 20 meters in length the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen.

Sailing vessel underway—less than 20 meters in length. Same for International.



https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf

[Redline452]

As I understand it, the idea of permitting a single tricolour at the masthead for sailing vessels under 20m was so that a single bulb could be used to illuminate the tricolour's coloured and clear lenses - rather than needing at least two (combo red/green at the bow plus separate stern) or three (red / green / stern) bulbs in separate fixtures. Made sense for a smaller vessel under sail, i.e. not running an engine so only battery-powered.


That said, now that many/most fixtures are LED, the overall power consumption is lower, and an LED tricolour must use separate red / green / white LEDs anyway, so there isn't as much of a power saving over separate fixtures.



(and no, you can't put a "white" LED behind coloured filters, but that's a separate issue)

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Redline452

As I understand it, the idea of permitting a single tricolour at the masthead for sailing vessels under 20m was so that a single bulb could be used to illuminate the tricolour's coloured and clear lenses - rather than needing at least two (combo red/green at the bow plus separate stern) or three (red / green / stern) bulbs in separate fixtures. Made sense for a smaller vessel under sail, i.e. not running an engine so only battery-powered.


That said, now that many/most fixtures are LED, the overall power consumption is lower, and an LED tricolour must use separate red / green / white LEDs anyway, so there isn't as much of a power saving over separate fixtures.



(and no, you can't put a "white" LED behind coloured filters, but that's a separate issue)

The reason for only one set of bicolors being displayed at the mast head or in the alternative at the deck level is that another vessel cannot discern if there are two boats or only one, if both are inappropriately operating simultaneously. Also, very difficult to gauge ranging when there are two sets because typically the mast head becomes visible before the lower near deck installed lights.

There was a small amount of economy of electrical power draw with the single tricolor mast head light but negligible back in the day of incandescent lights. Good point as to substitution of different kinds of light emitters with different spectrums, one can really shift the color scheme by installing incorrect light sources behind colored lenses.

[alctel]

On my old boat, I installed a 'tree' on top of my mast with a red LED over a green one.

I could run that, legally, at the same time as my deck lights and it made me super visible - it worked great. I'm definitely going to do it on my new boat as well.

I've only seen one other boat do that though for some reason (I guess decent 360 degree red and green LEDs are hard to find)

Picture of it here at the bottom https://www.saildivefish.ca/mast-work-part-2/

[StuM]

Yet again we see confusion resulting from poor use of terms. The OP is making an incorrect assumption about what he has "seen at Boat Shows"



>Thus the steaming (mast head or all-around white) light must be


On a boat "masthead light" has a specific meaning (under COLRGEs). It is what is often known as a "steaming light" and is rarely if ever mounted at the top of the mast and never part of a "combined light"



There is no such thing as an "all-in-one masthead light".



"All-in-one" light is commonly use to to describe either a tricolor (combined red/green sidelights and white stern light) or a combined tricolor and anchor light (not steaming/masthead light) at the top of the mast.


Thinking that the "all round whit light" sometimes incorporated in an "all in one light" is a masthead light is a misconception - it is an intended for use as an anchor light and needs to be switched so that it cannot be on at the same time as either a tricolor or a set of side lights and stern light.

[Captain Puget]

Coast guard inspected and approved my mast tricolor.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Redline452

As I understand it, the idea of permitting a single tricolour at the masthead for sailing vessels under 20m was so that a single bulb could be used to illuminate the tricolour's coloured and clear lenses - rather than needing at least two (combo red/green at the bow plus separate stern) or three (red / green / stern) bulbs in separate fixtures. Made sense for a smaller vessel under sail, i.e. not running an engine so only battery-powered.


That said, now that many/most fixtures are LED, the overall power consumption is lower, and an LED tricolour must use separate red / green / white LEDs anyway, so there isn't as much of a power saving over separate fixtures.



(and no, you can't put a "white" LED behind coloured filters, but that's a separate issue)

I believe without evidence that the reasons for the tricolor were twofold:
A. Power savings.
B. Placing the lights where they couldn’t be obscured by sails

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Adelie

To be legal in all conditions:
A. Masthead tricolor when sailing.
B. Masthead all around white when anchored.
C. Bow Bi-color or Red&Green sidelights PLUS masthead all around white (aka anchor light) when motoring.

As somebody that wants lights all around high & low I’m adding Amber LEDs, 2 each side and 2 on the stern corners. Amber is not a color used for any other purpose so it can’t be confused for lights of a different purpose.

Not true. Amber (or yellow) is used on tugs and tows to so indicate.

Also your "C": an all-round white light (providing the function of both a steaming light and a stern light) is only valid for vessels under 12 metres. Over 12 metres they must be separate lights with restricted arcs - the steaming light covering the combined arcs (forward) of the red and green sidelights and the stern light covering the remainder (astern).

Also, when used with sidelights more than one metre below, a steaming light at the top of the mast IS legal (mine is up there). In fact it's preferable as, when motorsailing at night, the steaming light must be on and, if mounted on the front of the mast, can be obscured for a large part of it's arc by the jib.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Captain Puget

Coast guard inspected and approved my mast tricolor.

Tricolor meaning red and green and white showing aft (as a stern light while sailing). NOT including a white light showing forward (steaming light).

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Not about my boat. I'm good.


It's about boats I noticed at the last show with no side lights at deck level. Only a tricolor. Should have taken pictures and better notes.

Originally Posted by capt jgw

If the boat has an engine, that would not be legal. Must have red-green side lights and white stern light at deck level and white masthead/steaming light at least one meter higher if under power. Tricolor is purely optional and may only be lit if there is no engine propelling the boat.

Of course it would be legal!
However one wishes to motor (or motor sail), one is restricted to daylight hours only.