All round red.......?

[Matata]

just been down to Falmouth and on a swinging mooring is a big (70') yacht, very fancy it is too! Anyway there were obviously people on board that night and was showing an all round re at the top of the mast. What does that mean? Nik

 

[prv]

Aircraft anti-collision light, I suspect

Pete

 

[pvb]

Isn't it the "considerably richer than you" light?

 

[stevepick]

2 vertical all round reds is the anchor light rule for vessels > 50m. means you know to give it a wide berth in the dark. I only know cos I saw them regularly in the Caribbean last December .

 

[tolhurstorganic]

It says" My mast is over 100feet and I have loads o' money"
Have heard stories that some very wealthy boats have had a bit extra added to the mast just to get the red light!
Officially to prevent aircraft geting tangled up in yer hydralically operated halyards

 

[PilotWolf]

2 vertical all round reds is the anchor light rule for vessels > 50m. means you know to give it a wide berth in the dark. I only know cos I saw them regularly in the Caribbean last December .

Err... no it doesn't!

It means not under command or in combination with other lights it is the side that an obstruction exists (such as a dredger) or fishing vessel with it's gear fast.

Red on its own used for indicating dangerous cargo - more lightly that it is red over green extra sailing lights and the green bulb has blown!

W.

 

[prv]

Red on its own used for indicating dangerous cargo - more lightly that it is red over green extra sailing lights and the green bulb has blown!

Stavros definitely has a red aircraft-warning light on one of the masts (not sure if there's one on each). Turned on in harbour only, I think.

Pete

 

[PilotWolf]

Stavros definitely has a red aircraft-warning light on one of the masts (not sure if there's one on each). Turned on in harbour only, I think.

Pete

Possible I guess if not likely to be confused with nav lighting. There is a particular tall one in Ocean Village (under Southampton airport approach) but can't recall if that has one or not.

W.

 

[timbartlett]

2 vertical all round reds is the anchor light rule for vessels > 50m. means you know to give it a wide berth in the dark. I only know cos I saw them regularly in the Caribbean last December .

Clears throat tactfully and hesitates before starting yet another colregs thread:

Rule 27
Vessels not under command or restricted in
their ability to manoeuvre
(a) A vessel not under command shall exhibit:
(i) two all-round red lights in a vertical line where they can best be seen;
(ii) two balls or similar shapes in a vertical line where they can best be seen;
(iii) when making way through the water, in addition to the lights prescribed in this paragraph, sidelights and a stern light.

Rule 30
Anchored vessels and vessels aground
(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:
(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 sub-paragraph (i), an all-round white light.
(b) A vessel of less than 50 metres in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it an best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule.

 

[rib]

a seagull has flown in to the anchor light

 

[WoodyP]

Perhaps they were "open for business"

 

[VO5]

All round red or more commonly, all round flashing red means dangerous cargo, such as explosives, fuel, gas, etc.,

I cannot think why a yacht would display such a light at the masthead, but there again, funny things are not uncommonly seen at sea.

I remember seeing a Yacht at night displaying its nav lights the wrong way round. I called him up on VHF to tell him so.

It resulted in one hell of an agument.

Suprisingly it was a US flagged vessel.

 

[rib]

i allways belived it to be a aero light,especially when near heli landing spots !

 

[rib]

went into helford once big big schooner was showing one on each mast and anchor lights .....iwas confussed

 

[TQA]

All round red masthead lights are commonplace in the world of large yachts nowadays.

Also note the trend to lighting up the spreaders to show the number of panels in the mast.

Here is a pic from Falmouth harbour Antigua at this years Classic week.

N.B. None of these were at anchor, all were tied up in marinas.

 

[TimBennet]

As said, they're aero warning lights. No "ifs, no buts no maybes"!

They've been standard practice on super yachts for years as these boats are commonly found in the places where helicopters are also common (as muck).

 

[Easticks28]

Marine knocking shop ?

 

[KellysEye]

Yes it is an aircraft anti-collision light, as seen on tall chimneys, skyscrapers etc. You will see dozens of them in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua.

 

[little_roundtop]

Yes it is an aircraft anti-collision light, as seen on tall chimneys, skyscrapers etc. You will see dozens of them in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua.

Well.....the FAA in the USA specifies a minimum height of 500ft for all aircraft (except for takeoff and landing of course). I'd have thought that since these things are usually agreed internationally 500ft would be the minimum height everywhere? Now even Mirabella V's mast is only 290ft high, so these all-round red lights are unlikely to be really required as anti-collision lights, and since they conflict with the "dangerous cargo" all-round red in the COLREGS I'm with the "my mast is bigger than yours" brigade.

 

[prv]

Well.....the FAA in the USA specifies a minimum height of 500ft for all aircraft (except for takeoff and landing of course). I'd have thought that since these things are usually agreed internationally 500ft would be the minimum height everywhere? Now even Mirabella V's mast is only 290ft high, so these all-round red lights are unlikely to be really required as anti-collision lights, and since they conflict with the "dangerous cargo" all-round red in the COLREGS I'm with the "my mast is bigger than yours" brigade.

The rules for aircraft are that you have to be 500 feet from any building, vehicle, person, or thing generally that isn't part of nature. So you can go as low as you want over open water (although it's not terribly sensible in a single-engined plane that doesn't float).

That doesn't invalidate your point (they should be staying 500 feet away from the boat), but I guess it's a case of pointing to the rulebook not being much consolation when your mast is hanging over the side.

Pete