Anchor light design

[jwilson]

I am convinced of the benefits of both a masthead anchor light AND a lower level light that slightly illuminates the deck and at least the bow area once at close quarters. Yet most anchor lights as fitted at the masthead are so small thet they cast no light at all on the deck: in fact mine near the centre of the masthead is invisible if you get close to the boat, apart from a trace of reflection off the black windex, black wind instrument spinner and thin stainless steel whip VHF aerial.

I had a cunning plan to put a relay into the existing LED masthead anchor light circuit behind the chart table to also turn on (LED) stern light and forward (LED) steaming light fittings whenever the anchor light was turned on. This would be plenty visible all round, and power consumption would be acceptable with three LED fittings, but I feel the lights might be confusing.

The traditional answer (except for paraffin) is a light hung in the foretriangle with a plug to either a deck socket or through a hatch to a internal socket. I don't like either of these: too often you get bad connections at the plug/socket point.

I toyed with the idea of twin 180 degree lights side-mast-mounted at maybe 8 ft height, but the fittings would be very vulnerable to damage from anyone climbing the mast, so came up with this design - https://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/led-masthead.jpg - a single fitting combining all-round and downlights. The downlights don't need to be that bright - just enough to cast some light down to light the deck for close-quarters visibility.

No-one makes anything like it, but most masts already have lots of gubbins mounted on top, including the anchor light. If purpose-made, as opposed to home-made/bodged the lenses of the downlights could be astigmatic in order to focus the light fore and aft rather than in a pure cone. I'd buy one, and possibly many other owners of boats with the "standard" single masthead anchor light.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have a spot mounted on the front of my mast pointing down to light up my fordeck. I also have LED lights mounted under the lower spreaders to light up the aft half of the deck with LED cockpit lights both red and white

There is even a combined steaming and deck light available.

 

[lw395]

You don't want your masthead light to shine on the deck, if you might ever use it for motoring, or in fog or any other time you need to keep a good lookout.
Much better to have some separate downlights under the spreaders or under the boom even.

 

[Yngmar]

We just switch the deck flood light (fwd of the mast, looking down - part of the steaming light fitting) on, in addition to the useless regulation anchor light at the mast top. The deck flood lights most of the coachroof up nicely and makes us very visible. Confuses nobody, as they can't see the light source, just the lit up deck. It was a Hella flood light with a tungsten bulb, which I've upgraded with a LED bulb for a car headlight at a cost of three quid or so. Lasted nearly two years before it died, now awaiting replacement + spares.

Only issue we've had with this is that the light spilling over the sides of the boat attracts fish, which in turn attracted fishermen in Portugal, one of whom caught his line in our rudder one night.

We also have one of these inflatable solar powered ones which we can hang wherever we like. No plugs to corrode and completely waterproof. Good backup anchor light, or you can hang it on the boom and light up the cockpit.

 

[jwilson]

You don't want your masthead light to shine on the deck, if you might ever use it for motoring, or in fog or any other time you need to keep a good lookout.
Much better to have some separate downlights under the spreaders or under the boom even.

I specifically DO want the anchor light to light the deck: would only be used at anchor. A deck light on mast or spreaders would be just as good but requires new wiring, new hole in mast, new deck gland for cable etc. Mast only wired for steaming light and anchor light at present.

 

[duncan99210]

If you’re seeking to use existing wiring and holes, then perhaps you could look at fitting a spotlight at the mast head, supplied by the same wiring as the anchor light?
However, I’ve been using a dusk to dawn light, powered from a socket by the chart table and suspended from the anchor ball in the fore triangle for the past six or so years, anchoring most nights through the summer. The only modifications I’ve made were to fit a longer wire so it could be routed via the companionway hatch when it rains and to fit an LED bulb. Totally reliable, simple and cheap. Minor fag to set it up but you’ve got to put the anchor ball up anyhow, so it doesn’t really add much to the chore. And no holes anywhere.

 

[lw395]

I specifically DO want the anchor light to light the deck: would only be used at anchor. A deck light on mast or spreaders would be just as good but requires new wiring, new hole in mast, new deck gland for cable etc. Mast only wired for steaming light and anchor light at present.

Any decent commercial masthead anchor light is going to be made to illuminate outwards rather than down. If you want downlight at the same time, wire some low power downlights in parallel.
An anchor light with the anchoring ball is a good solution. It's not that hard to make a plug and socket work.

 

[prv]

If you want downlight at the same time, wire some low power downlights in parallel.

That's exactly what he's proposing, but hanging the downlights on a couple of spindly arms dangling either side of the masthead because making and fitting these is apparently easier than just sticking some lightweight LEDs to the underneath of the spreaders

An anchor light with the anchoring ball is a good solution. It's not that hard to make a plug and socket work.

+10

There are plenty of perfectly effective watertight connectors available. Mine is a large 30amp Bulgin because it was originally fitted to power a dinghy inflator, installed in a corner of the anchor locker, but it could equally be a small one next to the foot of the mast, say.

The power cable to my lamp runs up the inside of the anchor ball downhaul in place of the original braid core. I think it's a neat solution.

Pete

 

[GHA]

The power cable to my lamp runs up the inside of the anchor ball downhaul in place of the original braid core. I think it's a neat solution.

Same here, then into a dorade for power.

Works great, lights the foredeck a little and very bright low anchor light.

 

[Neeves]

The power cable to my lamp runs up the inside of the anchor ball downhaul in place of the original braid core. I think it's a neat solution.

Pete

I lack imagination - and did not think of that, great idea.

It might also have been mentioned previously (by either you, Pete, or GHA) - but it did not register.

Jonathan

 

[jwilson]

.... just sticking some lightweight LEDs to the underneath of the spreaders - snipped

I'd like a pair of deck lights on the spreaders, but as I said before there's a lot nore to installing them than just bunging the lights up - I dislike cables affixed to the spreaders, extra holes in the mast, etc.

Some of the problem is that the boat also gets chartered out, and thus stuff has to be as close as it can be to idiot-proof. If you have a deck plug someone will leave the cap off and slosh a bucket of salt water over it (been there done that - got fed up with replacing salt-corroded sockets).

 

[rogerthebodger]

How many cables to you have up the mast.

You can drive 2 separate lights with one pair of cables by using diodes and reversing the polarity of the supply.

just change the switch to a 3 position double pole on off on and diodes of the other end to direct the voltage to the 2 different lights.

Use the wires to the steaming light and you can have deck/spreader lights on at the same time as the anchor light.

 

[jwilson]

In principle that sounds a good idea: replace steaming light with combined steaming/deck fitting and wire the deck light to the anchor light. I'd clearly have to modify the light fitting to introduce diodes, and have diodes at the saloon mast wires point. Couldn't really do it neatly at the switchboard as it doesnt use toggle switches - see https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?img...bLdAhXsA8AKHavoBsgQMwg4KAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8

That actually is my switch panel, some of the labelled switches like "deck floodlights" aren't actually connected to real lights.

 

[rogerthebodger]

In principle that sounds a good idea: replace steaming light with combined steaming/deck fitting and wire the deck light to the anchor light. I'd clearly have to modify the light fitting to introduce diodes, and have diodes at the saloon mast wires point. Couldn't really do it neatly at the switchboard as it doesnt use toggle switches - see https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?img...bLdAhXsA8AKHavoBsgQMwg4KAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8

That actually is my switch panel, some of the labelled switches like "deck floodlights" aren't actually connected to real lights.

Ok a couple of questions.
How do you select between sailing and motoring navigation lights as it looks like then is only nav lights or anchor light or do you use the anchor light

It looks like you have push buttons for on and a seperate for off, how does that work is it and mechanical interlock or electrical interlock.

Do you have a wiring diagram so we can see how your system currently works.

 

[jwilson]

Ok a couple of questions.
How do you select between sailing and motoring navigation lights as it looks like then is only nav lights or anchor light or do you use the anchor light

It looks like you have push buttons for on and a seperate for off, how does that work is it and mechanical interlock or electrical interlock.

Do you have a wiring diagram so we can see how your system currently works.

Separate on and off definitely non-mechanical "soft" buttons. Navigation is bicolour and stern, steaming light is labelled "engine". I do have a wiring diagram but it just shows the Jeanneau switch panel as having 10 amp circuit breakers. They auto reset after an overload - I discovered this after accidentally shorting a light cable when changing a fitting.

 

[Ric]

Here's the ultimate lazyboy combined anchor-ball anchor-light solution:

1.Daytime anchor ball must be fold-flat like the el-cheapo but ubiquitous Plastimo offering
2. Should come with a pocket to be mounted in the anchor locker where it is easy to reach but doesn't get buried by chain..
3. Downhaul should have 12v power into the windlass control plug
4. All-round white light LED light should have inbuilt photo sensor.