anchor light

[poter]

just a quickie,
can I mount an anchor light on a pole on the transom?

is there any regs regarding the position or size etc.?

poter.

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[peterb]

Rule 30 Anchored Vessels

(b) A vessel of less than 50m in length may exhibit an all round white light where it can best be seen .......

Looks as if you're OK unless you've got a megayacht

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[poter]

Peter,
tks........ she is the tender for my mega-yacht ..dream on!

poter

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[AndrewB]

Presumably that's why at the masthead is a good place, as with one of the dual trilight/anchor lights.

A couple of years ago I was (mildly) told off by the harbour-master at Yarmouth for having an anchor light there - he believed it should be in the fore-triangle, and indeed that impression is given by the RYA Yachtmaster course notes.

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[BrendanS]

problem with mast head anchor light, as has been commented on many times here - it's not readily visible when people are scanning ahead at water level, they tend not to look up much.

<hr width=100% size=1>There is no such thing as "fun for the whole family."

 

[Robin]

Unless the pole is there anyway why have a permanent fitting? I would agree with Brendan and others in earlier posts that masthead anchorlights are too high up and likely to be unseen at close quarters. A fore triangle light is the next best in an ideal world, if it flickers like an oil light it really identifies itself too as an anchor light. Trouble is in strong winds the an oil light up front may blow out altogether.

We have a choice onboard of masthead, plug in Davis (low consumption) lamp or brass paraffin lantern. Mostly we use the paraffin lantern but hang it from a line between the rear of the sparayhood and our goalpost gantry. This gives the light enough shelter from even very strong winds whilst it still shines through the hood windows and lights up the coachroof and even the foredeck (I rowed around one night to check, how sad is that!).

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[AndrewB]

You may be right, but speaking for myself I've never had the slightest trouble spotting an anchor light at the masthead. After all, that is where one expects to be looking if there are moving yachts around.

There may be slight confusion with a moving yacht seen from aft, but it's soon resolved. On the other hand I have certainly missed a low down anchor light obscured from aft.

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[MedMan]

I agree entirely about the invisibility of masthead anchor lights: they are the curse of anchorages. If you use one you are covered as far as the law is concerned, but please don't expect it to help late comers from running into you: it won't.

Whatever the rules may or may not say, it is the normal custom and practice of seamen to hang an anchor light foreward. You need to have a very special reason to go against that: a submarine might have a case, but few pleasure boats do. For my sins, I have a 10w electric lantern on a flexible lead with the same plug on the end as my steaming light has at the base of the mast. I hoist an anchor ball on my spinnaker topping lift with my anchor light tied to its mid-point but hanging well below it. Both are independently tacked down to different places which has the effect of avoiding the ball spinning in the wind. The whole set-up is made up with pre-cut lengths of thin rope so it takes no more than 2 or 3 minutes to set up.

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[BlueSkyNick]

I'm struggling to understand how you can't sea a boat which has a light at the top of the mast. If you are so close to it, that the top of the mast is out of view, it should be easy to see the boat itself with normal night vision.

If not, then it is surely risky to be moving around in an anchorage at all.

This is assuming there it is no dense fog, which is a different issue altogether.

<hr width=100% size=1>OK - Get Fell In you 'orrible lot! There's wine to be drunk!

 

[Mirelle]

Actually, it's rather easy!

The masthead light may be lost against shore lights. If the incoming vessel is a ship, the masthead light will almost certainly be lost against the shore lights. This is why one is always advised to use low down sidelights, rather than a masthead light, in the approaches to a port.

It rather depends on where you are.

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[Trevor_swfyc]

Could it not be confused with a stern light, also on a Moody 30 the pole would have to be fairly long to ensure the light could be seen all round. I like others prefer to have a light that plugs into a socket near the mast and even then this is only as a back up to my 10W mast head anchor light.
I have rowed away from the boat to ensure it can be seen easily, in my view the masthead light in a dark creek cannot be missed and the angle when 100 yds off is very shallow, about 10 degrees so you hardly have to look up to see it.
Also I think it is important to consider where you anchor for your own safety, try to anchor in an area that is know locally as a frequented overnight anchor spot all the better if it shows an anchor on the chart.
A relative who has purchased a motor boat said his lunch stop was spoilt by a fleet of yachts racing out of Burnham right past his anchored boat, what did he expect if he anchored in a race-course.

Stay safe!
Trevor


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[BlueSkyNick]

With regard to vessels on the move I fully agree, but I thought we were talking about anchor lights here.

Actually, it seems to be another case of no simple, single answer.

As Robin suggests, to have options availale and be able to deploy them to suit the situation at the time, is the safest approach.

<hr width=100% size=1>OK - Get Fell In you 'orrible lot! There's wine to be drunk!

 

[seaesta]

I use a hurricane lamp on the backstay. This keeps the heat well away from any haliards, lights up the cockpit and keeps the foredeck clear in case of having to footle with the anchor or move off at night. Unless the lamp is atop the mast then I cannot see any way that a light can be positioned without some obstruction.
I have fitted a small shackle to the plate where the back stay divides and this is used to secure the light.
On night passage I keep this lamp lit andd it is enough to enable me to avoid most potential trip points going forward without spoiling night vision.
Martin

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[Mirelle]

By way of example, if anchoring off Shotley in the Stour I would not use a masthead light; big ships use the channel at night and there is a bit of a hill, with houses on it, on the north side of the river.

I prefer to use a paraffin riding light but I do use the masthead light when just bringing up or if too tired to bother.

<hr width=100% size=1>Que scais-je?

 

[poter]

Oh ! Oh!.

I did not realise it would be this difficult.
perhaps I did'nt explain too well, the reason for the pole was that I was thinking of a SS pole with a couple of side braces and a platform at the top to support some aerials & it seemed logical to put an anchor light on it?

I have seen these type of SS platforms around the marina with all sorts of kit on them & I thought that is was rather a good idea, gets rid of some of the strap on kit around the aft guard rails, which in Shady's case also supports a liferaft, dan buoy, MOB kit. etc etc.
Hence the anchor light, I can see the advantage of putting a light in the fore triangle but an aft light would also have the purpose of lighting the cockpit....or is it not a great idea??

Just as an after thought can I combine any of the aerials? Navtex, gps, fm radio & a sw aerial.

poter.

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[MedMan]

You asked: Just as an after thought can I combine any of the aerials? Navtex, gps, fm radio & a sw aerial.

Yes you can. You can buy an active aerial with a four-way splitter that will feed Navtex, SW Receiver (not a transmitter) and (even though it does not say so on the box) FM radio. I have been doing just that quite satisfactorily for 15 years. GPS sets have dedicated aerials.


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[duncan]

does it matter if it is confused with a stern light? Both the immediate and long term actions of the craft seeing it will be the same? In any event for many craft they are the same lights.

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[halcyon]

If under 50 meters you can mount the anchor light were it can best be seen.
If under 12 meters stern and steaming can be conbined at mast head, thus could be anchor light as well, but not at transom.


Brian

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[pugwash]

Elephants

A mate of mine was a safari guide in Zimbabwe. He'd give his visitors a flashlight and say: "When you're on the way to the toilt in the dark, don't forget to look up because that's where the elephants are."
A masthead light has the same problem: when manouvering reasonably close, it's not in your face and you have to actively look for it. An anchor light should be a sensible height above the deck (for me, as high as I can reach) and if ti illuminates the deck as well then so much the safer.

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[poter]

Re: Elephants

Thanks my thoughts exactly.

poter

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