Anchor Light

[cindersailor]

To save the battery I use a paraffin hurricane lamp when anchoring over night. However the cheap ones are not well made and do not last long in sea air and the brass ones are expensive. Old miners lamps seem to be readily/cheaply available and are soidly made of brass/copper. Any views on using one of these? Although the flame is enclosed I don't know whether it would survive a good puff of wind.

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[Robin]

We use a brass pafaffin light that was I think about £30 made by Deutz I believe. It is hung on a line between the rear gantry and the sprayhood so is protected from the strongest wind, its flickering light still lights the deck ahead of the hood as well as the cockpit. From a distance it is quite clearly an anchor light and is at a height that is easily visible to anyone entering/leaving the anchorage, unlike IMO the masthead lights used my many. We also have a Davies low power electric one for hurricane conditions /forums/images/icons/smile.gif this also has flashing yellow and/or red lights if you want to look like a port buoy or a belisha beacon. I would think the miner's lamp would like ours be best with some protection behind the hood, I know convention says it should be on the foredeck, but it works fine aft and better a light you can see than one that is too high or has blown out.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[surekandoo]

Surely it doesn't matter if they're cheap. I've had mine for 3 years and it cost £3.50 from a camping shop. When it gets too grotty I'll bin it & get another one.

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[Talbot]

Two good options - have an electric anchor light and replace the bulb with an LED cluster (available from orca green)
Buy a couple of these solar powered garden lights (as well as the plastic ones, there are others that are available in stainless steel) after a days charging, they are supposed to be good for at least 8 hours!

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[Oldhand]

..."it is quite clearly an anchor light"..

I thought regulations stipulate an anchor light is to be shown in the forward part of the vessel, yours is clearly in the aft part of the vessel and thus not clearly an anchor light.

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[LadyInBed]

I've taken to hanging my anchor light above the cockpit.
Maybe I will have to start anchoring from the stern /forums/images/icons/blush.gif

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[Robin]

Unless you have a very big boat then you thought wrong then didn't you/forums/images/icons/smile.gif:-


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.
<font color=red>(b) A vessel of less than 50 metres in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule.</font color=red>

(c) A vessel at anchor may, and a vessel of 100 metres and more in length shall, also use the available working or equivalent lights to illuminate her decks.

(d) A vessel aground shall exhibit the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Rule and in addition, where they can best be seen:

two all-round red lights in a vertical line;
three balls in a vertical line.
(e) A vessel of less than 7 metres in length, when at anchor, not in or near a narrow channel, fairway or anchorage, or where other vessels normally navigate, shall not be required to exhibit the lights or shape prescribed in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Rule.

(f) A vessel of less than 12 metres in length, when aground, shall not be required to exhibit the lights or shapes prescribed in sub-paragraphs (d)(i) and (ii) of this Rule.


<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[Robin]

Not needed Nigel, over the cockpit is fine, it also lights the G & T's (or spiced rums), see above reply to 'Oldhand'

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[bob26]

My hurricane lamp/anchor light has survived for 37 years and looks as good as new. I painted it with Hammerite.

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[LadyInBed]

I really must start reading Col Regs more and Hank Janson less /forums/images/icons/blush.gif

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[maxi]

Try a lifejacket light, available at boatjumbles for approx 50p. Put in a 12v 2.3 watt bulb and they give a really good performance as an anchor light. Consumption 0.19amps/hr. and they are tiny and consequently easy to stow and to mount.

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[cynthia]

Solar garden lights are not strong enough to be seen at a distance. Although it is an expensive solution we have a LED anchor light which switches on and off automatically. It draws very little battery current and can be seen from a distance of 2 miles. Don't want to give the insurance company an excuse for not paying out should there be a night time incident!

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[Trevor_swfyc]

Talbot, I purchased a garden solar light a month ago from ASDA looks like stainless finish and cost me £16. I have fitted it to a variable height pole over the cockpit. It gives a good dusk to dawn all round white light which also gives enough light to see in the cockpit. Maybe this is an idea that will catch on, no more getting up at dawn to turn off the mast head light.

Trevor

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[Trevor_swfyc]

Cynthia,
I think a certain amount of common sense is required as posted I use a solar light in a creek which has bends 300 yds each way, so I think the solar light in this situation is clearly visible. Should I row in the tender 300 yds to the creek entrance to verify this, maybe. Clearly it is not as bright as the 10 watt mast head anchor light and if I anchored anywhere near shipping I would revert to this but just how far away it can or should be seen I do not know.

All the best.
Trevor



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[maxi]

Re: Solar Lights

The box may claim 8 hours duration, but in mid-summer here on the South Coast, I cannot get mine to last beyond 3 am, or give any meaningful light beyond 2am.

Most of the solar lights have 600ma batteries, larger capacity batteries are readily & cheaply available and would give all-night duration, but probably would need more than one day to fully charge.

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[Tomsk]

The cheap plastic garden lights currently available from leading petrol stations last all night for me and they have the added advantage of floating when some bugger knocks them overboard!

<hr width=100% size=1>Tomsk -

Can I leave the planet please.. this one is broken!

 

[cynthia]

Fair enough under those limitations. A friend with a solar light compared the light intensity to our LED light from a relatively short distance and was horrified to find his boat did not seem to be illuminated at all. As we sometimes anchor off at sea, often in an area used by fishing boats entering and leaving harbour, we decided that high night time visibility was essential. So far we've been v. pleased with the performance of the LED light, not only because of its high visibility, but also because of low power consumption (125mA). Surely there are insurance implication should there be a collision and the boat not illuminated from the required distance?

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[bruce]

just add a 12 volt light sensor switch to anchor light circuit for automatic light.

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[johnsomerhausen]

Smallk correction, the name is Dietz and I think they have a wb site
john

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[maxi]

Re: Bruce

Can you give us a source of 12v light sensitive switches please?

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