Anchor lights

SO....legal requirements. I have all mine in the right place and use them accordingly. But in let's say , very inclement weather , ie crossing Lyme Bay in day light. wind 4 or 5 visibility less than 1/4 mile due to that sea misty stuff. I've got a orange flashing beacon I can pop on the cabin roof. The only thing I could be mistaken for is a French fishing boat. Or possibly a skip lorry. The way I see it is making myself more visible therefore avoiding a collision at sea.
 
ylop said:
Some seem to use that in lieu of the correct lights!

FWIW I agree with the sentiment of the OP (although I hang mine above the boom on the lazy jacks - but am planning to fit power for it further forward this winter).

I use mine when on a visitor mooring ball too - it looks to me like not everyone does.
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I always have a giggle at the amount of lights that ships, especially passenger vessels, display. Very often it is difficulty to see their navigation lights with the amount of light pollution they throw out and they complain about seeing sailing vessels!
 
billyfish said:
SO....legal requirements. I have all mine in the right place and use them accordingly. But in let's say , very inclement weather , ie crossing Lyme Bay in day light. wind 4 or 5 visibility less than 1/4 mile due to that sea misty stuff. I've got a orange flashing beacon I can pop on the cabin roof. The only thing I could be mistaken for is a French fishing boat. Or possibly a skip lorry. The way I see it is making myself more visible therefore avoiding a collision at sea.
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or has the Ryde to Portsmouth hovercraft has made a serious navigational error?

Please, please, please only display the lights as laid down in COLREGS, anything else a) confuses people b) will be pointed out by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch long after your funeral and c) cause much discussion as some anchor threads on here.
 
Sandy said:
or has the Ryde to Portsmouth hovercraft has made a serious navigational error?

Please, please, please only display the lights as laid down in COLREGS, anything else a) confuses people b) will be pointed out by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch long after your funeral and c) cause much discussion as some anchor threads on here.
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Think you are being a bit harsh there ... despite my agreeing that a flashing beacon is a bit 'off' !! Same as some other light suggestions you read about ...

But I think anyone seeing a flashing beacon will tend to keep well clear of it ... wondering what the h***s going on !!
 
Refueler said:
Think you are being a bit harsh there ... despite my agreeing that a flashing beacon is a bit 'off' !! Same as some other light suggestions you read about ...

But I think anyone seeing a flashing beacon will tend to keep well clear of it ... wondering what the h***s going on !!
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I have a dry Scots sense of humor, think Private Frazer from Dad's Army, sometimes that does not come across in a post - happens all the time on here. Perhaps I need to adjust my signature line.
 
Sandy said:
or has the Ryde to Portsmouth hovercraft has made a serious navigational error?

Please, please, please only display the lights as laid down in COLREGS, anything else a) confuses people b) will be pointed out by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch long after your funeral and c) cause much discussion as some anchor threads on here.
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Absolutely. Most people are well aware that lots of yachts display masthead anchor lights. That's sailing life.

So instead of expecting the world to tip the lights in a more favourable direction, frankly unlikely, try tilting your head a teensy bit. That's more likely to have a result. Kinda judo of seamanship..... :)
 
Refueler said:
Think you are being a bit harsh there ... despite my agreeing that a flashing beacon is a bit 'off' !! Same as some other light suggestions you read about ...

But I think anyone seeing a flashing beacon will tend to keep well clear of it ... wondering what the h***s going on !!
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That all sounds so reasonable but to reinforce your underlying message, imagine if we all started putting flashing lights and extra lights on our boats to ‘keep us safe’.

Total confusion and mayhem.

Please don’t put flashing lights on your boat.

Might I humbly suggest that if you are genuinely worried about collision in fog, fit and use the correct lights and get both AIS & Radar and learn to use them both.
 
Sandy said:
or has the Ryde to Portsmouth hovercraft has made a serious navigational error?

Please, please, please only display the lights as laid down in COLREGS, anything else a) confuses people b) will be pointed out by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch long after your funeral and c) cause much discussion as some anchor threads on here.
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When I was moored in a very busy commercial harbour I would quite obtain se a tug passing my moored boat in reverse with stern light first and the port an starboard reversed.

The steaming light faces astern.

Now that is very confusing

As the harbour was commercial lots of dockside lighting
 
Well well , you don't all like that and I'm not suggesting all the time but in dier circumstances, like I would use one on the M1 if I broke down, if only all vessels had AIS it would be brilliant. Arnt all fishing boats suppose to have it now ? I have AIS and publish my position all the time.
 
billyfish said:
Well well , you don't all like that and I'm not suggesting all the time but in dier circumstances, like I would use one on the M1 if I broke down, if only all vessels had AIS it would be brilliant. Arnt all fishing boats suppose to have it now ? I have AIS and publish my position all the time.
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It is not the M1! If I saw an orange flashing light I'd be wondering what hovercraft was in the area. In dire cumstances there are a whole list of internationally agreed distress signals.
 
capnsensible said:
Absolutely. Most people are well aware that lots of yachts display masthead anchor lights. That's sailing life.

So instead of expecting the world to tip the lights in a more favourable direction, frankly unlikely, try tilting your head a teensy bit. That's more likely to have a result. Kinda judo of seamanship..... :)
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my concern is not “me” seeing other people - it’s other people seeing “me”. I can grumble about people who should be keeping a better lookout, and know that my anchor light might be 13.6m above sea level, but that feels like stuff for the insurers, maib, etc. I’d rather the boat worrying about his own mooring prep, looking for lobster pots or mooring bouys was able to see me even if he doesn’t look up. If my cabin lights are on then the masthead light might be the best way to signify that I am at anchor (equiv to an anchor ball) but if the boat is otherwise dark I’m not sure there’s a real advantage to a light at 13m rather than about 3-4m. The utility of a skipper approaching an anchorage from far away to see how busy the anchorage is, is diminished if there are an unknown number of mobos around - who’s anchor light will be at the lower level.
 
Entering Hamford Water at 2345 after a long single handed crossing I selected my anchoring spot only to find on the final approach an unlit modern yacht with lots of toys. Hastily maneuvering to a safe distance behind it I streamed the anchor only to find when I dropped back another unlit modern yacht with lots of toys now close down stream of me. (The toys were spotted in the morning - if the owners can afford expensive yachts and toys they can surely afford an LED?)
Any anchor lights would have been appreciated!
A couple of nights ago my crew asked what the bright light over the moon could be - a nearby yacht's masthead anchor light!
An anchor light, anywhere conspicuous in the rigging and below steaming light level is my preference.
 
May I suggest that you purchase a "garden light" that recharges during the day through a solar panel on top and shows a LED light when dark. Mine is kept on the cabin roof and lasts all night. Cheap as chips too, so easy to replace, although mine is 3 years old and is almost permanent, for 12 months of the year on my mooring. ...........I know not necessarily at anchor but helps anyone coming up river at night.
 
I used to have a paraffin lamp. Proper job but a bit of a art to keep it going . But that was on my gaff Cutter, looked right, now I'm plastic fantastic. I love these super bright LEDs , maybe I'll get some strings of garden lights as well.
 
john_morris_uk said:
That all sounds so reasonable but to reinforce your underlying message, imagine if we all started putting flashing lights and extra lights on our boats to ‘keep us safe’.

Total confusion and mayhem.

Please don’t put flashing lights on your boat.

Might I humbly suggest that if you are genuinely worried about collision in fog, fit and use the correct lights and get both AIS & Radar and learn to use them both.
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I was not the one to suggest a flashing light or anything else ... if you read my post - I am against them and anything else thrown up by some.

I just made a comment at end of post that suggested people may stay away from it because its 'strange' !
 
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