Three kings
Well-Known Member
KISS..masthead light..or argue till the cows come home about something better
Are they anchor lights or not?
- Thread starter Nostrodamus
- Start date
RobbieW
Well-Known Member
Thats almost a quote from the wonderful Peter Sellers travelogue 'Balham - Gateway to the South', http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RTWk9QIKS0
prv
Well-Known Member
Nope. At least not in the proper rules, though I think the Americans may have some local habit that contradicts them.
The nearest you get in the colregs is that a boat under 7m doesn't have to show a light if tucked well out of the way - unless it is in an anchorage, then it does, for the good reasons you've pointed out.
Pete
Nostrodamus
Well-Known Member
The point is that many lights I am now seeing as anchor lights would not go amiss on a Christmas tree as they blink, flash and change colour. Many are in cockpits or on various parts of the boat and of differing intensities.
When coming into a unknown anchorage at night all the differing lights are more of a distraction as you try and work out what they are. Are they buoys, boats or the local pub on the shore with lights still on.
I know as a boat manoeuvring I have a responsibility to try and not hit them and will try and burn out a few eye balls with my million watt touch developed to take down Russian satellites.
The point is if we all show the same lights there is less confusion but on the other hand masthead lights can often be lost in the background.
We have also anchored in many places this year where there is a mixture of boats attached to mooring buoys and boats at anchor. If you are attached to a mooring buoy do you also have to show a anchor light.
Finally, I am sure like many others we have either popped ashore or to another boat for a quick visit only to be delayed until after dark by good hosts and/or the evils of drink and have forgotten to switch on the anchor light. Is there an easy way to convert a normal anchor light to one you can turn on and off but it will switch itself on when the light drops?
When coming into a unknown anchorage at night all the differing lights are more of a distraction as you try and work out what they are. Are they buoys, boats or the local pub on the shore with lights still on.
I know as a boat manoeuvring I have a responsibility to try and not hit them and will try and burn out a few eye balls with my million watt touch developed to take down Russian satellites.
The point is if we all show the same lights there is less confusion but on the other hand masthead lights can often be lost in the background.
We have also anchored in many places this year where there is a mixture of boats attached to mooring buoys and boats at anchor. If you are attached to a mooring buoy do you also have to show a anchor light.
Finally, I am sure like many others we have either popped ashore or to another boat for a quick visit only to be delayed until after dark by good hosts and/or the evils of drink and have forgotten to switch on the anchor light. Is there an easy way to convert a normal anchor light to one you can turn on and off but it will switch itself on when the light drops?
RobbieW
Well-Known Member
Never found one but that doesnt mean there isnt. The main reason I went to a light in the fore triangle was that Bebi, the supplier, produced a light that was both bright and photo-sensitive ie. it switched itself on and off automatically. Sadly Bebi have ceased production, as reported recently by prv, due to political interference in thier operating base - very sad. On the plus side I believe Salty John of this parish is happy to sell you something similar.
prv
Well-Known Member
Not as far as I know. The assumption is that other vessels should know about the moorings. Quite possibly not a very good assumption, though, so it may well make sense to show a light anyway.
Just use one of the many daylight-sensing anchor lights. I used to recommend Bebi, but as Robbie says, they've been forced to close down by the Fijian government throwing its weight about. I have one of their "Owl" lights permanently attached to my anchor ball, so when I hoist the one the other goes up with it. When it then gets dark, the light comes on without my needing to do anything.
Pete
nimbusgb
Well-Known Member
i built a little light sensitive switch, boxed it and ran a length of cheap fibre optic cable from a portlight to the sensor so that the box could be buried in the electrics panel. ( could also have put the sensor remotely ) Now i have a multi position switch, Off, Anchor and Auto Anchor, in the third position the light switches itself on at twilight and off around breakfast time.
nimbusgb
Well-Known Member
Does it matter? You don't want to hit a bouy or the local pub anyway! ( at least not with the boat ) Boats with perfectly legal anchor lights may well have people sitting in the cockpit eating a meal or having a drink. Do we stop them on the basis that their cockpit lights might be a distraction?
The irpcss lights are to ensure that there is 'some' light left on after you've hit the bunk, they are not meant to be exclusive.
Have you ever seen a cruise liner at sea? On a late night watch one could be forgiven for thinking that landfall was imminent or that a new island or shoreside town had sprung up out of nowhere!
SamanthaTabs
Well-Known Member
When on a mooring buoy you don't have to put your anchor light on. The Boss and I have mixed feelings on this, he follows the rule whereas I often switch it on anyway - I'd much prefer to be seen by another vessel coming in..
Geeky but I actually stuck a note on the saloon door to remind us to switch anchor light on before going ashore of a late afternoon, sometimes that quick walk and ice-cream turns into supper and drinks
Geeky but I actually stuck a note on the saloon door to remind us to switch anchor light on before going ashore of a late afternoon, sometimes that quick walk and ice-cream turns into supper and drinks
Nostrodamus
Well-Known Member
Sound exactly the thing I need. Having spent 99% of this sailing year at anchor it would have been very useful.
NornaBiron
Well-Known Member
prv;4392250 Just use one of the many daylight-sensing anchor lights. I used to recommend Bebi said:
macd
Well-Known Member
As others have said, the answer to that is 'no', which is a tad inconsistent. There are plenty of anchorages adjacent to moorings, and the risk of bumping into one is much the same as the other.
One of the hairiest half-hours I've had on a boat was arriving at Hugh Town harbour on a pitch-black night, knowing it was packed with craft but barely able to see any of them and distracted by shore lights. (I'd already discovered that all my own torch would do was dazzle me with its reflection off the shrouds.) Luckily a (sweet-and-) tender-full of young ladies on the way back to their boat from the boozer came to my aid at just the moment I'd decided to head somewhere else. But imagine the furore if all the local craft were ordered show a light every night.
Nostrodamus
Well-Known Member
We had the same. According to the charts it was an anchorage and yes there was a few boats anchored leaving lots of space for us to anchor too. It was only when we got very close did we see they had also put buoys there which were difficult to see as were some of the small boats attached to them... also a good reason not to have a chart plotter on when you are at the helm or if you do you need someone half way along to look out.. too near the bow and they get the glare from nav lights.