Does anyone make or sell or own a legal anchor ball?

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tcm

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Colregs rule defines that a ball shall be exhibited where it can be seen, and Annex 6 defines a ball as being black and 600mm + diameter....and altho annex 6 also alows smaller balls commensurate with the length of the boat if under 20m i have almost NEVER seen an actual anchor BALL on a boat. I have def not seen one for sale. Those Plastimo ones - aren't balls. oh no they aren't. Balls are spheres. Is there case law about this?
 
Big ships have anchor balls made of canvas that collapses to a circular sort of thing when they are lowered.

What's the problem with the two interlocking disc approach from Plastimo etc? They comply with the law as they are arguably proportionately smaller etc - unless you are saying your boat is over 20m?
 
There used to be inflatable ones for sale, don't know if they are still available.

I use 2 round alloy plates which slot together at 90 degrees, looks like a ball from any angle.

There is the old saying that if yachts used a ball to the same scale as large ships, we'd hang a walnut in the rigging.
 
"In a vessels of less than 20 metres in length shapes of lesser dimensions but commensurate with the size of the vessel may be used..."

So for a 10m boat the ball could be say 300mm diameter.

Use a black ball fender, as suggested here (post #13).


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Seajet said:
I use 2 round alloy plates which slot together at 90 degrees, looks like a ball from any angle.
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ah but....colregs is very clear when a facsimile is to be used. Frinstance that bit about the alpha flag for dive boats. There is no such exclusion for anchor balls. So it's presumably not good enuf for it to "look" like a ball - it has to BE a ball.
 
Now let me be perfectly clear about this one; I am doing the rest of you and the world a large favour by even attempting something vaguely ball-like in its' appearance.

If I find someone on my foredeck wearing a col reg inspectors' hat with a camera, vernier guage & tape measure they will be walking home in an odd manner, with the 'facsimile' as a souvenir. In full 90 degree format.
 
Old Troll

I found a large plastic (very round) fishing float on a Kintyre beach, painted it very black and it now serves as a very fine anchor ball. No expense spared. If you see any yachts on the Clyde or West Coast of Scotia displaying such as an anchor ball it will be quite unusual. Other than Ocean Youth Trust or a Sea School showing Off.
 
tcm said:
Colregs rule defines that a ball shall be exhibited where it can be seen, and Annex 6 defines a ball as being black and 600mm + diameter....and altho annex 6 also alows smaller balls commensurate with the length of the boat if under 20m i have almost NEVER seen an actual anchor BALL on a boat. I have def not seen one for sale. Those Plastimo ones - aren't balls. oh no they aren't. Balls are spheres. Is there case law about this?
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It looks like a ball from a distance and when you are close enough to tell the difference you will see the anchor disappearing in to the water. My anchor ball is 2 circles that clip together and it looks ok to me.
 
Does anyone else's Plastimo black-ball-facsimile spin at ferocious speed in any kind of wind? Twists up my flag halyards something chronic. Is there a way to stop it going that or is that the idea?

Saw a boat last week with a small round black fender as posted earlier, looked much more seamanlike to me and much less fuss to hoist so I'm thinking of following suit...
 
electrosys said:
More to the point - has anyone ever carried a motoring cone, let alone ever seen one in use ? I think they must qualify as an endangered species.
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Yes. We were warned that they take them very seriously in Germany, so we armed ourselves accordingly, only to find that they were used hardly more than they are here - it was the Dutch and Brits who were using them, mostly. However, in some parts of the Netherlands, lots of people were using them, in other parts, just the foreigners bother!

So when we see the locals using a motoring cone, we use ours, otherwise it stays in the locker.
 
claymore said:
Matthew
Have you considered standing on the foredeck whilst at anchor, without yer kecks on?
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Vessel not under command, it depends what or who is on the end of the pole I suppose. Perhaps one didn't drop.
 
AliM said:
So when we see the locals using a motoring cone, we use ours, otherwise it stays in the locker.
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I wouldn't recommend that. We have been got at in the past in Germany for not showing a cone when we were motor-sailing across the firing-range east of Kiel. It wasn't quite dark enough to get away with putting steaming lights on, so I had to scramble on deck, which I did pointedly slowly. Nowadays, the cone goes up when we see a coastguard boat, or the engine goes off.
 
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