Flash controller for anchor light

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Ric

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I have a Bebi LED anchor light on the rear arch of my boat. What is the simplest way to add a strobe function? I have searched eBay and Amazon, but all the simple solutions seem to be oriented towards car indicators or brake lights. All I want is a simple controller that is either on, off or flash.

To avoid dismaying the colreg pedants, I also have a steady all round white light at the top of the mast. I just want the strobe on the arch as an easy way to find my boat at big anchorages, and as an occasional signalling device.
 
sailorman said:
why not leave a cabin light on or utilize a paraffin lamp in the fore triangle, that will make your boat different from most others
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Good idea! I could row my coracle ashore, scavenge for driftwood along the beach, rub sticks together like Ray Mears, and simply light a bonfire on the foredeck, as the Tierra del Fuegans used to do in their canoes. It would be a lot simpler than using eBay.
 
Ric said:
Good idea! I could row my coracle ashore, scavenge for driftwood along the beach, rub sticks together like Ray Mears, and simply light a bonfire on the foredeck, as the Tierra del Fuegans used to do in their canoes. It would be a lot simpler than using eBay.
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Im sure as a PBOèr you will manage it ;) & beibg Welsh you wont get to buy a round in the beach bar
 
I'm fitting marker lights to mine, enough to partially illuminate round the deck area. The more lit up at anchor the better as far as I'm concerned. Their are some people campaigning to get colregs updated on this at the moment.
 
Why not just add a colored LED over the cockpit or somewhere to identify your boat? Something closer to the deck can be an essential safety feature in crowded anchorages where locals or yachties may be zooming around in a dink at night and not see a masthead light. In fact in one Florida harbor I was "requested" by the local marine patrol to install a couple of deck level lights due to the number of fishermen in the area at night.

Also avoids annoying all your neighbors with the strobe. The Bebi light is pretty bright (I have one) and flashing can be very noticeable. If for emergency signaling, sure but for regular use in a harbor another option would be nicer for the other boats.
 
Ric said:
I have a Bebi LED anchor light on the rear arch of my boat. What is the simplest way to add a strobe function? I have searched eBay and Amazon, but all the simple solutions seem to be oriented towards car indicators or brake lights. All I want is a simple controller that is either on, off or flash.

To avoid dismaying the colreg pedants, I also have a steady all round white light at the top of the mast. I just want the strobe on the arch as an easy way to find my boat at big anchorages, and as an occasional signalling device.
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I know practically nothing about electricity and electronics, but I do know that even the simplest LED torches and headtorches have flash functions, so technically it cannot be too complicated. If I was keen to have a flashing anchor light, which I'm not, I would use some of the relevant parts from an LED torches to wire my light.
 
Tammany said:
I'm fitting marker lights to mine, enough to partially illuminate round the deck area. The more lit up at anchor the better as far as I'm concerned. Their are some people campaigning to get colregs updated on this at the moment.
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Totally agree. I have found it pretty easy to miss a masthead light in close maneuvering in a harbor. Wouldn't hurt to make it a requirement in Colregs but there is no prohibition in the regs to adding extra lights on deck as long as they cannot be confused with nav lights of any variety.
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-pcs-White-12V-6-LED-Side-Front-Rear-Marker-Lights-Lamp-Trailer-BUS-Truck-UK-/221926088766?hash=item33abd3603e:g:DaYAAOSweuxWTB8Z

I bought these to fit. Going to fit 3 each side between deck & cabin windows. Only a few extra led's to power so no great power drain They should just give enough light to partially illuminate the sidedecks to increase visibility. Wired to come on with anchor light. I also have a mid mast light which has built in deck light but this is more for providing worklight on deck.
 
Agree totally - the colreg requiring an " all round white light" dates from the time when technology had just advanced to paraffin lamps. Pedantic minds have then transposed this to meaning that the white light should be at the mast head on a sailing boat on the grounds that anywhere else would potentially be obscured by the mast (totally ignoring the physics of refraction). We thus have the absurd situation that a boat can be completely invisible at eye level but be legal due to an invisible mast head light.

A few years ago in south of France a young man was killed when he drove a small RIB flat out into the side of a sailing yacht with a masthead anchor light.
 
Ric said:
Agree totally - the colreg requiring an " all round white light" dates from the time when technology had just advanced to paraffin lamps. Pedantic minds have then transposed this to meaning that the white light should be at the mast head on a sailing boat on the grounds that anywhere else would potentially be obscured by the mast (totally ignoring the physics of refraction). We thus have the absurd situation that a boat can be completely invisible at eye level but be legal due to an invisible mast head light.

A few years ago in south of France a young man was killed when he drove a small RIB flat out into the side of a sailing yacht with a masthead anchor light.
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Mebe he should have slowed down a tad in a dark anchorage
 
Ric said:
Agree totally - the colreg requiring an " all round white light" dates from the time when technology had just advanced to paraffin lamps. Pedantic minds have then transposed this to meaning that the white light should be at the mast head on a sailing boat on the grounds that anywhere else would potentially be obscured by the mast (totally ignoring the physics of refraction). We thus have the absurd situation that a boat can be completely invisible at eye level but be legal due to an invisible mast head light.

A few years ago in south of France a young man was killed when he drove a small RIB flat out into the side of a sailing yacht with a masthead anchor light.
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But Colregs states "A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen".

That kind of means not at the masthead, as that isn't really where it can best be seen.
 
Our previous boat had a 6 inch wide teak toerail. There was entry gates port and starboard with removeable guard wires. I found some solar operated decking lights that fitted either side of the stantions on this teak toerail.

No strobe function but worked in identifying our boat and lit up at deck level so other vessels had a chance to see it.

They were the American brand "Homelite" IIRC-but no doubt made in China. They were working well after five seasons-I did remove them in the winter. I did fit new rechargable AAA cells before the start of their third season.

They could not be turned off externally, but they were not high powered and did not affect night vision to any noticeable amount.
They were ideal for illuminating Dolphins playing at the side of the boat during night passages-they appeared to be attracted to the illuminated area. Which was nice................
 
Ric said:
Agree totally - the colreg requiring an " all round white light" dates from the time when technology had just advanced to paraffin lamps. Pedantic minds have then transposed this to meaning that the white light should be at the mast head on a sailing boat on the grounds that anywhere else would potentially be obscured by the mast (totally ignoring the physics of refraction).
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And not just the physics of refraction (and motion), but also both the Colregs definition of an all-round light which allows small sectors to be obscured by structures such as masts, and a further exemption for anchor lights in particular in order that they not be placed "at an impractical height above the hull".

A white light at the masthead far above a pitch-black hull is not doing its job properly.

I'd second the call for the OP to reconsider the flashing, though. It sounds very annoying to be anchored near, not to mention to himself either in the cockpit or reflecting in through hatches and ports. My anchor light hangs above the foredeck and gently illuminates the whole hull, making it easily recognisable. Distinctive positions or colours of (non-flashing) light might also be an option?

Pete
 
Buy a cheap LED Torch or Head lamp from Maplin with flash function built in (Liddle had some nice ones last week.) This would be the simplest and cheapest route rather than re engineer something.

Kinsale 373
 
Kinsale373 said:
Buy a cheap LED Torch or Head lamp from Maplin with flash function built in (Liddle had some nice ones last week.) This would be the simplest and cheapest route rather than re engineer something.

Kinsale 373
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I have one from Lidl. In flash mode in flashes a sequence of 3 short flashes, 3 long flashes and 3 short flashes. ....... I think this may be some sort of distress signal!
 
sailorman said:
Mebe he should have slowed down a tad in a dark anchorage
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Of course he should have slowed down. Perhaps he should have had a light with him.

Lots of people boating around in the dark have been drinking and they shouldn't.

The fact is, people do lots of things they shouldn't and don't do a lot of things they should and it won't hurt the responsible ones to take a little extra care to guard against those that don't.
 
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