Hurricane Lamp?

[Gordonmc]

I bought some from here http://www.hurricanelamps.co.uk/ and they are excellent. Suffered years of party abuse.

I bought one of the Amazon hurricane lamps from this site and will not go back to leaky, rusty lamps again, no matter how cheap. As well as being robustly built the Brazilian made lamps use a solid round fuse-wick which produces an even flame.

 

[ianc1200]

I've got a large lamp which looks very similar to the "russian" hurricane lamps, which is in the "Elite" range of hurricanelamps.co.uk; very cheap (£17) and has never, ever gone out in any sort of wind, easily goes for more than 10 hours. Would love to buy another, but can't find one (bought at my local canal boat centre, who say they can't get them anymore).

IanC

 

[dmmbruce]

Bog standard, cheapo, small parafin hurricane lamp, probably chinese, certainly badly made, over 15 years old, no leaks, little rust, lots of use.

Works perfectly, all night, hoisted 6ft up forestay, swings gently which increases its visibility and noticeability.

The key to success with these is DO NOT TURN THEM UP TOO MUCH. What looks inadequate in a lit cabin or cockpit is not relevant. Just set it to a nice lowish wick and hang it up. Simple.

Mike

 

[Ubergeekian]

Am looking for an Hurricane Lamp to act as an anchor light.

Any suggestions from the panel? I've looked around using Mr Google but like your input on the good, the bad and the ugly.

I have two brass Feuerhand hurricane lamps - brass, not brass-coated - which I bought from a hardware shop in Poole High Street around twenty years ago. Only two bits seem to be steel: the inside pressing of the filler cap and the twizzly thing you turn to adjust the wick. As well as being (practically) unrustable they have an additional shroud around the top, protecting them eve more than usual from wind. I have had mine up as anchor lights over some truly horrible nights and they have never failed.

A google suggests that Feuerhand brass lamps aren't available in the UK any nmore, but other brass ones are, at around £50 a pop. Painful for hurricane lamps (that's roughly what I paid around 1990!) but well worth it, I think, in order to avoid hassle, paraffin leaks and rust stains.

 

[doug748]

I have found the brass ones most commonly available (Often stamped Deutz, I think, but made in the East) good, but they tend to blow out very easily. I have tried a number of modifications extra baffles etc but with only minor success. In the past I have found old tin plate jobs that perform better but there seems no logic to thier better wind resistance.
Other posts on the subject have spoken of lamps in the £100/£200 quid range - I would be too worried about getting it nicked.

 

[Pleiades]

Hurricane Lamps

Hurricane lamps make poor riding lights as they blow out too easily. When the wind picks up you need to be sure that the lamp will still be lit. A purpose built brass anchor light is far better and will also outlast even the best brass Hurricane lamps. (Also gives more light due to the prism effect of the thick glass.)
Providing you have ample electrical power on board I think an electric light is an easier solution - particularly one of the low battery drain purpose built riding lights.
I have three of the Dietz brass Hurricane lights on board for use in the cabin but although they don't rust, the mantle burner unfortunately wears out as the metal is too soft and the teeth loose their bite so that you cannot replace the wick. Despite much research I have been unable to find a supplier for replacement burners so have had to replace the whole lot - a disagreeable expense. Dietz seem not to do service.
Only other thoughts on lamps are to avoid the Tilley lamp. Far too much heat generated and scared the life out of self and crew once when a Tilley went loopy and became a raging fireball - never ever to be taken to sea again!

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

 

[BruceDanforth]

I thought they were called hurricane lamps because they don't blow out. I've never known a cheap one blow out.

What happened with the tilley? Was it a lighting error? I'm interested as I just got one for cold nights on board.

 

[TamarMike]

Hurricane lamp graveyard...

 

[Ubergeekian]

Hurricane lamps make poor riding lights as they blow out too easily.

Get a better hurricane lamp then.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Hurricane lamps make poor riding lights as they blow out too easily. When the wind picks up you need to be sure that the lamp will still be lit. A purpose built brass anchor light is far better and will also outlast even the best brass Hurricane lamps. (Also gives more light due to the prism effect of the thick glass.)
Providing you have ample electrical power on board I think an electric light is an easier solution - particularly one of the low battery drain purpose built riding lights.

MXWQ5

wrong type of hurricane lamp then. Weve use ours anchored in 7/8 many times over 20 odd year only 1 has blown out but i must admit that was last year and we wernt using it as an anchor light It had a very large glass of an unusual shape .I guessed it was no good and only used it in the cockpit

 

[andygc]

What happened with the tilley? Was it a lighting error? I'm interested as I just got one for cold nights on board.

Generally speaking, a pressure lamp becomes a fire ball for one of the following reasons:

Paraffin lamp - eg Tilley - operator error - not preheating the vapouriser properly.

Paraffin lamp - wrongly filled with petrol (yes, people do that)

Petrol lamp - failure of a non-return valve (doesn't happen with Coleman dual-fuel lanterns, has been reported as happening with Britelyt - which despite the manufacturer's claims should not be used with petrol)

 

[planteater]

Generally speaking, a pressure lamp becomes a fire ball for one of the following reasons:

Paraffin lamp - eg Tilley - operator error - not preheating the vapouriser properly.

The only time it happened to my Vapalux was the very first time I used it. It was pure impatience on my part - I didn't allow the preheater fuel to burn off and I started pumping like a madman.

It's quite spectacular.

 

[Ubergeekian]

Paraffin lamp - eg Tilley - operator error - not preheating the vapouriser properly.

The meths in a Tilley preheater is only just, marginally, fractionally enough to get the burner to temperature. My Golden Rule with them is therefore always to preheat twice. Never fails.

 

[dmmbruce]

I too wonder. HOW do you get a Hurricane lamp to blow out!

My problem has always been, how do I get it to go out in the morning! I lift the glass, and blow and blow, but still it stays alight!

Buy a cheap one, check it doesn't leak, then they seem to work.

Mike

 

[bob26]

Mine cost 7/6d...

... in 1967 so must have been a good'un (that's 37.5 pence in new money). I used it for camping for ten years> Then I bought a boat. It was already a bit rusty by then so I painted it with Hammerite. Its still going strong after more than 40 years and has never once blown out or leaked....which is more than I can say after all that time. I have a special shelf in my cockpit locker that keeps it secure with a bit of bungy cord. To blow it out you turn the wick right down. I'm even on the original wick. I expect its easier to buy a new lamp than replace the wick...

 

[CharlesSwallow]

Hear, hear...

I have had 3 and they allleaked due to poor flange soldering. They also went rusty very quickly s the tinning was very poor quality.

...even the scandalously price-hiked "brass" ones sold by that riverside nautical rigalia importer are no better. They ALL leak, eventually, once the lacquer is breached and the tag slots where the side members meet the tank and the bottom flange are left unsealed. Had a really good one once with properly soldered joints -that sadly now lies at the bottom of Studland Bay. Now we use a cheap (LIBS 2007) all around light with an LED cluster bulb. It is very bright indeed, being visible at well over 3miles (and probably more) and it uses zilch in power.

Chas

 

[Pleiades]

Hurricanes and Tilleys

My experience of Hurricane lights cover just four types and sizes - so if there are half- hurricane proof types available then I have not tried them. Can't remember the brand of the first ones - they were cheap but rusted horribly. I then tried the Dietz large and medium size models - reasonably corrosion proof although not very thick brass - they both blew out in exposed anchorages when wind got towards F6 ish. I think they might have more chance of staying lit if the boat was not moving around so much - perhaps they work in calmer waters. The purpose built anchor light is heavy and was expensive but it gives better light and stays lit. I will never take the Tilley aboard again - it is a Coleman paraffin type and seemed to work perfectly for hours but then suddenly had occasion to throw a wobbly and scared us witless until I threatened it with a watery grave. I sent it back to the manufacturers and they could find nothing wrong with it. Even if you could rely on it - I would not recommend it for heat - simply too hot and will drown you in condensation - for that purpose two hurricanes would be better - not enough light to read by but nice for ambience.
Robin

 

[fergie_mac66]

My experience of Hurricane lights cover just four types and sizes - so if there are half- hurricane proof types available then I have not tried them. Can't remember the brand of the first ones - they were cheap but rusted horribly. I then tried the Dietz large and medium size models - reasonably corrosion proof although not very thick brass - they both blew out in exposed anchorages when wind got towards F6 ish. I think they might have more chance of staying lit if the boat was not moving around so much - perhaps they work in calmer waters. The purpose built anchor light is heavy and was expensive but it gives better light and stays lit. I will never take the Tilley aboard again - it is a Coleman paraffin type and seemed to work perfectly for hours but then suddenly had occasion to throw a wobbly and scared us witless until I threatened it with a watery grave. I sent it back to the manufacturers and they could find nothing wrong with it. Even if you could rely on it - I would not recommend it for heat - simply too hot and will drown you in condensation - for that purpose two hurricanes would be better - not enough light to read by but nice for ambience.
Robin

Tilley is not a coleman 2 different manufactures colemans have non return valves