Lightsa and Shapes - a question

[JamesS]

Here is a quickie for you.

On a yacht, does the anchor light, all round white, have to be mounted at the highest point possible or is it quite permissable to mount it on the pulpit or stern rail?

Many thanks in advance.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[ianwright]

From memory,,,,,,,,,,,"in the fore part of the ship where it may best be seen" is about right. In other words hang it off the forestay.. Best get a diopteric oil anchor light from Davey or Classic Marine.
The modern habit of sticking an electric all round white at the masthead is daft. Skippers coming into your anchorage are looking forward, not up. Give them a light that they are more likely to see.An oil light low(ish) down will be recognised as a yacht at anchor even against a background of shore lights.
But what ever you do, BE SEEN. Do the right thing, it looks good on the claim form.

IanW

<hr width=100% size=1>Vertue 203, Patience<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by ianwright on 02/10/2003 10:55 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[MainlySteam]

For a vessel under 50 m the all-round anchor light is to be placed "where it can be best seen" so it can go at the stern of the vessel. If over 50 m the light has to go in the fore part of the vessel.

An all-round light has to be visible throughout an arc of 360 degrees except that it may be obscured by any part of the boat over an angular sector less than 6 degrees - so you can hang a light on the backstay and still comply, even though the mast obscures part of the arc.

While there are height requirements for lights, for small vessels the anchor light does not have to be at an unreasonable height above the gunwale.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[ianwright]

I looked it up,,,,,,,

From the annex to the Rule:-

Rule 30

Anchored vessels and vessels aground.
(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:

(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;

(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level that the light prescribed in paragraph (i), an all-round white light.

(b) A vessel of less than 50 metres in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule



So you decide,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
IanW







Rule 30

Anchored vessels and vessels aground.
(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:

(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;

(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level that the light prescribed in paragraph (i), an all-round white light.

(b) A vessel of less than 50 metres in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule



<hr width=100% size=1>Vertue 203, Patience

 

[TheBoatman]

Re: I looked it up,,,,,,,

I always hoist a hurricane lamp on a flag halyard, whilst it maybe amidships, on a 10 mtr boat whos to know and it keeps the thing almost vertical?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[MainlySteam]

Re: I looked it up,,,,,,,

<<<whos to know >>>

You are completely legal under the international collision rules because you are under 50 m, as long as the lamp is not obscured over an arc of more than 6 degrees, which one assumes would not be the case for a lamp hung as you describe.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[JamesS]

Many thanks for all of your responses.

Cheers

<hr width=100% size=1>