lowering of standards

[FullCircle]

Full Circle - I have just come back from Sweden where I purchased a hurricane lamp as displayed for the precise purpose (having not been able to find one anywhere in the UK). However I would also suggest a masthead all round white light with a range of up to 2NM as per the colregs. Indeed any and al lights you can afford to don whilst at anchor are acceptable - as long as they are not nav lights.

In the RN it is customary to turn on all upperdeck lighting as well as mast head all round whitelights as soon as the Navigator declares that the "Ship has her Anchor".

What colreg?

[pedantpishtaking]
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.

(c) A vessel at anchor may, and a vessel of 100 metres and more in length shall, also use the available working or equivalent lights to illuminate her decks.

(e) A vessel of less than 7 metres in length, when at anchor, not in or near a narrow channel, fairway or anchorage, or where other vessels normally navigate, shall not be required to exhibit the lights or shape prescribed in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Rule.

shapes prescribed in sub-paragraphs (d) (i) and (ii) of this Rule.

[/pedantpishtaking]

My Feuerhand is set in the spreaders, and can 'best be seen'. Lights high against a lit background can also get tricky to see, but I usually anchor in little creeks,

And I havent got and inexhaustible supply of electrickery to run all the lights on my fine craft.

 

[T_S]

My Feuerhand is set in the spreaders, and can 'best be seen'. Lights high against a lit background can also get tricky to see, but I usually anchor in little creeks,

And I havent got and inexhaustible supply of electrickery to run all the lights on my fine craft.

Thats the trouble with night time, my solar panels don't work! Having said that I bought one of those Tilley lamp thingys with LCD bulbs, battery's last all night and having its own solar charger charges up in the day.

 

[bastonjock]

i saw a boat at anchor in Santorini that had a flashing strobe for an anchor light,this was at the end of a beach that had loads of clubs and restaurants.

When im on a mooring overnight i display an anchor light,as i also do when ive dropped the hook,i dont bother with the black ball in darkness but i have displayed it during daylight whilst at anchor

 

[sailorman]

i use similar to this

The White one - left O/b by first owner

Displayed in the "Fore Triangle"

 

[Jomo]

I normally get out of making the tea by saying that I need to get the anchor ball up immediately!

I have to do both, as she dowsn't drink tea I know.... hard to believe

 

[Gargleblaster]

Full Circle uses this reassuring device.

Accept no substitute.

I used to use a hurricane lamp as an anchor light, but it always seemed to blow out in F2 and above - I never tried one in a proper hurricane. I anchored off a place called North Keppel Island in 1990 during Cyclone Joy which did some damage in Queensland Australia and my Hurricane Lamp blew out as soon as I brought in on deck each night. Unfortunately there were no shops around so I could by a Cyclone lamp which may have been more effective with the counter rotating winds.

 

[Athene V30]

In the RN it is customary to turn on all upperdeck lighting as well as mast head all round whitelights as soon as the Navigator declares that the "Ship has her Anchor".

Ship has her cable surely!

 

[Leonidas]

has anyone heard of any stories of insurers trying to refuse claims for insurance when an anchor ball or light is required , but not shown ?

Verifiable evidence needed - for a change please !

You will have to check with your underwriters who keep such a record. The same poeple will most likely also refer you to your obligations as insured and the exclusions in your policy which will most probably read something like this:
You will not be covered for any loss damage caused by failure to exercise due diligence to manage the vessel properly or to maintain her in a seaworthy condition.
Due diligence is defined as the degree of diligence which a prudent uninsured owner could reasonably be expected to exercise in relation to the vessel.
With this in mind, I guess one could decide whether acting prudently in omitting anchor lights or anchoring ball as required by colregs.

 

[alexrunic]

personally only fools don't show an anchor light as said Early in this post you don't want to be woken at 3 am by another boat t boning you!!! I don't bother with a ball although in Holland they fine you if you don't show the correct shapes this goes for motoring cones too.

 

[Leonidas]

personally only fools don't show an anchor light as said Early in this post you don't want to be woken at 3 am by another boat t boning you!!! I don't bother with a ball although in Holland they fine you if you don't show the correct shapes this goes for motoring cones too.

Very refreshing to read this. Sloppiness is a recipee for disaster and grief.

 

[VexedIllologist]

Lights at anchor and at moorings (and ball at anchor)

It makes good sense to show anchor light(s) both at anchor and when secured to moorings. Remember the Rules don't say you must only have one and to keep that at the masthead. As in an earlier post, Rule 30 is written from the presumption that 2 anchor lights are the norm (forward 4.5 metres higher than aft).

There is certainly no prohibition whatsoever of lights while lying to moorings (a curious idea).

As for an anchor ball, it is required by the Rules in vessels above 7m in length - it isn't optional and your insurer may well have fun with you if you are struck without it; even if they don't you may well find that the other boat's insurers will be keen to 'share liability'.

Is it really so hard to comply with the Rules anyway?

My recollection is that the RN hoists the Union Jack and the anchor ball simultaneously as soon as the anchor hits the ground and getting underway again, lowers both Jack and ball as soon as the anchor is aweigh.

 

[Fire99]

I find it kinda amusing that people will religiously raise a nice little red flag (or blue if you're a bit posh!) with a union jack on it, without batting an eyelid but have trouble popping up a black plastic ball or hoisting a tiny lightbulb when the anchor goes down.

Nowt strange as folk as they say!!

 

[sailorman]

I find it kinda amusing that people will religiously raise a nice little red flag (or blue if you're a bit posh!) with a union jack on it, without batting an eyelid but have trouble popping up a black plastic ball or hoisting a tiny lightbulb when the anchor goes down.

Nowt strange as folk as they say!!

Ah but wot sort of Anchor THAT is the real question

Me i have just bought a nice shiny new 15Kg Bruce

 

[pyrojames]

Oh no! You don't want to be using one of those on the east coast!

 

[sailorman]

Oh no! You don't want to be using one of those on the east coast!

I also have a Qenuine 35Lb CQR if needed as a Kedge
then theres always the Fortress

 

[wingdiver]

then theres always the Fortress

That's not a nice way to refer to Mrs Sailorman!

 

[sailorman]

That's not a nice way to refer to Mrs Sailorman!

the Fortress is a Light Weight anchor for those that dont know

 

[Fire99]

Are we becoming 'Anchorist'?

Power to all those with lesser Anchors!!

 

[Cantata]

.......
My Feuerhand is set in the spreaders, and can 'best be seen'. Lights high against a lit background can also get tricky to see, but I usually anchor in little creeks,...And I havent got and inexhaustible supply of electrickery to run all the lights on my fine craft.

I had a cheaper version of one of those hurri lamps which died this year, the tank rusted through from the inside. But it never went out even in a blow.
Since its death, I have been using a 5w car-type bulb I found in my bits box, on the end of a very long thin twin flex. It's amazingly bright and only pulls 0.3A after the voltage drop on the wire.
I've always hung lights in the foretriangle, I find they light up the mast and white cabin top as well so I'm not just visible as a single point of light.
And by the way my mate Colin Jarman wrote in the Intro of 'East Coast Pilot' with a reminder of the ColReg and commented "In these days of crowded anchorages and heavy traffic, our advice would be for ALL vessels to display these signals, especially at night"

 

[sailorman]

I had a cheaper version of one of those hurri lamps which died this year, the tank rusted through from the inside. But it never went out even in a blow.
Since its death, I have been using a 5w car-type bulb I found in my bits box, on the end of a very long thin twin flex. It's amazingly bright and only pulls 0.3A after the voltage drop on the wire.
I've always hung lights in the foretriangle, I find they light up the mast and white cabin top as well so I'm not just visible as a single point of light.
And by the way my mate Colin Jarman wrote in the Intro of 'East Coast Pilot' with a reminder of the ColReg and commented "In these days of crowded anchorages and heavy traffic, our advice would be for ALL vessels to display these signals, especially at night"

we have a Davey Copper lamp that is now @ home. we now use a very nice trailing 10w Hella our previous owner kindly left o/b, hangs in the Fore triangle @ night