Pick a Lamp

CaptainBob

CaptainBob

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www.yacht-forum.co.uk
Thinking about a new lamp for my cabin. Mainly for atmosphere, but a bit of useful heat and light would be good. What do you think of these two options:

10" Anchor lamp. Does the job and could be an emergency anchor lamp if needed (or is it too small for that really?)
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http://marinestore.co.uk/Merchant2/merch..._code=oil-lamps

Or

Brass hurricane lamp. Cheaper. Lighter. Smaller. But these type blow out easily no? Maybe lack of fresnel makes the light more useful in the cabin?
890039.JPG

http://www.force4.co.uk/2665/Force-4-Brass-Hurricane-Lamp.html

What do you think?
 
Cap'n Bob.... look at the burn times on the anchor lamps..... with a full fuel load, the smaller ones tend to have insufficient burn time to be of any use as an anchor lamp.... so really they are more for decoration than practical use..... given that, its either a bigger anchor lamp with a longer burn time, or a hurricane lamp (without the Fresnel as you say - and yes, they do blow out) and forgetting use as an anchor lamp... or an third alternative (and my preference) is a proper gimballed bulkhead lamp, as per this
 
I have a fastnet gimballed bulkhead lamp, which is great, but quite awkward to get in and out of its holder/gimbals. I also have a hurricane lamp, which is useful because you can move it around, take it out to the cockpit etc. You get quite decent background light from them if you trim the wicks. I still use the fluorescent strips for reading though.
 
Sorry for thread drift - but do oil lamps such as these create any odour? If so how strong/long lasting is the smell?
 
I use ordinary paraffin from the petrol station (cheap) - not the fancy perfumed lamp-oil stuff, and it doesn't bother me at all.
 
Cheers for the replies. Take your point re the gimballed bulkhead lamp - I think you might have swayed me.

My pressure lamp, which uses a large amount of fuel compared to the ones I've listed in this thread, does create a very slight paraffin odour - but I love the lamp so much I've grown to like the smell and associate it with good memories /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
have a look at the hanging lamps at www.dhr.nl

These are excellent lamps, we have both the trawler (at home) and clipper on the boat, and use them extensively. They have circular wicks and give a very good light. You sometimes see them in UK chandlers but we bought ours in Holland. A couple of years ago a friend also got one sent direct from DHR.
 
Personally I like the hurricane lamps very much and would consider them good value for the money. They also give a decent amount of light and are much more rugged than most "marine" lamps. Spare parts available for pennies!
Why not give it a try? You could buy a cheap Feuerhand or a chinese copy for even less. You can pick one up for 5 quid at B&Q. The real advantage of the brass lamp is of course that it won't rust. With a cheap one however you could first check how it suits you and then make up your mind.

Just a thought
 
Watch out for the cheapo chinese hurricane lamps. They are prone to leaks from the base. Can be soldered if you are handyish with your hands.

I got a brass wall mounted lamp with heat deflector from Nauticalia. So pleased with it, I transferred it to my "new" boat 25 years ago. It's still giving good service. For the small amount of oil I use, I buy lamp oil from a general chandlers - which can be smell free or perfumed as you wish.
 
The big un with the 1" wick looks the business. If the 18" refers to the lamp body only it would be tricky to stow, so it might have to be the mid size with 1/2" wick. I am pipe dreaming anyway because I dont think I could justify the outlay. Good for you if you can I am sure these would be excellent.
I have always used cheap storm lamps for anchor lighting but the best of them go out in a force 5. Some years ago I got one of the brass (badged Deitz but of oriental origin) ones and agree that they can leak at the base and indeed I did solder mine up. They also seem to blow out before they should, but an extra home made baffle around the top can help.
I also have a brass cabin lamp it has a meaty wick and produces good light but too much heat for the deflector to be of much use, I mount in a holder and use it on the cabin table. I use it every night I am on board and would not be without it, odour is not a problem, but maybe my sense of smell has gone.
 
I use one of them as an anchor light. Just under €2. Lasts all night. Has never blown out (up to F5 so far). No sign of rust after three years. When it eventually does, it goes into the skip - minus the glass bit, which I will retain as a spare for the next one.
 
the cheap chinise made hurricane lanterns tha searush alluded to are the way forward for cabin lighting - live aboard with three of these for a while before I got a wind turbine sorted out, no odour issues. I did however have to solder the bottoms up, but that took about ten minutes per lamp, and for less than 1/10th of the price of the shiny brass one you can't really go wrong:
http://www.towsure.com/product/14349-Mini_Hurricane_Lantern
 
I don't reckon an anchor light with the lenses and wide bases will do for a cabin as most of the light will be directed horizontally leaving everything below in shadow.
I use an old globe cabin lamp for this reason.
If you are going down the hurricane lamp route look at http://www.hurricanelamps.co.uk/rugged_range_from_brazil.htm
These are the business, far more robust than the brass-plate chinese jobbies with wick winders that survive wick replacement.
I tend to burn lamp-oil with citronella to keep bugs away in summer but found I have to revert to paraffin at this time of year. The lamp oil turns to slush in sub-zero temperatures.
 
that explanation about hot and cold and dead has been arevelation. many thanks

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
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