Proper anchoring lights please!

[noelex]

Illegal, poor light and usually out of charge well before dawn, they're a menace. Mast head lights may not be the easiest to see but they're legal, meaning insurance should pay out if you're hit but, they often won't if you're showing garden lights. In many European countries, hefty fines are levied if not properly lit.

Personally, I use a Bebi LED light (draws around 100ma and has over 2 mile range, auto on/off) low down but, if the policia maritima wanted to get pedantic, any low light doesn't have 360 degree visibility as the mast gets in the way. Also use it on moorings.

I use 2 Bebi owl lights a couple of meters above deck. At least one is always visible from 360 deg.
The current draw for both lights is only 0.13A less than most single LED anchor lights. They are very bright and illuminate the deck and superstructure. This makes it much easier for boats coming into the anchorage to judge distances.
I often come into anchorages at night and wholeheartedly agree with the comments about garden lights being inadequate.
A collision ruins everyone’s day and if you have inadequate anchor lights you may have to pay for the repair of both boats out of your own pocket.

 

[Salty John]

A couple of points, perhaps pedantic:

A masthead light in Colreg terms is a 225º light. An all round light is what you need for an anchor light - 360º. I do realise that we use the term masthead light to identify the location for the purposes of these discussions.

Colregs specifies that an anchor light should be placed in the forward part of the vessel where it can best be seen.

The Colregs state that:

“All-round lights shall be so located as not to be obscured by masts, topmasts or structures within angular sectors of more than 6 degrees, except anchor lights, which need not be placed at an impracticable height above the hull”.

So, an anchor light in the fore triangle at a practical height above deck is fine and, in my experience, is best seen in that location.

Anchor lights in use in the EU should be certified and carry a CE mark to indicate they comply with various European Directives which specify light intensity and visible range vertically and horizontally. (They should also comply with the electromagnetic inteference legislation but that applies to all electrical devices and has nothing to do with safety at sea).

As I've said before, I believe it should be the skipper who decides if his vessel is adequately lit and in compliance with Colregs, not some bloke in Brussels who's never been on a small boat.

Actually, if you use a non-electric light the Colregs allow some discretion on the part of the skipper, but the intensity is specified for electric lights and, therefore, provide an out for unscrupulous insurance companies and over zealous officials.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Thanks for the post John Morris. With LED lights using so little leccy it seems sensible to use something like this even if on a mooring. For the sake of £23, better safe than sorry.

Incidentally, when I once blagged my way onto the bridge of the Bilbao ferry and got chatting to the master, I asked him if there were any general points he wanted to make to the yotties I taught. One of his answers was a strong recommendation for yachts at night whilst inshore to use deck level lights rather than masthead lights since the latter viewed from a ships bridge against a lit shoreline , say the entrance to Portsmouth, were invisible.

 

[mihtjel]

Colregs specifies that an anchor light should be placed in the forward part of the vessel where it can best be seen.

The colregs are a lot easier when you ignore some of them. The provision that the anchor light is to be in the forward part of the vessel only seems to apply in the case where there is also second, lower anchor light at the stern. Part b of what you refered to:

(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.

It might well be argued that, from a distance or from large ships, a light at the top of the mast is more visible than one in the foretriangle. All depends on the circumstances.

 

[RAI]

It's noticeable that ships at anchor usually display all their deck lights. I think the key to an anchor light is to be seen and correctly interpreted.

 

[OldBawley]

Thunderstorm

A typical Med anchorage.
Night-time
Then a thunderstorm. the come unpredicted. Wind turns over 360°.
You have to leave for a all round protected anchorage.
It will be full !!!!
In rain, hail and stormy wind you need to find a place.
Garden lights : zero.
Top lights : zero

In de wind moving deck lights are fine.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Thanks for the post John Morris. With LED lights using so little leccy it seems sensible to use something like this even if on a mooring. For the sake of £23, better safe than sorry.

Incidentally, when I once blagged my way onto the bridge of the Bilbao ferry and got chatting to the master, I asked him if there were any general points he wanted to make to the yotties I taught. One of his answers was a strong recommendation for yachts at night whilst inshore to use deck level lights rather than masthead lights since the latter viewed from a ships bridge against a lit shoreline , say the entrance to Portsmouth, were invisible.

I agree, and I have swapped over from tri-colour for bi-colour and stern light when inshore and in heavy shipping in the past. Same lights - just different height and two bulbs instead of one.

My original post pointed out that I knew where to look for the masthead all round white lights (ignoring the pedantic quotes from IRPCS about what is a masthead light...) and they were fairly visible - certainly in terms of brightness. My point was not about the height of the lights, but whether people had any or inadequate lights. I had no feelings or opinions about the solar powered garden lights before - but now I have very strong opinions about how useless the ones I saw two days ago were.

Perhaps its a good job there aren't too many chavvy insurance claimers about who would go running into peoples under-lit boats at night and claiming whip-lash injury?

 

[john_morris_uk]

It's noticeable that ships at anchor usually display all their deck lights. I think the key to an anchor light is to be seen and correctly interpreted.

That might be because the IRPCS encourages ships to do this???

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.

 

[Chris_Robb]

I simply don't see the point in a light that's in completely the wrong place at the top of the mast no matter how simple it is to flick the switch. Of course the weaken well before dawn so wouldn't use them where the is night time traffic as opposed to pre-midnight only.

I also would prefer somebody to be thinking - what the he'll is that just in front of me - rather than hearing a clunk when somebody miscalculates the distance as they attempt to judge my boat's position from a light of unknown size and brightness at an unknown height above them.

I think we are all aware that most boats have mast head anchor lights. You have to be pretty blind not to notice them in close proximity - or a very stiff neck.... n Or you are too mean to take safety of others seriously.

 

[Blueboatman]

My two h'porth.
Cawsand is my least favourite anchorage, tidal flow, swell working it's way round and into the bay..But beautiful in quiet conditions.

I hang led lamp fitted inside a hanging aquasignalfresnel hobby up forward, I believe that the slight swinging makes the light really stand out against background.
I moved from Cawsand up above the moorings at Cargreen, even wind over springs it is a much quieter and peaceful anchorage imo of course, my lamp could be seen from The Tamar bridge. Works for me.

Horrible pics of RM boat damage. SouthWest yachting have a coded 40footer right there at Mayflower, seemed v nice indeed when we moved it down river bit not a HR of course.

 

[Poignard]

Down with masthead anchor lights

I would not like to take it for granted that some tired helmsman is going to remember to gaze skyward looking for my masthead anchor-light. I'd rather he couldn't fail to notice me - which is why I show a light at approximately his eye-level.

 

[Adrian Jones]

I would not like to take it for granted that some tired helmsman is going to gaze skyward looking for my masthead anchor-light. I'd rather he couldn't fail to notice me - which is why I show a light at approximately his eye-level.

I totally agree particularly if anchored with a populated hill side behind the anchorage. All too often the mast head light blends into the background lighting from buildings etc.

Its much safer and practical in my view to have an anchor light with a bright LED bulb set lower, preferably at eye level, which has the added advantage of illuminating the boat structure somewhat. Realistically you want to be clearly seen by boats manoeuvring near to you rather than from 2/3 Nautical Miles away away.

 

[dslittle]

Any lights will do

I totally agree with the sentiment of the original post. I have an LED anchor light at the top of my mast. It is visible from miles away. I would be very unimpressed if anyone approached me from seaward whilst I am in an anchorage then hit me because my light was too 'high up' for them to see me from close in. Good seamanship suggests that there might be boats anchored in an anchorage. As long as I can see ANY light at night I assume that it is something that I don't want to hit. If there are NO lights (as commented upon originally) then there is a problem. We always use a searchlight if we are entering an anchorage that we are not familiar with to see what might be there.

 

[Billjratt]

We always use a searchlight if we are entering an anchorage that we are not familiar with to see what might be there.

Exactly. What about the unoccupied moorings and those with just a dinghy attached?

 

[pampas]

RAI

Lights are left on,especially VLCC`s . because you would be suprised at the twits who try to steam between the Fwd and aft lights, fishing vessels mainly.