Steaming light

[Boo2]

Hi,

Sunrunner (10.46m long sailing boat) has a combined tri + anchor light at the masthead. (The anchor light part of this doesn't work but I am going to fix that...).

She also has a pulpit bicolour and a stern light for when we are under engine. However she didn't come with a steaming light and obviously the anchor light is all-round so that is not a correct substitute.

I have one of SaltyJohns' anchor lights which works fine, and when I run some wiring will be able to use it in the forepeak as required instead of hanging it off the mast (ahem).

So I could get away with painting the aft sector of the masthead anchor light black and thereby converting it to a steaming light and using the SJ AL as my primary anchorlight.

Anyone see any issues with this ? All advice gratefully received,

Boo2

 

[alan17]

steaming light

I have seen many sailing yachts which use the all round anchor light as a combined steaming/stern light. Whilst I do not like the idea it does comply with regs.

 

[Stemar]

It isn't the cheap alternative, but a combined deck flood & steaming light halfway up the mast is more obvious and very useful when anchoring or picking up a buoy after dark.

Feeding the cable through the mast can be entertaining from a safe distance, and good for developing fluency in the language that your Dad gave you a clip round the ear for, but requires a logical approach and persistence rather than skill

 

[bedouin]

It would be acceptable to use the "anchor" light and the bi-colour when under power.

 

[JayBee]

Hi,

Sunrunner (10.46m long sailing boat) has a combined tri + anchor light at the masthead. (The anchor light part of this doesn't work but I am going to fix that...).

She also has a pulpit bicolour and a stern light for when we are under engine. However she didn't come with a steaming light and obviously the anchor light is all-round so that is not a correct substitute.

I have one of SaltyJohns' anchor lights which works fine, and when I run some wiring will be able to use it in the forepeak as required instead of hanging it off the mast (ahem).

So I could get away with painting the aft sector of the masthead anchor light black and thereby converting it to a steaming light and using the SJ AL as my primary anchorlight.

Anyone see any issues with this ? All advice gratefully received,

Boo2

Your boat is under 12m loa, so the rules permit you to use an all-round white instead of the steaming light/sternlight combo.

You are also not required to show the anchor light in the forepart of the vessel, or at the masthead - just "where it may best be seen". In a yacht anchorage this is often not at the masthead, where it can be lost against a background of shore lights or is just less easy to identify from another small vessel proceeding through a crowded anchorage.

We find it effective to hang the anchor light from the backstay. It's easy to see which boat it belongs to and the cable plugs into a waterproof socket in the cockpit - simpler to arrange than on the foredeck.

 

[VicS]

As has been said the all round white part of the tri-white can be used with the bicolor as a combined stern and steaming light.

It must be remembered though that lights atop the mast are difficult to see against a background of shore lights, especially from the bridge of a ship.
For that reason you will be well advised to fit a separate steaming light and use that with the bicolour and a deck level stern light when more appropriate.

You could do as you suggest and screen the aft sector of the allround white and use it as the steaming light with the bicolour and decklevel stern light if you do not want to be able to use it as an anchor light. Personally I prefer the anchor light in the fore-triangle, closer to eye level, than atop the mast

Its useful to have alternatives available for use in the event of bulb failure.



The diagram below shows the legal combinations of the commonly used lights for vessels under 12m when underway.
( It does not show the optional allround red and green lights often used by large sailing vessels nor the option for ceratins vessels under 7m to use only an allround white light)

 

[Capt Popeye]

re Steaming Light on a Sailing Yacht

suggest that when deciding the position of a Steaming Light (under power) due regard must be had for when both under sail and engine at the same time so that the Steaming Light is not obscured by the Sails.

Therefore mounting any Steaming Light half way up a mast is asking for trouble

From my experience Nav Lights ontop of a mast is very good for when in open water (sea/ ships / large waves) but Nav Lights much lower down (bow) are better when inshore or navigating in a river where other skippers are probably in smaller craft and so their line of sight is about 6ft above water level

 

[JayBee]

Capt Popeye

"line of sight" was the phrase I was looking for

 

[Jamesuk]

Hi,

Sunrunner (10.46m long sailing boat) has a combined tri + anchor light at the masthead. (The anchor light part of this doesn't work but I am going to fix that...).

She also has a pulpit bicolour and a stern light for when we are under engine. However she didn't come with a steaming light and obviously the anchor light is all-round so that is not a correct substitute.

Boo2

I thought so
RULE 23
(i) A power-driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may in lieu of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule exhibit an all-round white light and sidelights.

 

[SvenglishTommy]

... - just "where it may best be seen". In a yacht anchorage this is often not at the masthead, where it can be lost against a background of shore lights or is just less easy to identify from another small vessel proceeding through a crowded anchorage.

So true, and anchor light hung lower in the rigging or off the boom is so much easier to see.

 

[wiggy]

I have the same set up, I just removed the bulb from the stern light and use tri colout when sailing and bi-colour bow and anchor light when motoring.

 

[William_H]

Lights

I would reiterate Vic and other's sentiments that mast head lights are not so obvious in close quarters.
So many times I see a yacht at night and do not see the mast head light. You are always looking at water level not starlight sky direction. I far prefer deck level nav light stern light and a steaming light if necessary part way up the mast. Besides maintenance is just so much easier. If you want to be noticed. out to sea by big ships what about a strobe light on top?
stay safe olewill

 

[dt4134]

I used to charter a boat like that. My solution was to hang a couple of fenders over the stern so they obscured the stern light when motoring, which allowed the anchor light to be used as a combine steaming/stern light.

When sailing the fenders could be removed to reveal the stern light.

If it had been my own boat I'd've fitted a steaming light on the mast.