The importance of having an anchor light

capnsensible

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Looks like the format is deg decimal minutes, other warnings don't have the decimal point after the degrees. Bit sloppy on their part.
On lots of gps I've used you can flip between formats with a simple press of a button. Takes about a second. Computer experts, probably less. ???
 

capnsensible

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Surely you approve of lights at eye level of oncoming boats rather than high up wobbly lights amongst the stars?
Personally, I don't mind as long as I can see them! Higher up they are though, the further away you get them. Flashing ones are the kinda daft ones though, I reckon.
 

RupertW

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Personally, I don't mind as long as I can see them! Higher up they are though, the further away you get them. Flashing ones are the kinda daft ones though, I reckon.
Agree with you on flashing ones - there you are trying to get to sleep and the cabin lights up with flash after flash.

But I think it’s the local fisherman at 3 in the morning or a lost yacht entering the anchorage at night that will hit me if my light is way above them and imposible on distance. The requirement for 2nm visibility I think is strictly for those worried about being hit by things that are very far away.
 

capnsensible

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These threads always go a bit subjective, don't they? But I reckon if you are a vessel at anchor of less than 50m and exhibiting an all round white light where it can best be seen, you won't be wrong. ?

Interesting too entering an anchorage with, say, a small group of day skippers on a course and ask them about how they think some people have interpreted the rules....
 

PilotWolf

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Seems a perfectly acceptable way to give a position. Indeed several here have plotted it.

A pleasure craft cabin at maybe 5-6 ft asl is not eye level for a merchant ship.

I don’t understand why so many here can’t just follow IRPCS?

PW
 

geem

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Agree with you on flashing ones - there you are trying to get to sleep and the cabin lights up with flash after flash.

But I think it’s the local fisherman at 3 in the morning or a lost yacht entering the anchorage at night that will hit me if my light is way above them and imposible on distance. The requirement for 2nm visibility I think is strictly for those worried about being hit by things that are very far away.
We have the option to use our mast head anchor light or the led deck level anchor light that hangs above the foredeck. Sometimes we use both. We assess the risk based on our anchoring location and use what ever we think is appropriate
 

sarabande

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With LED lights using so little current, use 2 both high and low and all round.

There may be a risk of such a configuration being mistaken for a vessel over 50m at anchor from some angles..


jkraffty

"I have to agree that an anchor light at eye level is so much safer than one 10, 20 or 30 metres up"

This has been discussed at length many times, and the consensus is that a low anchor light works best under some conditions, and high one under others.

Anchor lights: are you sure you’ll be seen?

The prudent mariner will use either a fixed high masthead one, or one whose height can be easily varied from deck level to cross trees, according to his perception of which can "best be seen"
 

GHA

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Seems a perfectly acceptable way to give a position. Indeed several here have plotted it.
Plotted by several and in different places because the format is ambiguous - so which is it? Decimal degrees or deg decimal minutes? No way of knowing, plot and guess which seems most likely. Hardly perfectly acceptable, more like sloppy. :rolleyes:
 

Tintin

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Seems a perfectly acceptable way to give a position. Indeed several here have plotted it.

A pleasure craft cabin at maybe 5-6 ft asl is not eye level for a merchant ship.

I don’t understand why so many here can’t just follow IRPCS?

PW

It's Ok, they don't need to in their armchair;)
 

geem

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There may be a risk of such a configuration being mistaken for a vessel over 50m at anchor from some angles..


jkraffty

"I have to agree that an anchor light at eye level is so much safer than one 10, 20 or 30 metres up"

This has been discussed at length many times, and the consensus is that a low anchor light works best under some conditions, and high one under others.

Anchor lights: are you sure you’ll be seen?

The prudent mariner will use either a fixed high masthead one, or one whose height can be easily varied from deck level to cross trees, according to his perception of which can "best be seen"
Our masthead anchor light is a conventional anchor light. Our deck level anchor light is a superbright led that shines 360deg but also focuses a lot of light on the superstructure of the boat. I suppose it is really across between an anchor light and a deck light. The advantage is that we show an allround white at low level but you can also clearly the see the illuminated boat from a good distance. Its always super easy to find out boat at night as its the one you can see?
 
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