Mast Anchor Light Installation

[Russ]

Return to C'hunk next week for a 7 day cruise!!

Nice.

Well, in an anchorage like in those great pics above, you can get away without a light.
Even where we boat, there are very very few boats out at night. But for $50 bucks and .1 amps I can be both legal and practical. If some fisherman comes through in the wee hours, I'm illuminated.



--Russ

[Catigale]

About 1/3 of the boats on the moorings at C'Hunk still light up their anchor light. This might not be intended, it might be they have solar-switched anchor lights like the Davis. Im not sure if C'hunk Harbor is a designated or special anchorage, or neither of the above for that matter.

[The Mutt]

We like finding the shallows to anchor in overnight, once the lights are out we can disappear without the worry of Weekend fisherman hitting us but far enough offshore not to be eaten by mozzies.

Glenn

[Semper Fi]

I mounted an 3NM LED Anchor light from Signal-Mate last year. I used two Gardner Bender "Glo Fish 15' Fish Sticks"
Lowe's Item #: 213828 . The tool comes in 3 ft sections totaling 15ft so I used two to get the required lenght. I used #12-2 marine wiring because I was concerned about voltage drop. I assembled the tool, pushed it through the mast flotation material and fished the wire through with out much trouble.

[sbods]

Not only is it fun... you can also get solar "xmas lights" now too. Great if you are having an evening out, a bit of a party with friends etc.

However. not fulfilling your legal obligations.

[The Mutt]

The Christmas lights are OK to use in Oz as long as you still have the 360 degree white light showing.

Glenn

[Catigale]

Anchor light draw is probably only 10 watts at most

Voltage drop shouldn't be much, you can use the 10% drop figure to calculate the required awg.

No downside to too thick wore other than cost

Remember to add battery to mast run to the length and then double it for the total circuit length

[paj637]

In the process of installing a masthead anchor light on my 2006 pushing through 3/4 " pvc to make a channel in the styrofoam. I slammed my hand against the top of the mast and almost cut off the tip of my pinky finger on my right hand. Had to get stiches through my nail to sew it all together. Worst part about the whole thing is that my wife had just asked me if what I was doing was safe, then walked indoors. I'll never hear the end of this story for sure. Lessons Learned: Wear gloves

[Gypsy]

We run 3 solar anchor lights.
- one in the cockpit
- one in the starboard shrouds
- and one on the mast top.
I agree with Russ MT that some boats may not look up, and this is why we run the lower lights as well.

Food for thought:
Depending on your country laws, you may be legally obligated to run a masthead anchor light at minimum. And if you do not run a mast head light and are involved in an accident your insurance may not cover you.

We established the fact that the law (at least in the U.S.) calls for an all around white light on top of the mast . Whatever you do at lower levels is added protection , but it must be in addition to the light on top of the mast.

[c130king]

We established the fact that the law (at least in the U.S.) calls for an all around white light on top of the mast . Whatever you do at lower levels is added protection , but it must be in addition to the light on top of the mast.

I don't believe this is true. I hang a Davis Mega Light from my backstay as my only anchor light. I thought Rich (Hamin' X) or somebody posted some guidelines that stated that it was fine to have a light lower than the mast head...the mast would not block enough of the light to be a factor.

FWIW.

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König
Sailing on König YouTube Channel

[Gypsy]

We established the fact that the law (at least in the U.S.) calls for an all around white light on top of the mast . Whatever you do at lower levels is added protection , but it must be in addition to the light on top of the mast.

I don't believe this is true. I hang a Davis Mega Light from my backstay as my only anchor light. I thought Rich (Hamin' X) or somebody posted some guidelines that stated that it was fine to have a light lower than the mast head...the mast would not block enough of the light to be a factor.

FWIW.

Cheers,
Jim
Sailing on König
Sailing on König YouTube Channel

Rule 30 : Anchored Vessels and vessels aground
(a) A vessel shall exhibit where it can best be seen :
(i) in the fore part , an all around white light or one ball ;
(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level than the light prescribed in sub-paragraph (i) an
all-round white light.
(b) A vessel less than 50 metres in length may exhibit an all around white light where it can be best instead of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule.

I copied the above , straight out of the rule book , my friend gave me , which is 'Nautical Emergencies ' and contains the COLREGS

I copied this from the other thread on anchor lights . A single masted boat must have an all around white light on its mast . You can have a lower light at or near the stern , but it is in addition to the all a round light forward

[Russ]

I don't believe this is true. I hang a Davis Mega Light from my backstay as my only anchor light. I thought Rich (Hamin' X) or somebody posted some guidelines that stated that it was fine to have a light lower than the mast head...the mast would not block enough of the light to be a factor.

FWIW.

Correct. It does not have to be mast top. Many many anchor lights are not mast top. It does have to be visible all around 360 degrees. Generally the mast will not obstruct totally.

[Hamin' X]

My point on not having to have the anchor light top mounted on the mast, comes from the COLREGS themselves.

Annex I:

9 Horizontal sectors
(a) (i) In the forward direction, sidelights as fitted on the vessel shall show the minimum required intensities. The intensities shall decrease to reach practical cut-off between 1°and 3°outside the prescribed sectors. ( ii) For sternlights and masthead lights and at 22.5°abaft the beam for sidelights, the minimum required intensities shall be maintained over the arc of the horizon up to 5°within the limits of the sectors prescribed in Rule 21. From 5°within the prescribed sectors the intensity may decrease by
50% up to the prescribed limits; it shall decrease steadily to reach practical cut-off at not more than
5°outside the prescribed sectors.

(b) (i) All-round lights shall be so located as not to be obscured by masts, topmasts or structures within angular sectors of more than 6°, except anchor lights prescribed in Rule 30, which need not be placed at an impracticable height above the hull. ( ii) If it is impracticable to comply with paragraph (b)(i) of this section by exhibiting only one all- round light, two all-round lights shall be used suitably positioned or screened so that they appear, as far as practicable, as one light at a distance of one mile.

~Rich

[Gypsy]

I don't believe this is true. I hang a Davis Mega Light from my backstay as my only anchor light. I thought Rich (Hamin' X) or somebody posted some guidelines that stated that it was fine to have a light lower than the mast head...the mast would not block enough of the light to be a factor.

FWIW.

Correct. It does not have to be mast top. Many many anchor lights are not mast top. It does have to be visible all around 360 degrees. Generally the mast will not obstruct totally.

The only place on a sailboat that a light can be seen 360 degrees is atop the mast.
Any other place and the mast or rigging is going to at least partially block it , making it illegal .
The rule also calls for one all around light , so making a 360 circle using two lights isn't legal either.

[Phil M]

The only place on a sailboat that a light can be seen 360 degrees is atop the mast.
Any other place and the mast or rigging is going to at least partially block it , making it illegal .
The rule also calls for one all around light , so making a 360 circle using two lights isn't legal either.

One anchor light - good. Two anchors lights - bad.
And the reason behind that might be? (Besides rules is rules...)

Phil M