MacGregorSailors.com

Hi,

I'm currently considering my options on an Mast/Anchor light.
I want it to be LED and low profile but can't find anything that make makes me happy. Then I had the idea of using an LED lightstrip to wrap around the top of the mast (just above the pulleys) .... http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/191591757219 ... EBIDX%3AIT

Power consumption is low and they put off a fair amount of light.....Any thoughts on this?

All the best.
Neo

Those LED strips are pretty cool. You can buy long lengths of them for cheap.
The big question is whether it's bright enough to be legal.

I though about running them down the side of the mast. Might be cool at raft ups.

I see these LED strips in other places.

I don't know how low you need, but this is 4" high, LED, 2-mile all-round white, and USCG approved (though the USCG doesn't directly approve things like this), and only $27.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-mari ... --15761513

Just a note about anchor lights.

There is legal and then there is anti-collision. Last year we anchored in a small secluded cove. Nobody anywhere near us. We're sitting in the cockpit enjoying the stars with our masthead anchor light fully lit. This cabin cruiser starts to make it's way towards us. They keep coming at us....closer...closer...surely they see us and our light. I grab a flashlight and shine it in our cockpit. Then I hear a female voice saying "Is that a sailboat in there?" They then quickly turn and anchor someplace else.

My dad was always concerned that a masthead anchor light is confused with a star. Perhaps that's what happened with us. They weren't expecting a light way up high and were looking close to the water. With a blue hull boat, we are pretty close to dark out there.

So I may go back to my old light on a stick method. Lasts many nights on a single set of batteries. I later replaced the bulb with LED so it would last even longer.
Wrap it around the topping lift and it is low and bright.

I once had a crazy idea with LED strip lights so cheap to wrap them around the entire gunnel of the boat. That would stick out. The Admiral nixed it.

I installed the Hella LED anchor light http://www.nauticexpo.com/prod/hella-ma ... 24362.html
Very pleased. Do not believe in scrimping on a boat marking light and went for what looked like the best.

Agree with Russ on this one, an oil lamp is technically legal but; on it's own, in a cluttered shoreline, at night with no moon, good luck seeing it or any single anchor light. I always use a legal 360 LED white light but always have the two LED cockpit lights on as well. Lighting up the boom and bimini makes the boat so much easier to see.

I have two bright white led lights, two bright blue lights on deck and two blue stick on led strips about three feet long under the rub strike. My boat looks like a freakin UFO and is obvious no matter what the conditions. The two blue deck lights are actually solar powered Marine Marker lights. Unlike the home solar yard lights these run multiple nights. They are very bright. The strip lights are automotive accessories. But with a bit of careful sealing they have lasted a couple of years. They draw a few amps so I have them set to go off at one AM.
Masthead anchor lights need to be accompanied by deck lights full stop. They can look like stars or shore lights. Even deck lights can look like shore lights. That's why I like the blue lights. I might get a few more of them.
Ix

360 degree white anchor light and deck flood lights (downward pointing lights intended to light up the boat deck but not show at greater distances) are your only USCG approved lights. All others should be avoided as they can confuse other boaters. Just did two nights runs this week (one last night). A boat with multiple lights can look like shore lights or give false indication of distance, location etc.

Hmmmm .... Some good input here guys.
Ix I like the Idea of Blue lights and I think lighting up the deck is a great idea. Modern LED lights are so efficient now days. And with a twin batteries setup I can't why you could run then all night.

Robert that Hella light looks identical to one I saw over here. But the base was too wide for the top of my mast. Was your one OK?

All the best.
Neo

Neo wrote:Ix I like the Idea of Blue lights and I think lighting up the deck is a great idea. Modern LED lights are so efficient now days. And with a twin batteries setup I can't wee why you couldn't run them all night.

The way the COLREGs are worded, lighting the decks is the standard for large ships (over 100m), and allowable for small vessels (desirable, in my interpretation), though not legally required. Those rules are written such that they start with the largest vessels, with the full-blown version (two anchor lights, 6 nm visibility), then whittle away to lesser requirements as boats get smaller by allowing less lighting and weaker intensity. But there's nothing wrong, and many things in favor, or lighting as if it were a larger vessel.

I've often said that an anchor light on top of the mast is about useless in a small anchorage, as when a boat is close, they're not looking up, especially if the skipper is under a bimini or in a pilothouse. Having an anchor light dangling from the jib halyard, with some down lighting from a combo masthead (steaming) light and deck light, or from spreader lights, can't be anything but good. And it's consistent with the language of the COLREGs, as well as the intent. In my non-lawyer mind, at least. Having experienced the mad rush back to the docks after fireworks over the water is eye opening, and the anchor light at the top of my 56 ft mast (different boat) was useless in that situation. After that one time, I hung one just above head height, and lit all the interior dome lights in the hopes the smoked ports wouldn't cut too much intensity, as well as the original anchor light, to make the boat as visible as I could.

As to battery drain, a single LED anchor light burning for 12 hours at .13A only uses 1.5 amp-hr or so of energy in that period, from an 80 amp-hr battery (or more). Even two LED spreader lights plus anchor light is still nothing compared to the capacity of even a single group 24 deep-cycle battery.

From the COLREGs:

Rule 30 - Anchored Vessels and Vessels Aground

(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:

(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;
(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level than the light prescribed in Rule 30(a)(i), an all-round white light.

(b) A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in Rule 30(a).

(c) A vessel at anchor may, and a vessel of 100 meters and more in length shall, also use the available working or equivalent lights to illuminate her decks.

(d) A vessel aground shall exhibit the lights prescribed in Rule 30(a) or (b) and in addition, if practicable, where they can best be seen;

(i) two all-round red lights in a vertical line;
(ii) three balls in a vertical line.

(e) A vessel of less than 7 meters in length, when at anchor not in or near a narrow channel, fairway or where other vessels normally navigate, shall not be required to exhibit the shape prescribed in Rule 30(a) and (b).

(f) A vessel of less than 12 meters in length, when aground, shall not be required to exhibit the lights or shapes prescribed in Rule 30(d)(i) and (ii).

We have 2 solar LED garden-lights in the cockpit. They last all night and give some additional visibility.




Obelix

Obelix wrote:We have 2 solar LED garden-lights in the cockpit. They last all night and give some additional visibility.
Obelix

They also light up the cockpit quite well. I had one. Admiral didn't like how bright it lit things up. I may put it back though.

if u do these u should get the yellow light ones not the white ones as they draw in the bugs

J

My .02

I also use a red & green, port & starboard as backups. U can shut them on & off at will.

Back in 1974 I actually hoisted an oil lamp up the mast when anchoring in the Sea of Cortez! That was not an insane thing to do back then, now it would seem crazy.