Anchor and Steaming Lights

[fritz3000g]

I'm hoping to anchor and camp on my Mac25 in a couple of weeks, but I want to make sure my mast lights (particularly the anchor light) are up to snuff.

Currently I have two lights on the mast, both facing forwards towards the bow.

• One about 2 ft from the top of the mast that appears meant to shine everywhere except for where it's blocked by the mast itself. (steaming light?)
• There's another one at the spars that's adjustable but very directional, and has a reflector like a spot light. (equivalent of a car headlight?)

Here are some pics.





Am I right on identifying these lights, or is the one at the spreaders a steaming light and the one near (but not at) the top the anchor light?

In other words, do I need to add a mast-top anchor light, and run two more wires, or am I set?

If I do need to add an anchor light, any recommendations on a good one for a Mac25?

For bonus points, does anyone know what that metal arm extending from the end of the mast is for? I would guess a wind vane, but it didn't come with one.

Thanks!

[Russ]

Looks like a steaming light.

Have no idea what that other thing is.

You need a 360 degree light for anchor light. This doesn't need to be on top. Could be anywhere as long as visible 360 degrees for 2 miles. Lots of options here.

Wires: LEDs are polarized. I have a steaming light (LED) and anchor top of mast (LED) both polarized. So I reverse the polarity to switch between them.

I would highly recommend LED anchor light. Sips power and doesn't run you battery down. Steaming light (if under power and charging) is not as much an issue. But why not change them all out?

[Starscream]

Personally, I don't like masthead lights as anchor lights. They aren't at eye-level, where they need to be to stop someone from running into you, and they easily get lost in the stars.

I am almost sure that the original poster has a steaming light and maybe a spreader light but no anchor light (although I can't see the photos, not sure why). My 2002X came with a steaming light and a downward facing decklight, in one single fixture about a third of the way up the mast.

For anchoring, we use a $25 portable LED anchor light that plugs into the 12V cigarette lighter in the cockpit and clips on to the Bimini frame so that it's between the boom and the top of the bimini. At night we raise the boom high up with the topping lift to make sure the light is visible all around. Technically the mast blocks a small portion of its visibility, so I leave the steaming light on too.

[Tomfoolery]

The Masthead light, aka 'steaming light', covers 225 degrees (20 pts), from straight ahead to 22.5 deg. abaft the beam on either side, with minimum of 2 miles visibility for a boat the size of these Macs. Same angle of coverage as the sidelights, which is a single bicolor unit on the bow of most Macs. White stern light covers the other 135 degrees.

An anchor light is an all-round white light of 2 miles visibility or more. Most sailboats have it at the top of the mast (not to be confused with the 'masthead light', which is the proper term for the 'steaming light', per the COLREGS), but many prefer to hang one from the forestay or flag halyard, or wherever it's most visible. I have a long stick light that plugs into a socket at the stern that I use when I don't have a mast, but have a light at the top of the mast, too.

LEDs are especially good for anchor lights, as already mention, due to their sipping of battery energy vs incandescent.

COLREGS -INTERNATIONAL- Lights and Shapes (-INLAND- section is identical)

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
subparagraph (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 paragraph
(a) of this Rule.
(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.

As far as the angle an all-round white anchor light must cover, there is allowance for the mast blocking some portion. Whether you consider that acceptable is up to you, of course, but the COLREGS allow for up to 6 degrees of arc to be blocked.

9. Horizontal 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
degrees, 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.”

[fritz3000g]

Thanks all - I love the idea of hanging a light lower-down, and will definitely do that.

[ris]

We bought a cheap $10 attwood light then replaced the bulb with a $10 LED. That thing is so bright you can read a book sitting near it. It is really bright. You can find a LED replacement for most bulbs . The attwood was originally a 2 mile light so it must be a 3 or 4 mile light with the LED bulb.

[Tomfoolery]

West marine has an all round white LED unit for remarkably cheap (West Marine brand). 2 mile, uscg approved, with a mounting foot. You could mount it to a block of wood or plastic with a loop on the bottom, and hang it upside-down from a stay or spreader.

Be careful about the Davis Megalight, if you're considering that one, as it's not uscg approved, and has no such required markings. No big deal until someone runs into you and the lawyers use that to reduce the liability on the part of the other guy. Odds are that nothing like that will happen, but for the same money you can get a light with a pedigree. There are enough stories out there to convince me not to save a dollar using something not specifically intended and approved for use as a navigation light.

[fritz3000g]

ris, which Attwood light would you recommend?

[ris]

There was a attwood 12" fold down sold at wallmart. I then did some research and this bulb I bought off Amazon.
iJDMTOY (2) Xenon White High Power 9-SMD 906 912 920 921 T15 LED Replacement Bulbs For Chevrolet Ford GMC Honda Nissan Toyota Truck 3rd Brake Lamp Cargo Lights

I use the MAC as a trawler so I have a 5 foot wooden mast instead of the sailing mast. I mounted this Attwood on top of that wooden mast. As others have stated you could mount a light in many different places with a piece of wood and a bungy cord. I just hate to pay marine prices for lights that you can get much cheaper and modify. This light is above the bimini and at night you can sit in the cockpit and the light is bright enough that the top of the bimini is like a blue night light. (our bimini is royal blue). This bulb is at least 3 or 4 times as bright as the original 2 mile light bulb.

[Seapup]

Personally, I don't like masthead lights as anchor lights. They aren't at eye-level, where they need to be to stop someone from running into you, and they easily get lost in the stars.

I agree. Not the legal textbook solution, but when in anchorages with traffic or lots of lights around I like to also run a string of soft "mood" lights around the bimini to light up the cockpit. They use almost no electric and light the boat up so its visible as a boat from a good distance, but not bright enough to distract. They make a nice soft light for relaxing too. We often paddle back to the boat at night and the mastlight will blend right in even when I know where the boat is. With some additional string lights there is no confusing what it is in a light scheme, its a stationary boat with cockpit lights, but stands out in a busy anchorage. Last harborfest I had a couple buddies that would use our boat as a "landmark" since it stood out in the crowd of well over 100 anchored boats.

[fritz3000g]

Great idea - I love the Christmas lights. I might use some inside the cabin too. Thanks!

[Tomfoolery]

Not the legal textbook solution, but when in anchorages with traffic or lots of lights around I like to also run a string of soft "mood" lights around the bimini to light up the cockpit.

To be honest, I don't see where that's against the letter, or the spirit, of the rules.

(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.

And having a second anchor light in the stern in addition to one at the top of the mast seems to conform, too.

(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
subparagraph (i), an all-round white light.

A single light is permitted for vessels under 50m in length, but that doesn't mean such a vessel can't have the lights prescribed in i and ii above.

Whether the masthead (steaming) light, which only covers the forward-centered 225 degree arc, plus an all-round white in the stern is technically two anchor lights, well, that's up to the skipper. But from all but the rear 135 degrees, there's two lights. And in the rear 135 deg. sector, there's still a white anchor light.

I too don't like having the single anchor light all the way at the top of the mast in a crowded anchorage, and in the past I've used a second anchor light hanging over the boom in addition to the mast anchor light. Especially when watching fireworks from the water - at the last boom, you'd think it was the start of the marine Indy 500.

[vizwhiz]

Seapup - how do you power the mood lights? I'm thinking it might be a good idea to add some exterior lighting. When we're anchored on the flats, not a crowded anchorage, but not much else to see. And with one light up high, it may seem to be a star more than a boat light. Especially if that fishing boat captain has had a few too many fishing drinks.

[My Mistress]

I was really disappointed with the anchor light that was originally on Mistress. It was a small BA9S incandescent light. That is the same as an instrument panel light in my car.
I replaced it with a BA1156 type LED lamp and base, the same lamp I use for back-up lights on my pick-up. It's economical, a lot brighter, and difficult to confuse with a star. even at a distance. The mast cap shields it from throwing too much light onto the deck.

The only light that is still incandescent on Mistress is the red/green navigation light. A replacement LED lamp for that is expensive.

[Bogus Chinchilla]

I recently purchased the 'Smart LED Tri-Color, Anchor Light, and Strobe (N3-TRI-CMB)' at www.Marinebeam.com for an anchor/running light. It's great! Two wires in the mast; switch it on/off to go from 360 anchor to tri-color running to SOS distress signal.