Empathy List Archives

GL

Garrett Lambert

Fri, Feb 20, 2009 6:20 AM

I have a short in the wiring in the mast to my anchor light. Since
it's fairly power hungry, I thought I'd take care of both problems the
easy way, and install an LED light. Unfortunately, the ones I found in
marine catalogs and the Internet are complex and expensive.
However, I was in a local box store and saw some LED garden lights.
Simple, good-looking, modern design with a good refracting lens, all
stainless steel construction including a 10" stalk, and a small solar
panel on top to charge the built-in battery. Cost? Three dollars. I
bought a couple and stuck them out in the garden. Probably about 5
watts equivalent, but quite visible white light. All I have to do now
is determine if one would be legal.

Cheers, Garrett

I have a short in the wiring in the mast to my anchor light. Since it's fairly power hungry, I thought I'd take care of both problems the easy way, and install an LED light. Unfortunately, the ones I found in marine catalogs and the Internet are complex and expensive. However, I was in a local box store and saw some LED garden lights. Simple, good-looking, modern design with a good refracting lens, all stainless steel construction including a 10" stalk, and a small solar panel on top to charge the built-in battery. Cost? Three dollars. I bought a couple and stuck them out in the garden. Probably about 5 watts equivalent, but quite visible white light. All I have to do now is determine if one would be legal. Cheers, Garrett

CA

Chuck and Susan

Fri, Feb 20, 2009 12:23 PM

Garrett, The light must be bright enough to be visible for two miles to be
legal. Chuck

To follow our adventures, go to

http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/

http://sea-trek.blogspot.com/

--- On Fri, 2/20/09, Garrett Lambert garrett.lambert@gmail.com wrote:

I have a short in the wiring in the mast to my anchor light. Since
it's fairly power hungry, I thought I'd take care of both problems the
easy way, and install an LED light. Unfortunately, the ones I found in
marine catalogs and the Internet are complex and expensive.
However, I was in a local box store and saw some LED garden lights.
Simple, good-looking, modern design with a good refracting lens, all
stainless steel construction including a 10" stalk, and a small solar
panel on top to charge the built-in battery. Cost? Three dollars. I
bought a couple and stuck them out in the garden. Probably about 5
watts equivalent, but quite visible white light. All I have to do now
is determine if one would be legal.

Cheers, Garrett

Garrett, The light must be bright enough to be visible for two miles to be legal. Chuck To follow our adventures, go to http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/ http://sea-trek.blogspot.com/ --- On Fri, 2/20/09, Garrett Lambert <garrett.lambert@gmail.com> wrote: I have a short in the wiring in the mast to my anchor light. Since it's fairly power hungry, I thought I'd take care of both problems the easy way, and install an LED light. Unfortunately, the ones I found in marine catalogs and the Internet are complex and expensive. However, I was in a local box store and saw some LED garden lights. Simple, good-looking, modern design with a good refracting lens, all stainless steel construction including a 10" stalk, and a small solar panel on top to charge the built-in battery. Cost? Three dollars. I bought a couple and stuck them out in the garden. Probably about 5 watts equivalent, but quite visible white light. All I have to do now is determine if one would be legal. Cheers, Garrett

RT

Richard Tomkinson

Fri, Feb 20, 2009 4:50 PM

In our 2008 cruise thru the North Coast (two months) at least 10% of the
boats were using garden lights as anchor lights.
Richard

In our 2008 cruise thru the North Coast (two months) at least 10% of the boats were using garden lights as anchor lights. Richard

MM

Mike. Maurice

Fri, Feb 20, 2009 5:52 PM

The all around white, used as an anchor light, or other colored lights
are generally 2 miles visibility, but 3 if over 50 meters; which is not
likely to include anyone lurking in this forum.

In any event, the 2 mile is only germane during periods of reduced
visibility as it would seem to be impossible to claim that a light
visible, in reality, at one mile was insufficient to prevent collision
where the other vessel was keeping the required lookout.

Frankly, if we can spare the power, I always run a very small white
light in the pilothouse and sometimes another one flooding the aft deck.
At close range these other lights are your best insurance of not being
run down(and legal to do so). Ideally these other lights are very low
wattage, a couple of candle power each.

Mike

Capt. Mike Maurice
Tigard Oregon(Near Portland)

The all around white, used as an anchor light, or other colored lights are generally 2 miles visibility, but 3 if over 50 meters; which is not likely to include anyone lurking in this forum. In any event, the 2 mile is only germane during periods of reduced visibility as it would seem to be impossible to claim that a light visible, in reality, at one mile was insufficient to prevent collision where the other vessel was keeping the required lookout. Frankly, if we can spare the power, I always run a very small white light in the pilothouse and sometimes another one flooding the aft deck. At close range these other lights are your best insurance of not being run down(and legal to do so). Ideally these other lights are very low wattage, a couple of candle power each. Mike _____________________________________ Capt. Mike Maurice Tigard Oregon(Near Portland)

K

KevinR

Fri, Feb 20, 2009 6:57 PM

-----Original Message-----
Frankly, if we can spare the power, I always run a very small white
light in the pilothouse and sometimes another one flooding the aft deck.
At close range these other lights are your best insurance of not being
run down(and legal to do so). Ideally these other lights are very low
wattage, a couple of candle power each.

Mike raises a very good point that is important if you are anchoring in an area where being hit
during the night may be a consideration.

One of the best defenses is to mark yourself more conspicuously by adding more light as he
mentioned. An interior light visible from the outside or a deck light really adds to your
visibility - but don't mis-mark yourself by turning on the running lights.

Just burning a single anchor light does not give a lot of visual cues to an oncoming vessel, but
adding additional deck lights, even if not very bright, provides a huge jump up in safety.
That's why deck lights are required at night on a big ship that is at anchor.

Kevin

> -----Original Message----- > Frankly, if we can spare the power, I always run a very small white > light in the pilothouse and sometimes another one flooding the aft deck. > At close range these other lights are your best insurance of not being > run down(and legal to do so). Ideally these other lights are very low > wattage, a couple of candle power each. Mike raises a very good point that is important if you are anchoring in an area where being hit during the night may be a consideration. One of the best defenses is to mark yourself more conspicuously by adding more light as he mentioned. An interior light visible from the outside or a deck light really adds to your visibility - but don't mis-mark yourself by turning on the running lights. Just burning a single anchor light does not give a lot of visual cues to an oncoming vessel, but adding additional deck lights, even if not very bright, provides a huge jump up in safety. That's why deck lights are required at night on a big ship that is at anchor. Kevin

CA

Chuck and Susan

Fri, Feb 20, 2009 8:24 PM

On our trip from Houston to South Carolina, along the Gulf Coast we were in
company with tows virtually hundreds of feet long day and night. We anchored
every night and being seen was always a concern. We bought a set of solar
lights for the walkway and attached them to our stanchions. It made the boat
very visible at the water instead of high up on the mast. We used these in
addition to our anchor light. We will use this from now on when we are at
anchor. The lights last from sunset to sun up and go on and off on their own
so nothing to attend to. You can see a picture here
http://bp2.blogger.com/_vAYwNsasVrY/SH0Kws7ZcbI/AAAAAAAAAtw/TMZUj1fDnUE/s1600
-h/DSC00331a.jpg
Chuck

To follow our adventures, go to

http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/

http://sea-trek.blogspot.com/

On our trip from Houston to South Carolina, along the Gulf Coast we were in company with tows virtually hundreds of feet long day and night. We anchored every night and being seen was always a concern. We bought a set of solar lights for the walkway and attached them to our stanchions. It made the boat very visible at the water instead of high up on the mast. We used these in addition to our anchor light. We will use this from now on when we are at anchor. The lights last from sunset to sun up and go on and off on their own so nothing to attend to. You can see a picture here http://bp2.blogger.com/_vAYwNsasVrY/SH0Kws7ZcbI/AAAAAAAAAtw/TMZUj1fDnUE/s1600 -h/DSC00331a.jpg Chuck To follow our adventures, go to http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/ http://sea-trek.blogspot.com/

K

Keith

Sat, Feb 21, 2009 2:25 AM

Something else we do is hoist a bucket that has 3M retroflective tape all
over it at night. While not a light, when anyone hits it with a searchlight
(and the towboats in the ICW will almost always do this) it lights up like a
flare! Not too expensive to make, and useful as a regular bucket as well.

Keith

BREAKFST.COM halted . . . cereal port not responding!
----- Original Message -----
From: "KevinR" kfredden@verizon.net

Just burning a single anchor light does not give a lot of visual cues to
an oncoming vessel, but
adding additional deck lights, even if not very bright, provides a huge
jump up in safety.
That's why deck lights are required at night on a big ship that is at
anchor.

Something else we do is hoist a bucket that has 3M retroflective tape all over it at night. While not a light, when anyone hits it with a searchlight (and the towboats in the ICW will almost always do this) it lights up like a flare! Not too expensive to make, and useful as a regular bucket as well. Keith _____ BREAKFST.COM halted . . . cereal port not responding! ----- Original Message ----- From: "KevinR" <kfredden@verizon.net> > > Just burning a single anchor light does not give a lot of visual cues to > an oncoming vessel, but > adding additional deck lights, even if not very bright, provides a huge > jump up in safety. > That's why deck lights are required at night on a big ship that is at > anchor.

RC

R C Smith Jr

Sat, Feb 21, 2009 3:41 AM

For two years now, MARY KATHRYN has used white LED Christmas lights...two
strings up to the top of the mast and back down in the shape of
a...well...Christmas tree. Not sure, but something like 30 lights in each
string. Coming back to the boat after dark there is no mistaking which boat
is yours! I plugged this into the Killowatt, but I can not remember the VERY
small reading.

(Last year we mounted the KVH sat receiver on the tippy top of the mast to
finally eliminate the mast interference, which wiped out the old 32v anchor
light. So the Christmas lights are all we have.)

As mentioned by others, I also leave a lamp on in the salon...to give better
identification and for security. It is a regular table lamp with a compact
fluorescent. Lighting is still the number one deterrent to thieves, I
believe.

Bob

R C Smith Jr
M/V MARY KATHRYN
1977 Hatteras 58 LRC
Jib Room
Marsh Harbour, Abaco
BAHAMAS

For two years now, MARY KATHRYN has used white LED Christmas lights...two strings up to the top of the mast and back down in the shape of a...well...Christmas tree. Not sure, but something like 30 lights in each string. Coming back to the boat after dark there is no mistaking which boat is yours! I plugged this into the Killowatt, but I can not remember the VERY small reading. (Last year we mounted the KVH sat receiver on the tippy top of the mast to finally eliminate the mast interference, which wiped out the old 32v anchor light. So the Christmas lights are all we have.) As mentioned by others, I also leave a lamp on in the salon...to give better identification and for security. It is a regular table lamp with a compact fluorescent. Lighting is still the number one deterrent to thieves, I believe. Bob ____________________ R C Smith Jr M/V MARY KATHRYN 1977 Hatteras 58 LRC Jib Room Marsh Harbour, Abaco BAHAMAS

trawlers@lists.trawlering.com

LED Anchor Light