Anchor lights

[hoddinr]

What are you all using for anchor lights?

I'd like to have a battery powered (AA/AAA) LED light if possible to save having to have it powered by my 12 volt battery.  Don't have a mast head light.

I have a "Mega-Light" but it requires the use of the ship's 12 volt system.

Thanks!

Ron

[Mike K]

Hi Ron,

I don't want to waste my big 12V battery by burning the power hungry incandescent bulb at the top of my mast as an anchor light.  Also, I feel that top of mast anchor lights are dangerous (if that's your only anchor light), as boaters can mistake them as far-away stars or simply misjudge the distance when the light is way above their eyes.  I almost crashed into a big sailboat once with a real high masthead anchor light.  It didn't create a lighted silhouette like lower anchor lights can, so the whole boat was dark.

I like to put an anchor light on the topping lift line, up about as far as I can reach, visible all around.  I only put it there when I need it-- it's not permanently mounted.  I use a wire twist-tie or Velcro to hold the cord and let the light dangle.  It doubles as a cockpit light for getting around the boat in the evening, or finding your boat after a pleasurable fireside beach concert (by you) at Cayo Costa!

I bought a 12V LED waterproof anchor light with a male cigarette lighter plug and integral 15'cord.  I really like the light.  The LED only uses 0.1 amp, so it shouldn't drain your battery as much as an incandescent bulb.  It also has a sensor and turns itself off in the morning.  Here's the URL to the web page:

http://sailorssolutions.com/?page=ProductDetails&Item=LEDPC01

Actually, I don't even plug this into my main 12V battery, but I could.  I bought a cheap, but handy car battery jump starter from Harbor Freight, with a 17 AmpHour battery.  It has an "always on" built-in cigarette lighter female plug, and it's relatively light to carry on and off the boat and much easier to carry and recharge off the boat than the main battery.  I also use it to charge my phone and any other 12V devices you may have.  I use it all the time, and save my big battery for the power hungry, non-LED navigation lights on my P-21 or Legacy.  As a bonus, you can jump start your truck if you ever need to.  Below is the link.  It often goes on sale, and I think I got it last year for about $39 or so.  To keep it from taking up space in the small Legacy cabin while I'm sleeping, I put it on the cockpit sole when I plug in the anchor light, and just throw some plastic over it to keep the dew off it.  However, with the 15' cord of the light, I could plug it into the main battery cabin cigarette lighter, but then you have to deal with the cord when moving around in the cabin.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-jump-start-and-power-supply-38391.html

Hope this gives you some ideas.
Mike

[Aldebaran_III]

Check these out.
I have the all round white and the tri-color on my HC and they've been great. Lots of mounting options too and they float (double as MOB light).

http://www.navisafe.com/project/navi-light-tricolor-2nm-2/
http://www.navisafe.com/project/navi-light-tricolor-2nm-2/

Cheers,
Derek

[hoddinr]

Mike that anchor light looks like my Davis Mega Light except that it's an LED ! 

Derek, I have the navisafe lights, but how did you mount it as an anchor light?

thanks guys.  Great input.

Ron

[ontarioSuncat]

I use a solar powered led light attached to my bow pulpit that I had added to my sun cat. But I suppose it would work on the gallows bar. They are about $20 in Canada. Not really coast guard approved but we only anchor in known anchorages up here. Cant find the brand but they are small white ones with two mounts for horizontal or vertical tubes,1 inch or 7/8 inch

[Aldebaran_III]

Ron,

my HC came with 12 volt nav lights, but I never installed a battery (keeping it simple). So I have the magnetic pads from Navisafe glued (4200) to the top of the existing nav lights. The stern light is on the gallows, and the Navisafe appears clear above the gallows, so I use this for anchor. It gives a good 360 deg spread except for a very small sector caused by the mast. I don't need huge range from mast head mounting because I'm always anchored in shallow water. Anyway, mast top lights are too easy for power boats to miss when they're not looking up. The Navisafe 360 also has a low power mode where only 4 LEDs at 90 degrees are lit. This gives you a really low power 360 degree light for anchorages where lights are not required but you feel better showing one anyway.

The other light is on the mast just below the hinge. When sailing, I set the front light to bicolor and the gallows light to stern sector white.
If I'm motoring I set the front to bicolor and the rear to all round white.

I must admit that once, when dropping the sail, I let the boom knock the magnetic light into the water. But it floats, and it was lit, so it was an easy recovery!

Cheers,
Derek

[Tom L.]

Ron, There are battery powered LED lights for camping at Wal-Mart as well as other places. They are NOT CG approved but are bright and could be suspended over the cockpit area to double as a night light/anchor light. We use to use the Davis meg light in the past. It was cheap but now very expensive at $35 or more. They are supposedly CG approved.

Tom L.

[hoddinr]

Thanks Derek, that's very clear re the Navisafe installs.

Thanks Tom, I may check out the ones at WalMart too.

Ron

[capt_nemo]

Ron,

My solution is a Hybrid Light Solar Lantern. It is a small, 7 white LED Lantern that measures 7 1/2" high, with a 3 1/2" diameter and built-in solar panel on top. Comes with plug-in AC Charger and Auto Charger adaptors. Runs on internal rechargeable battery (primary) with a 3 AA battery mode as back-up. Charged during daylight, it hangs under the boom in my cockpit as a 360 degree Anchor Light. Got mine in the Sporting Goods Section at Wal-Mart.

More info at www.hybridlight.com and 1-800-365-0350

capt_nemo

[Tom L.]

Capt, that is a neat light. I looked around and it looks like West Marine has it for $29.99. Seems like a good price. I plan on looking at my walmart stores later this week. The info says that once it's charged it will hold that charge for years. So you could store it aboard and it would be ready to use anytime. Of course after use it would need to be recharged but the built in solar panel would seem to do that in a days time. If not it has a cigaret lighter plug/usb port charger or AA batteries can be installed. Too cool.

Tom L.

[Bob23]

Before I changed the anchor light to LED on my 23, I used this from Wallyworld. Not solar and not rechargeable but the 3 AA batteries last for years. Hung from a line on the spreader and along with a simple downhaul which prevented it from swinging, it served as a simple backup anchor light. While anchored out one night, I rowed out about a mile and it was still very bright and visible. 5 bucks if I remember right.
Bob23

[hoddinr]

I ordered the Hybrid Solar lantern that Capt Nemo suggested from Amazon.com and will have it by Sunday.  In time for my trip to the FL 120 raid.

Should do the trick! Thanks very much.

Ron

[belybuster]

The stingysailor.com has a very nice piece on adding an actual anchor light at the top of the mast.  I don't know why Com-Pac did not do this in the first place.

[Potcake boy]

When using an anchor light in other than designated anchorages be sure it is USCG approved. Just being visible for 2 miles isn't a guarantee that it's an approved light. When local marine police decide to harass boaters, one tactic is to go around at night inspecting anchor lights.  I saw that recently at Englewood Beach Florida. The boats being targeted were clearly derelicts or at least questionable, but an improper anchor light like a solar yard light could draw their attention. I use an LED on my masthead, and also frequently use an extra light somewhere on the boat. The mast head LED is not terribly expensive, easy to install on a SunCat, and can be powered by any of the above suggested methods. If you do more than an occasional over-nighter it's probably worth it for the convenience.

[brackish]

When using an anchor light in other than designated anchorages be sure it is USCG approved.

Ron, please elaborate on what you mean by "USCG approved." Several years ago I went through a discussion on this and the general consensus, particularly by those who had more or less committed COLREGs to memory, was that there was no such thing.  COLREGs defines the outcome required in terms of color, distance of visibility, angle of illumination, and location(s) but does not "approve" any manufacturers lights.  Manufactures may state at their own risk that their product "meets COLREG requirements" but not that the USCG has approved them.  I am not a COLREG scholar so wonder if something has changed since then.

I tend to just use common sense.  For instance I have a masthead light that has been converted to LED to save house power, but where I anchor I rarely use it.  I anchor in coves with tall trees that often block visibility of the masthead so I use an LED lantern that can be run up by topping lift or halyard to a position over my boat that can be seen by traffic, usually early morning bass fishermen or other late arriving boats prepping to anchor.