Steaming light.

[jaypur]

This is my first posting and am not sure I can get back to it, so here goes.

I've had my 1977 27' for five years and have seen and/or touched just about everything. I cannot find a switch to illuminate the steaming light. The bulb and wiring are good. I checked all that when the mast was removed three(?) years ago. I've looked all over for a switch and even considered it may be automatic when the engine is started, nope.

HELP!

 

[Stu Jackson]

What are the labels on your electrical panel?

 

[jaypur]

She is snowed under and unreachable now. I have certainly checked the panel and found the switch for the mast light (for mooring) is there and it works.

 

[Capt jgw]

This light confuses people. Legally, the light that's partway up the mast and shows forward is called a "Masthead Light", but many sailors think the mast head light is the one at the top showing all around. That's the "Anchor Light". This confusion sometimes causes people to switch wires around, thinking they are connected wrong. If you have a switch marked Masthead Light, and it turns on the anchor light, some one switched them. You may then find a loose wire in the panel that was originally on the masthead light switch. Your suspicion that the light was somehow connected to the engine was valid, as the masthead light may only be used when the boat is under mechanical propulsion. An awful lot of sailors get that wrong and light it when they're sailing. That's absolutely wrong and is telling everyone else that they are a powerboat.
1977 is certainly old enough for there to be some wiring problems. The light may be connected to the proper switch but the wires may have chafed, corroded, or otherwise broken contact. If one wire has gone, the others are soon to follow. You may have to run new wiring.

 

[jaypur]

Thanks for the proper definitions as I am one who calls the topmost lamp a masthead light. That one I can turn on from the switch panel.
I call the mid-mast lamp the "steaming light" and we agree that that should show when under power. I cannot find how to turn it on.

 

[Capt jgw]

Right. Steaming or masthead, same thing. If there is no switch with either label, some one has changed something. All other switches accounted for and no loose wires in the panel? You may have to run a new wire and install or relabel a switch.

 

[Charles Erwin]

The way to remember about the light that points forward (used when under power) is that the light is a "headlight" and since it is on a boat - it becomes a "mast-headlight."

I made that up myself

Charles

 

[Capt jgw]

I like it.

 

[jaypur]

Thanks. I'll have to wait for some global warming to fish around some more.

 

[SailormanDan]

It Made Me Go Look

So I had to go look, since I knew what a masthead light was and I knew what a steaming light was, but I didn't remember the electrical panel on my 1981 H27 having a switch for a "masthead light".

Had to chuckle when it finally sunk in that they are the same thing. (It's been a long winter <sigh>)

Anyways, here's a photo in case that helps at this point.
Dan

 

[jaypur]

Re: It Made Me Go Look

Thanks for your effort. My switch panel is different from yours. Mine does not say "steaming light", there is a switch for the topmost light and that works as expected.

It is interesting that yours has a switch labeled as "steaming light".

These boats are all the same, only different

 

[Ken13559]

The way to remember about the light that points forward (used when under power) is that the light is a "headlight" and since it is on a boat - it becomes a "mast-headlight."

I made that up myself

Charles

That's a good way to remember stuff.

 

[braol]

Thanks for your effort. My switch panel is different from yours. Mine does not say "steaming light", there is a switch for the topmost light and that works as expected.

I have a '79 H27 and have a "Steaming Light" switch. I wonder if someone did a rewire at some point and missed this item? Hidden switch? Wired to the ignition switch???

 

[SailormanDan]

I have a '79 H27 and have a "Steaming Light" switch. I wonder if someone did a rewire at some point and missed this item? Hidden switch? Wired to the ignition switch???

His is a '77 and (if I'm understanding now what I misunderstood at first) his "steaming light" is labeled as a "masthead light", at some point Hunter changed the name on the electrical switch plate.

When I first read masthead light I pictured a deck light because I have a "steaming light", that's what prompted to confuse the conversation by posting the photo.

 

[jaypur]

Thanks for the reply. I have a switch for the topmost lamp which works. I have checked the steaming light while in the slip after running the engine and putting it into gear. No results. No one has said that his boat has an automatic switch so I guess there is none.

 

[braol]

Well, next step is to look at the wires running out of the mast and do some testing. It could be that your light is just burned-out, but that still doesn't solve the switch problem/question. It should definitly be wired to it's own switch.