1975 C&C 30' sailboat Anchor Light

[stanirish]

I've got a 1975 C&C 30' sailboat (model 1/2 Ton) a flush deck racer. All my running led lights are working as well as a masthead light. I am not sure the boat has an anchor light or it may have been removed. The electrical panel does not have a "anchor light"; is it possible that C&C did not install an anchor light on some models?

 

[dlochner]

Yes. If it was designed as a racing boat, it would unlikely to be out cruising and anchoring. Without the light there would be less weight aloft, a goal of all serious racers.

 

[Caboteur]

A 360º white masthead light is an anchor light! Where is the problem?

 

[Richard19068]

A 360º white masthead light is an anchor light! Where is the problem?

He didn't say he had a 360 light.
A "masthead light", often called a steaming light, is a forward facing light (225 degrees) used when motoring. Not the same as a 360 degree anchor light.
A masthead light is not necessarily at the top of the mast.

 

[rgranger]

I don’t like the idea of running down my house bank. I hang one of these from my boom

 

[stanirish]

Yes. If it was designed as a racing boat, it would unlikely to be out cruising and anchoring. Without the light there would be less weight aloft, a goal of all serious racers.

I understand the reasoning but this boat, for example, came with a 505 lbs 2 cylinder diesel engine. Hard to imagine the builders would be concerned with a few pounds of a anchor light. Maybe.

 

[stanirish]

He didn't say he had a 360 light.
A "masthead light", often called a steaming light, is a forward facing light (225 degrees) used when motoring. Not the same as a 360 degree anchor light.
A masthead light is not necessarily at the top of the mast.

The masthead light on the 1/2 Ton is mounted about halfway up the mast and has 225 degrees.

 

[stanirish]

The masthead light on the 1/2 Ton is mounted about halfway up the mast and has 225 degrees.

I bought the sailboat for speed; I don't race it. I do anchor overnight occasionally. I want to be able to get a Vessel Safety Check certificate and this is the only issue I have.
From further reading, the anchor light has to be white light 360 degrees; it doesn't have to be at the top of the mast but at least 39" above the nav lights and placed in the best spot for others to see...
Thanks for the inputs...

 

[pgandw]

On my past ODay 25 and my current Stuart Mariner (19ft), I hang (hung) a battery powered lantern on the forestay with the jib halyard. Just above head height has decent visibility and access for me. Being on the forestay means it doesn't shine into the cabin. Also, not so high as to be missed by dinghies and other boats moving nearby the anchorage (the whole point of the anchor light). If there is any wind, I attach the jib downhaul to the lantern base and a tie down on deck to prevent swinging.

With LED lanterns, I look for use of D or C batteries to have the batteries last through the night at reasonable brightness.

Fred W
Stuart Mariner 19 #4133 Sweet P
Yeopim Creek, Albemarle Sound, NC

 

[rgranger]

The masthead light on the 1/2 Ton is mounted about halfway up the mast and has 225 degrees.

That is a steaming light. A mast head light is at the mast’s … uh… head (aka on top)

 

[dlochner]

That is a steaming light. A mast head light is at the mast’s … uh… head (aka on top)

In the legal parlance of the COLREGS and CFR, there is no such thing as a steaming light. The regs were written for power driven boats, not sailboats. The term masthead is for the top of the mast on a power boat.

 

[Richard19068]

In the legal parlance of the COLREGS and CFR, there is no such thing as a steaming light. The regs were written for power driven boats, not sailboats. The term masthead is for the top of the mast on a power boat.

Not to take this too far but I don't think there is anything in the regulations about it being at "the top of the mast", be it a power or sail vessel.
But of course, you don't need one if you are under sail only.

Rule 21 (Definitions)

(a) "Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore-and-aft centreline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225° and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5° abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.

 

[dlochner]

Not to take this too far but I don't think there is anything in the regulations about it being at "the top of the mast", be it a power or sail vessel.
But of course, you don't need one if you are under sail only.

Rule 21 (Definitions)

(a) "Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore-and-aft centreline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225° and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5° abaft the beam on either side of the vessel.

On larger powered boats there is often a short mast, at the top of the mast is the forward facing 225° light. Hence the term masthead light.

 

[DArcy]

is it possible that C&C did not install an anchor light on some models?

I owned a 1974 C&C27 and I have raced against quite a few similar vintage C&C boats. I don't know the flush deck C&C 30 but I would be surprised if any C&C boats of that vintage had an anchor light at the top of the mast. My father's 1974 Viking 33 (designed by C&C) did not have one either. Back in those days we always used a storm lantern suspended from a jib halyard, tied near the middle of the foretriangle, as an anchor light. Originally these were oil burning but we switched to battery eventually.
As @pgandw said, it's good to have a light lower down anyway so passing boats can see it easily. The light at the top of my 53' mast wouldn't be as noticeable to someone in a runabout ripping through at 20 knots.

 

[JBP-PA]

I bought the sailboat for speed; I don't race it. I do anchor overnight occasionally. I want to be able to get a Vessel Safety Check certificate and this is the only issue I have.
From further reading, the anchor light has to be white light 360 degrees; it doesn't have to be at the top of the mast but at least 39" above the nav lights and placed in the best spot for others to see...
Thanks for the inputs...

Yep. Get a couple LED lanterns. Dirt cheap, last forever. Hang them way up on a halyard, from the speaders, or the boom. Hang two for better visibility. You need 360° visibility. I also like to ensure they can see my boat, so one that shines down as well as out. The disposable battery ones work fine, but I like the rechargeable. No mucking about with spare batteries. I use them as interior/cockpit lanterns when not at anchor.

 

[stanirish]

On my past ODay 25 and my current Stuart Mariner (19ft), I hang (hung) a battery powered lantern on the forestay with the jib halyard. Just above head height has decent visibility and access for me. Being on the forestay means it doesn't shine into the cabin. Also, not so high as to be missed by dinghies and other boats moving nearby the anchorage (the whole point of the anchor light). If there is any wind, I attach the jib downhaul to the lantern base and a tie down on deck to prevent swinging.

With LED lanterns, I look for use of D or C batteries to have the batteries last through the night at reasonable brightness.

Fred W
Stuart Mariner 19 #4133 Sweet P
Yeopim Creek, Albemarle Sound, NC

I owned a 1974 C&C27 and I have raced against quite a few similar vintage C&C boats. I don't know the flush deck C&C 30 but I would be surprised if any C&C boats of that vintage had an anchor light at the top of the mast. My father's 1974 Viking 33 (designed by C&C) did not have one either. Back in those days we always used a storm lantern suspended from a jib halyard, tied near the middle of the foretriangle, as an anchor light. Originally these were oil burning but we switched to battery eventually.
As @pgandw said, it's good to have a light lower down anyway so passing boats can see it easily. The light at the top of my 53' mast wouldn't be as noticeable to someone in a runabout ripping through at 20 knots.

Thanks for the info, very helpful.

 

[thinwater]

In the legal parlance of the COLREGS and CFR, there is no such thing as a steaming light. The regs were written for power driven boats, not sailboats. The term masthead is for the top of the mast on a power boat.

Close.

The masthead is the top of a lower mast on a traditional schooner or fully rigged ship. It is not the top of the entire mast.

The term frequently misused.

 

[Caboteur]

Sorry, I earlier mistook your masthead light for our feu en tête de mât… other terms are misleading mizzen mast and mât de mizaine (it isn’t the same one) . The champion would be the French horn which we call un Cor anglais.
as for C&C’s of that era the anchor light was usually an option. Most would hang a lantern off a stay.

 

[rgranger]

This could be a deep rabbit hole. Let’s take the trompe de chasse, for example

 

[stanirish]

I

Sorry, I earlier mistook your masthead light for our feu en tête de mât… other terms are misleading mizzen mast and mât de mizaine (it isn’t the same one) . The champion would be the French horn which we call un Cor anglais.
as for C&C’s of that era the anchor light was usually an option. Most would hang a lantern off a stay.

Interesting, thanks for the info.