Ahoy! I have never had any lights on my mast. I just ordered the Forspar ML-2 and have it on my dining table, wondering why 1) no instructions came regarding the actual wiring, and 2) how far up the mast should it be mounted.... Any wisdom on this? The light is a combo bow/steaming light. 3 wires, blue, red and black. Thanks!
mast lighting: Cat 22
- Thread starter gdanza
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I don't know what the written rules for placement are, but most small sailboats seem to have their masthead (steaming) lights about 1/2 way up the mast. My 26X has it's a couple of feet below the spreaders (about 1/3 of the way up the mast), but my Hunter 340 had it's masthead light at the top of the mast, and when the back lens was lit, the whole unit became an anchor light.
If you have a multimeter, measure the DC resistance across all the leads - three sets of resistances. The highest resistance reading will be from running both bulbs in series, so those two leads will be the hot ends of the two different bulbs. The third wire is the common (battery negative), and there will be a lower resistance reading between it and either of the two 'hot' leads. The hots are also what you switch to control the two independent bulbs.
If you have a multimeter, measure the DC resistance across all the leads - three sets of resistances. The highest resistance reading will be from running both bulbs in series, so those two leads will be the hot ends of the two different bulbs. The third wire is the common (battery negative), and there will be a lower resistance reading between it and either of the two 'hot' leads. The hots are also what you switch to control the two independent bulbs.
There are only 3 wires - the black is ground and the other 2 are the positives for the lights, which have to go to separate switches. If you connect the ground (black) and one other wire you will see which light it is for.
From Forespar's web page the ML-2 looks to be a combo bow and deck light and not a bow and steaming light.
This means the white deck light will shine downwards only.
Is this what you are wanting?
Normally red/green bow lights are at deck or pulpit level and white steaming lights are several feet above deck level so they illuminate a reasonable area of the deck. i.e. at spreader height.
Tricolor lights showing red/green facing forwards and white showing aft are normally mounted at the masthead.
This means the white deck light will shine downwards only.
Is this what you are wanting?
Normally red/green bow lights are at deck or pulpit level and white steaming lights are several feet above deck level so they illuminate a reasonable area of the deck. i.e. at spreader height.
Tricolor lights showing red/green facing forwards and white showing aft are normally mounted at the masthead.
I don't think there needs to be any confusion ... the bow light is the steaming light and the deck light shines down on the deck. Mount it a foot or 2 above the spreaders. On the relatively short mast of a Cat 22 you don't want it too close to the deck if you want the light to wash the bow area so you may want to try to find a way to experiment before mounting.
For DC wiring, black is normally the ground. Red is normally hot. It is confusing when considering the colors for AC where Hot is black, white is neutral and green is ground.
So the newer color scheme for DC is yellow is ground (not black). But it appears they use the old color scheme. Black is probably the common ground for both lights. Red is hot for one light and blue is hot for the other. The deck light is probably a higher wattage so you may be considering a lower guage for the deck light wiring (I did). So you need to know which leads go to which lights. The wiring for the ground (since it is a common ground) should be sized with both lights on, meaning a lower guage. I am surprised they don't include some sort of diagram that points out what the leads are connected to.
Get a copy of Casey's book for boat electrics simplified. It helps a lot and will make you more ambitious about wiring your boat the right way.
For DC wiring, black is normally the ground. Red is normally hot. It is confusing when considering the colors for AC where Hot is black, white is neutral and green is ground.
So the newer color scheme for DC is yellow is ground (not black). But it appears they use the old color scheme. Black is probably the common ground for both lights. Red is hot for one light and blue is hot for the other. The deck light is probably a higher wattage so you may be considering a lower guage for the deck light wiring (I did). So you need to know which leads go to which lights. The wiring for the ground (since it is a common ground) should be sized with both lights on, meaning a lower guage. I am surprised they don't include some sort of diagram that points out what the leads are connected to.
Get a copy of Casey's book for boat electrics simplified. It helps a lot and will make you more ambitious about wiring your boat the right way.
To me, the "bow" light is red and green. No doubt you mean steaming and deck light. Nomenclature is important.
Well, the manufacturer calls it a combo deck/bow light and they both appear to be white so that really only leaves one explanation. The deck light is the deck light and the bow light (on top) is the steaming light.
I would think that you could just see where the leads come from to determine which leads are + for each light and which lead is the common neg because it will be combined from both lights.
I would think that you could just see where the leads come from to determine which leads are + for each light and which lead is the common neg because it will be combined from both lights.
It is a steaming/deck light. The easiest way is to put the black on the negative post of a battery and one of the other wires on the positive post - one light will be lit and you will know which wire is which. I find it strange that there were not any instructions - on the box perhaps?
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Where ever you put it, check how it will affect stepping your mast. It may not, but with my Lancer 25, I use rollers to step it. My deck light was in the way. I end up facing it in, making it completely useless. But I don't sail at night anyway.
Interestingly, Forespar's web site does call it a 'Combination Deck / Bow Light', though that's the only place I've ever seen a masthead light referred to as a bow light. The only lights on a small sailboat's bow (under 20m) should be side lights (separate red and green, or a single unit with both), with a masthead light (aka steaming light) on the forward face of the mast, though technically it only has to be 1m or more higher than the side lights (12m or less) - the mast just ends up being the most convenient place to put it. Terms are right out of Chapman's and every other source I know of.
I'm a bit surprised that Forespar would call it that. I'm being a bit pedantic, I suppose, but as another poster said, terms are important, and the term 'masthead light' has a very specific meaning.
http://www.forespar.com/products/sail-combination-deck-bow-light.shtml
I'm a bit surprised that Forespar would call it that. I'm being a bit pedantic, I suppose, but as another poster said, terms are important, and the term 'masthead light' has a very specific meaning.
http://www.forespar.com/products/sail-combination-deck-bow-light.shtml
I just installed this same light on my O'day 272 this past summer. Was very easy to wire and the grommet in the back helped to keep the wires from rubbing on the newly cut hole in the aluminum mast.
I drilled a hole in the mast about 16' above the deck which is slightly above halfway up my mast. Then marked and drilled 4 holes for pop rivets to hold it onto the mast. I used Aluminum pop rivets as the mast is aluminum and there really shouldn't be any forces on the unit. Some recommend Stainless Steel but that debate is for another thread.
I also installed the protector bar unit they sell over this as I didn't want the sail whacking the unit during tacks.
Black is ground (-) and the other 2 leads are (+) for the steaming light and deck light. I know they call it a bow light but it is really for illuminating the deck at night. I use it just when pulling into my slip at night or at anchor and moving about topsides and it is pretty bright. It will knock out your night vision if you flip it on by mistake when out on the water.
I liked this unit as the changing of bulbs seemed easy, they are common bulbs, and the deck/bow light is protected whereas the competitors is open to the elements. Good luck with it and safe sailing.
I drilled a hole in the mast about 16' above the deck which is slightly above halfway up my mast. Then marked and drilled 4 holes for pop rivets to hold it onto the mast. I used Aluminum pop rivets as the mast is aluminum and there really shouldn't be any forces on the unit. Some recommend Stainless Steel but that debate is for another thread.
I also installed the protector bar unit they sell over this as I didn't want the sail whacking the unit during tacks.
Black is ground (-) and the other 2 leads are (+) for the steaming light and deck light. I know they call it a bow light but it is really for illuminating the deck at night. I use it just when pulling into my slip at night or at anchor and moving about topsides and it is pretty bright. It will knock out your night vision if you flip it on by mistake when out on the water.
I liked this unit as the changing of bulbs seemed easy, they are common bulbs, and the deck/bow light is protected whereas the competitors is open to the elements. Good luck with it and safe sailing.
I liked the looks of that protecter bar and may have to add that. I was using the halyard one night to slap at a big ass spider that nests in that unit. He was busy making his web for the evening meal and Sue was freaking out about spiders on the boat. I got the spider, but unfortunately, I also knocked off the glass cover for the deck light (I think). Something came down and hit the deck once and bounced off into the drink. It wasn't the bulb because the light still works. I'll have to take a trip up the mast to see what's missing.
I get those same big ass spiders on my deck around the hot tub. I'm in Morris Plains. I think they're related. Man I hate them.
Check the Coast Guard Rules on Navigation. If my memory serves me right there is a requirement to be at least ??? feet above the highest part of the cabin top. Putting it a foot or more above the spreaders would meet the height requirements and keep the leech of your Genoa from catching on it as you tack. If you do not have a deck to light connection already on your deck, there are several other sites that describe how it is done. Catalina actually left a void in the cabin top for placing a deck to light connection and to run the wire to the port side of the cabin and back to the battery panel. Google Skip , his website has the electrical schematics for the older C22 and describes where the dimple is for the connection and the void for the wires.
For boats 12m or less, the only requirement is that the masthead light be 1m or greater above the side lights. 20m or less and it has to be 2.5m or greater above the gunwales.
(c) The masthead light of a power-driven vessel of 12 meters but less than 20 meters in length shall be placed at a height above the gunwale of not less than 2.5 meters.
(d) A power-driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may carry the uppermost light at a height of less than 2.5 meters above the gunwale. When however, a masthead light is carried in addition to sidelights and a sternlight or the all-round light prescribed in rule 23(c)(i) is carried in addition to sidelights, then such masthead light or all-round light shall be carried at least 1 meter higher than the sidelights.
Found this reference to "bow lights" in comments at the beginning of the Rule 21 - Definitions section of Nautical Rules of the Road.
Rule 21 lists the types of navigation lights making up the various arrays specified in Rules 23 to 31. There are no other types of navigation lights and each one has only one name. Other navigation light terms, such as "steaming light" or "bow light" are from popular slang or from old rules no longer in effect.
Looks like Forespar's not wrong, per se - just a bit out of date.
So then, say, you can't use it on a mizzen mastForespar calls it a bow light because it lights up the bow.
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