Cockpit Anchor Light

Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I have never in my life heard of a requirement that moored boats display anchor lights. I've sailed all over New England and have never seen that. Especially boats that are moored and aren't being used for weeks at a time!
JVISS - I had never heard of it being enforced either. I think the question is whether there is a "requirement" and it may be a matter of whether the requirement is "enforced" routinely. I am not disputing your statement and don't take this as criticism but sincerely asking for help (other than anecdotal experience) on the official interpretation and enforcement of the existing regulation with regard to display of an all-around white light when on a mooring ball. I am not a lawyer but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn last night. :)

We were very upset about his interpretation ourselves and did considerable research. The COLREGs provide regulations for displaying an all-around white light (they actually don't call it an "anchor light" if I recall correctly) visible for a specified distance (2NM) when a boat is anchored. It then gives an exemption for when the boat is anchored in a "designated anchorage." The questions to answer are:
1. Is a boat on a mooring "at anchor" for the purposes of the regulations?
2. Is the mooring field you are in a "designated anchorage?"

Question 1 - As far as the Coast Guard is concerned (and we used them as the Auhtority Having Jurisdiction) a boat that is "fast to the bottom" is at anchor. Even though a mooring is fixed or semi-permanent method of fixing a boat to the bottom, a boat at a mooring is "fast to the bottom" and thus a boat on a mooring is "at anchor" for the purposes of the COLREGS. You may or may not agree to this and, believe me, I'd like to be able to argue otherwise but I don't see an arguement to be made. If someone has authoritative information to the contrary please provide it to us so we can dispute the interpretation.

Question 2 - As far as whether it is a "designated anchorage" as far as the COLREGS are concerned what would your thoughts be on what makes a "designated anchorage?" Who does the "designation" and where is it recorded and shown? That is probably the most challanging question to answer. We defered to the Coast Guard interpretation given us and if its not correct, we'd love to have a good, iron clad way to refute the SC DNR interpretation that was confirmed by the Coast Guard. Just for an example. If some ya-ho puts down 3 mooring balls near the navigation channel because he has a hard time setting his anchor is that a "designated anchorage" as far as COLREGS is concerned? For that matter if "designated anchorge" doen't mean on an officially issued chart, then what does "designated" mean?

Anyone with Official, by the book, experience with this please provide your thoughts. If it needs to be in a different thread let me know and I'll move it or the site monitors feel free to do so. We'd love a leg or two to stand on. But as for me, I have and always will display a legal all-around white light when I'm on a mooring ball, even when at a designated anchorage on the charts. Too many ya-ho's out there waiting to ram my boat! :cuss:
 
Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
smokey. If it's charted, it's designated. Look at your Charleston harbor chart. Just south of Ft Sumpter is a designated anchorage. That's what they look like. Take a look at a Newport RI harbor chart and you'll see several designated anchorages that are also mooring fields. That's what they look like. Now I would never anchor in that Charleston harbor anchorage without plenty of lights on, just because. If your mooring field is not located in a charted 'designated anchorage' then a light is required.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Also, the requirement is NOT 360 degrees. I don't know the exact radius but it is less than 360 so a mast blocking the anchor light is not necessarily a violation.
Where are you getting this? There is no such thing in the US Colregs, that is, in the "AMALGAMATED INTERNATIONAL - U.S. INLAND NAVIGATION RULES."

Specifically, the rule that applies to most of us is Rule 30 (b):
A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in Rule 30(a).

Vessel at anchor - less than 50 meters in length.​

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=NavRulesAmalgamated#rule30

Update @gettinthere - maybe this is it? I found this footnote:
(b)(i) All-round lights shall be so located as not to be obscured by masts, topmasts or structures within angular sectors of more than 6 degrees, except anchor lights prescribed in Rule 30, which need not be placed at an impracticable height above the hull ‹‹ , and the all-round white light described in Rule 23(e), which may not be obscured at all ››.

(ii) If it is impracticable to comply with §(b)(i) by exhibiting only one all-round light, two all-round lights shall be used suitably positioned or screened so that they ‹‹ to ›› appear, as far as practicable, as one light at a ‹‹ minimum ›› distance of 1 ‹‹ nautical ›› mile.

‹‹ Note: Two unscreened all-round lights that are 1.28 meters apart or less will appear as one light to the naked eye at a distance of 1 nautical mile. ››
 
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jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
However, on further investigation we determined that the COLREGs exemption to not display a anchor light is for a "designated anchorage."
That would be a "special anchorage."

§109.10 Special anchorage areas.
An Act of Congress of April 22, 1940, provides for the designation of special anchorage areas wherein vessels not more than sixty-five feet in length, when at anchor, will not be required to carry or exhibit anchorage lights. Such designation is to be made after investigation, by rule, regulation, or order, the procedure for which will be similar to that followed for anchorage grounds under section 7 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of March 4, 1915, as referred to in §109.05. The areas so designated should be well removed from the fairways and located where general navigation will not endanger or be endangered by unlighted vessels. The authority to designate special anchorage areas was transferred to and vested in the Secretary of Homeland Security by section 902(j) of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-241, 120 Stat 516), and delegated to the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard in Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1. The Commandant redelegated the authority to establish anchorage grounds to each Coast Guard District Commander as provided in 33 CFR 1.05-1(e)(1)(i).

[USCG-2007-27887, 72 FR 45902, Aug. 16, 2007]
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Thanks JVISS, you post with the reference and the Interpretive Rule just answered the questions fairly clearly.
Question 1 - The Interpretive Rule shown below clearly states that a vessel on a mooring ball is "at anchor" for the purposes of Rul 30 - QUESTION ANSWERED - Yes a vessel on a mooring is at anchor.

Rule 30 - Anchored Vessels and Vessels Aground

(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:
(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;
(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level than the light prescribed in Rule 30(a)(i), an all-round white light.​

Interpretive Rule (33 CFR 90.5ǂ82.5)

‹ For the purposes of Rule 30 of the 72 COLREGS, › a “vessel at anchor” includes a ‹ barge › ‹‹ vessel > made fast to one or more mooring buoys or other similar device attached to the ‹ sea or river › ‹‹ ocean ›› floor. Such ‹ barge › ‹‹ vessels ›› may be lighted as a vessel at anchor in accordance with Rule 30, or may be lighted on the corners in accordance with Rule 30(h)-(l).
(b) A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in Rule 30(a).

Question 2 - When is there an exemption for displaying the all around white light when at anchor?
QUESTION ANSWERED - When anchored in a Special Anchorage area designated by the US Coast Guard.


Exemption is exemption table in Rule 30
(f) A vessel of less than 12 meters in length, when aground, shall not be required to exhibit the lights or shapes prescribed in Rule 30(d)(i) and (ii).

International Inland
(g) A vessel of less than 20 meters in length, when at anchor in a special anchorage area designated by the Coast Guard, shall not be required to exhibit the anchor lights and shapes required by this Rule.

So, with those facts is appears as the Regulations do require the display of an all-around white light when on a mooring unless it is in a special anchorage designated by the Coast Guard.

Thanks again JVISS for posting the rule so clearly. That confirms what we got from the Coast Guard in Charleston.

Smokey
 

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
hat is because in New England all the mooring fields are designated on charts.
That is not so. For example, while the inner-harbor mooring field in Edgartown is a special anchorage, there is no indication whatsoever on chart 13228, Westport River and Approaches, that boats are on permanent moorings in the river, and have been for 100+ years. And none of those boats are running anchor lights, unless people (like me) turn it on so they can more easily find their boat on the way home from the restaurant in the dinghy.
 

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
So, with those facts is appears as the Regulations do require the display of an all-around white light when on a mooring unless it is in a special anchorage designated by the Coast Guard.
The fact is, however, that no one does it. It's not practical, or possible in most cases, as the boats are unattended. It might be possible now, with solar and LED lights, but that certainly wasn't the case not many years ago.

There must be something we are missing here.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Right, "special". CRS
Thanks for the correction. Words in regulations are important. It is a "special ancorage" designated by the Coast Guard. I got the cart before the horse. I guess the important question is where does it have to be "designated?" I would think the carts.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I agree. Maybe we are missing something. Regulations that appear to be clear can be open to interpretation, especially when things are "impractical. It may be that because it was "impractical" to implement this for small boats in the real world, the enforcement only played into a discussion when a collision ocurred and "blame" had to be assigned, which we may not even hear about unless it involved us personally.

Your references seem to say it is required and I guess it is up to the local authorities to choose to enforce it or not. Our local SC DNR has said they will enforce it. It may be that our mooring field, although approved but not designated as a special anchorage is right along the AICW (but not out in the charted channel). We have a specified number of allowed mooring balls and they can't exceed a certain distance from the shore.
 

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
I think the something that we are missing here is that States may establish mooring fields, called "managed anchorage mooring fields," (MAMF), which are outside of Federal control, and apparently make their own rules for these. It makes sense, for example, that the town of Westport could establish a MAMF in the Westport River that does not interfere with commerce, and make their own regulations, and that could include no requirement for an anchor light, I speculate.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
That is possible but its hard to understand how or why they would have less than minimum USCG requirements but I guess that might be the case. To "over ride" Federal regulation I would think they would have to very specifically state in whatever establishes the local mooring field that lights in accordance with Rule 30 ...... Are not required.

I'm speculating too of course.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I'm guessing its more a matter of "nobody enforces it" but that is pure speculation. If you have access to what established the the westport MAMF (the one that is not hte "special anchorage) it might put everything in perspective.
Thanks for the enlightened discussion!
 
Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/33_CFR_83-88_Inland_Rules_REDLINE_2014_08.pdf

Page 11 has the rules on anchor lights (83.3).

Subsection e seemed interesting -
A vessel
of less than7 meters in length,when at anchor,
not in or near a narrow channel, fairway, anchorage,
or where other vessels normally navigate,
shall not be required to exhibit the lights
or shape prescribed in paragraphs (a) and (b)
of this Rule.

The 360 degree view does seem to get enforced in & around the keys. Around my area, most boats don't comply.
 
Aug 22, 2017
1,609
Hunter 26.5 West Palm Beach
Also, the requirement is NOT 360 degrees. I don't know the exact radius but it is less than 360 so a mast blocking the anchor light is not necessarily a violation.
For steaming lights, port lights & starboard lights, the required minimum angle of view is less. For anchor lights, you are supposed to have an "all around white light". If you want to read all the legal mumbo jumgo, Ref - 33CFR§83.3a&b
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2017-title33-vol1/xml/CFR-2017-title33-vol1-part83.xml

The coast guard cheat sheet says basically the same thing on page 29 - https://www.uscgboating.org/images/420.PDF

"At night:
All vessels at anchor must display anchor lights . If your
vessel is less than 164 feet (50 meters) in length, then its anchor light
is an all-round white light visible where it can best be seen from all
directions ." Pictures are included.
 
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Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
Luci solar lights and have 2 and use every where on dinghy
and cockpit and rear and walk thru transom you name it and no
batteries just solar and even better low $$$$.
Nick
 
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Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
Used to use a kero lantern- worked fairly well, BUT means you need to carry a LOT of kero if cruising. Replaced it with a BRIGHT LED unit from the now defunct Bebi Electronics in Fiji. Been 8 years now and still working great. Got boarded on night -the officer wanted to know where it came from because it stood out better than any other. Bebi is defunct because the Fijan Government sot of forced them to leave- long story.

Here's the kero, in an anchorage in Bartaria,Louisiana
 

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