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.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!
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!