Correct location for steamimg light/mast light

timebandit · Feb 27, 2011

My light is about 2 feet from the top which makes sure it is not shrouded by the jib if it is up while motoring.

it also places the deck light high enuff to light up the sail at night when I am worried that someone won't see me.

Sumner · Feb 27, 2011

I've read and tried to interpret the regs and looked at sites.....

http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/reviewpages/boatusf/project/info2c.htm

........... that show different light layouts and I believe that if you have a......

.... legal masthead anchor light that it would also meet the rules for the mast running light as on the outboard you are not a sailboat and if you are...

....it still looks like the mast head light would work. Above though on the sailboat it looks like they fore some reason they don't show the masthead light going 360 degrees like in the previous picture above.

Good luck,

Sum

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timebandit · Feb 27, 2011

Mast head light (steaming light) should be on when running the motor for power even if the sails are up at night.

All around light is an anchor light and should not be on when sailing or mortoring.

Sumner · Feb 27, 2011

timebandit said:
Mast head light (steaming light) should be on when running the motor for power even if the sails are up at night.

All around light is an anchor light and should not be on when sailing or mortoring.

I'm wondering why then they show an all around light at the top in the first picture I posted under power for a power boat. When we are under power we are considered a power boat.

We have both mast lights, but so far have never gone anywhere at night,

Sum

timebandit · Feb 27, 2011

Check this out
http://navruleshandbook.com/Rule21.html

timebandit · Feb 27, 2011

Here are a bunch of refference.

I grew up calling it a steaming light.

The term mast head light leads people to assume that it is on top of the mast like the anchor light is.

Steaming Light
Light on Mast to indicate that a sailboat is motoring
Stem ...
Full article>>>

Also known as a steaming light. The masthead light is a white light that is visible for an arc extending across the forward 225° of the boat. When lit the masthead light indicates that a vessel under power, including sailboats with engines running.
Full article>>>

masthead light - Also known as a steaming light. The masthead light is a white light that is visible for an arc extending across the forward 225° of the boat.
Full article>>>

Running lights, used only when the boat is under way, include a white stern light shining aft, red and green side lights shining to port and starboard, and a white bow light (steaming light) shining forward to indicate that the boat is under power; ...
Full article>>>

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.
Full article>>>

Sumner · Feb 27, 2011

Ok my last post on this as we are covered, but

In the pictures above the light at the top of the mast is my running lights and my other running lights are on and displayed.

Now on anchor I turn the other lights below off, but leave my top light on and it is now my 'anchor light'.

Called two different things depending on the lights below and if you are moving or not.

Like I said we have the factory lights below and on the mast along with a top of the mast anchor light and independent switching, so we are covered,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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timebandit · Feb 27, 2011

If you are sailing at night just the lower lights should be on.

timebandit · Feb 27, 2011

This may help things
http://navruleshandbook.com/Rule25.html

Paul Brinkley · Feb 27, 2011

If you are motoring at night and you want to use a 360 deg. white light, you should not also have the lower white stern light on, as this would look from astern like two white lights, which would be incorrect. If sailing at night, you should be showing your red and green, plus a white stern light showing only from the rear). If you are a sailboat, you cannot simply substitute a 360 deg white for the stern light, because you must only show white to the rear when sailing. -Paul

Sumner · Feb 27, 2011

Paul Brinkley said:
If you are motoring at night and you want to use a 360 deg. white light, you should not also have the lower white stern light on, as this would look from astern like two white lights, which would be incorrect. If sailing at night, you should be showing your red and green, plus a white stern light showing only from the rear). If you are a sailboat, you cannot simply substitute a 360 deg white for the stern light, because you must only show white to the rear when sailing. -Paul

That is a good summary. Now if I could only remember all of that

and have the correct switches to do it. Roger didn't have lighting on the boat to be legal under all circumstances. At least not ours since the mast light up by the forestay wasn't a legal anchoring light.

I'm sure some sail at night, but we try and find an anchorage at least an hour before dark if at all possible since we are normally in unfamiliar territory. So far we have always been able to do that.

Looks like we are legal to motor at night or anchor at night but according to your definition and TB's link not legal to sail at night since our stock mast light comes on with the bow and stern lights.

Are you guys legal to sail or motor at night? If so how are your lights wired.

It wouldn't take much for me to fix that. I could change out a single pole single throw switch I use now for the running lights for a double pole double throw center off toggle switch that would allow me to turn the lights off or run either just the bow/stern lights or the mast/bow/stern lights.

Might do that, thanks,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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timebandit · Feb 28, 2011

I have my running lights (red, green, white rear, and instraments)on one switch on the fuse pannel.

One switch on the fuse panel for the anchor light on the top o the mast.

One switch on the bulkhead under the mast that gets power from the Running Lights switch that can either switch power to the steaming(mast head) light or the deck light or be off.

Paul Brinkley · Feb 28, 2011

My lights are switched similarly to Timebandit's, except that they are all on the panel, and I don't have a decklight (I have a separate switch and wire in the mast for spreader lights, but have not installed them). With the anchor (masthead 360) light and steaming light individually switched, you can turn on whatever you need with the red & green and rear white for all conditions. -Paul

THECUSCUS · Feb 28, 2011

On my boat, I have a masthead light, stern light and front running lights. They are all on seperate switches, thus I can turn them on individually or combine them to make me legal in all situations: masthead for anchoring, running ligths & stern light for sailing, and masthead & running lights for motoring. My mantra is to keep things SIMPLE (especially the electrical system) so you can enjoy your sailing time and not spend all your time "fixing" things.

timebandit · Feb 28, 2011

I think the big problem here is semantics.

The light on top of the mast is NOT the MASTHEAD LIGHT but the ANCHOR LIGHT.

THECUSCUS said:
On my boat, I have a masthead light, stern light and front running lights. They are all on seperate switches, thus I can turn them on individually or combine them to make me legal in all situations: masthead for anchoring, running ligths & stern light for sailing, and masthead & running lights for motoring. My mantra is to keep things SIMPLE (especially the electrical system) so you can enjoy your sailing time and not spend all your time "fixing" things.

justsomeguy · Feb 28, 2011

Hi, all. I'm Tom, a new '82 Mac 25 owner. I've been tinkering with her since Christmas, and keep finding new things to tink about. With regards to the discussion at hand, I've got a light atop my mast that doesn't seem quite legal for use as an anchor light. It's got a red, green and white plastic cover. Seems a bit redundant as I've already got a red/green bow light and the white stern light on the transom. I probably won't be anchoring overnight anytime soon, but any ideas why the PO might have done this? I'm up to page 320 in the archives, learning .

timebandit · Feb 28, 2011

The one on the mast is call a tri colored light and is used by sailors because of the low power drain of just one bulb and also because it showes up better than the lower deck mounted lights.

You can run either or but not both.

justsomeguy · Feb 28, 2011

timebandit said:
The one on the mast is call a tri colored light and is used by sailors because of the low power drain of just one bulb and also because it showes up better than the lower deck mounted lights.

You can run either or but not both.

Thanks for the help. So I head down to the shop, remove the nuts from the bottom of the masthead light, hoping to just remove the red/green dividers, but cannot seem to get the lens off of the base. I suppose when and if a bulb goes South, you'd have to replace the entire fixture?

justsomeguy · Feb 28, 2011

Or some PO gooped the heck out of it. Gotta love 'em.