I am looking to purchase a kerosene anchor lamp. I have seen the very expensive models at West Marine, etc. in the $100-$200 range. On the internet and ebay, there are some for $20. I was wondering if the less expensive (ok, cheap) lamps are just for show and would be dangerous to burn on a rolling boat at anchor. Does anyone have any particular lamps they like to use?
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El Cheapo
I have used a small painted tin $6.99 'hardware store' kerosene lamp for probably 25 years. It looks like the old style kerosene lamp in minature, but that's one of it's advantages - it burns out its allotment of kerosene sometime early in the AM, and I can put it away cold and empty. I do hang it on a bridle between the lower spreader and the deck, or on the main halyard with a tiedown triangulated to the topping lift and the goosneck of the boom. The idea is to heep it from swinging too violently, but we should only be in calm anchorages anyway, right?
I have used a small painted tin $6.99 'hardware store' kerosene lamp for probably 25 years. It looks like the old style kerosene lamp in minature, but that's one of it's advantages - it burns out its allotment of kerosene sometime early in the AM, and I can put it away cold and empty. I do hang it on a bridle between the lower spreader and the deck, or on the main halyard with a tiedown triangulated to the topping lift and the goosneck of the boom. The idea is to heep it from swinging too violently, but we should only be in calm anchorages anyway, right?
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Andy
Try it Harold
$20? Shoot, give it a try. If it works good, recommend it on this site and lots of us will buy one! You will have saved all your sailing friend here at HOW $80 each! If its trash, you just saved us $20 each! Thats a better investment than sailing through the casino at Biloxi and poppin' $20 in the slots!
$20? Shoot, give it a try. If it works good, recommend it on this site and lots of us will buy one! You will have saved all your sailing friend here at HOW $80 each! If its trash, you just saved us $20 each! Thats a better investment than sailing through the casino at Biloxi and poppin' $20 in the slots!
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Pops
cheap is ok
As an experiment one night I hung four differnt kerosene lamps out on a windy night to see if any were more wind proof than the others. I had 2 nice, old, well made antique Dietz lamps, one fancy, brass lamp and the winner, a $3.99 lamp from the Dollar General. It stayed lit throughout the experiment while the others all blew out at some point (the winds were 15-20 kts).
As an experiment one night I hung four differnt kerosene lamps out on a windy night to see if any were more wind proof than the others. I had 2 nice, old, well made antique Dietz lamps, one fancy, brass lamp and the winner, a $3.99 lamp from the Dollar General. It stayed lit throughout the experiment while the others all blew out at some point (the winds were 15-20 kts).
Anchor Lamp
I recently bought a great looking oil anchor lamp with fresnel lens on eBay for .99 plus $25 postage (sent from India). This lamp looks exactly like the one West Marine sells for about $170. I think that perhaps they use the same source where I bought mine.... In any event, I'll post a report on how well it works when I get it and once my boat returns to its natural home....in the drink! (only about 53 days to go, give or take a few nanoseconds...!).
I recently bought a great looking oil anchor lamp with fresnel lens on eBay for .99 plus $25 postage (sent from India). This lamp looks exactly like the one West Marine sells for about $170. I think that perhaps they use the same source where I bought mine.... In any event, I'll post a report on how well it works when I get it and once my boat returns to its natural home....in the drink! (only about 53 days to go, give or take a few nanoseconds...!).
Visabilty
In the Caribe many anchor with kerosene lamps or without. Which ever method you chose if your goal is to make your boat visable at night make sure it can be seen at a reasonable distance. We were in the Los Aves when a British flagged boat entered the anchorage at night. He was running kerosene running lights and then a kerosene anchor light. We barely saw him enter and light the anchor light. Very poor visabilty at a short distance.
In the Caribe many anchor with kerosene lamps or without. Which ever method you chose if your goal is to make your boat visable at night make sure it can be seen at a reasonable distance. We were in the Los Aves when a British flagged boat entered the anchorage at night. He was running kerosene running lights and then a kerosene anchor light. We barely saw him enter and light the anchor light. Very poor visabilty at a short distance.
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