"Portable" Anchor Light?

jviss

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Greetings, I need a recommendation for USCG legal anchor light that I can deploy by perhaps hoisting it in the foretriangle, or mounting it in the cockpit, or something.

The reason is my masthead anchor light isn't working. They yard guy went up in the crane this morning, and thought he had fixed it, but it flaked out again. I supposedly needs a new socket.

I hate to keep sending guys up, so I'll probably wait 'til the stick is pulled in the fall to fix it.

I've looked, but my google search mojo is failing me! If you know if something, please let me know. Rechargeable/cordless would be best.

Thanks,

jv
 
Ralph Johnstone

Ralph Johnstone

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Jan 4, 2006
7,150
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
jviss said:
I need a recommendation for USCG legal anchor light
Click to expand
Why do you need it to be USCG legal if it's temporary ? Use a small campsite, hanging, LED lamp. We hang one extra from the bow and stern in crowded anchorages for the drunks who can't look up.

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capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,905
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
We had the same problem over our last year on Skipping Stone. I had a new masthead anchor light, but the wires had broken somewhere inside and I didn't want to pull the mast for only that, so I wired the anchor light and every evening I put it up on the boom, over the bimini. I built a little base plate that would wedge nicely on the boom.
Actually, it was far better than a masthead light as it illuminated a lot of the mast, boat and bimini brightly. It was a regulation anchor light, so it was very bright. Wired it into my chart table switch panel and stored it in a small box in the dodger. I thought it was the bees knees as far as making the boat visible to everybody in the dark. At least no drunks in their inflatables ran into Skipping Stone when it was on.
 
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capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,905
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
In the tropics the Palmetto bugs seemed to find the boat no matter how far from shore we were and how hard the wind was blowing. Otherwise, no.
 
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rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,553
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
capta said:
In the tropics the Palmetto bugs seemed to find the boat no matter how far from shore we were and how hard the wind was blowing. Otherwise, no.
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I have never had Palmetto bugs on my boat. Weird. I have had issues with flying grasshopper .....
 
rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,553
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
jviss said:
Did you have any problems with it attracting bugs?
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So I have become fond of hanging an camping LED lamp from my boom. It makes the cockpit nice in the evenings.... but.... to keep the bugs away, i light one of these and then place it in an aluminum pot (to keep wax and fire away from my boat).
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I have found that the candles work best at bug defense but they take about 20 min before they are effective. I usually light two... one just in front of the forward hatch and then one in the cockpit. It is important to put them in a metal pot or can so that it will "fail safe" in the event that it gets kicked over... but I have sat out in my cockpit well past 3:00AM (many times) and did not get a single bite....

If you shop for citronella candles, they come in many flavors. I like ones that come with a metal lid. Makes it nice for storage and I feel like the sent lasts longer than the ones that do not come with a lid.
 
R

Rick486

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Oct 1, 2007
1,865
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
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jviss

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
dlochner said:
Just hang it off the boom. This way it is close to eye level for power boaters who don't know to look up.
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Thanks. I was thinking (over-thinking) that it would be cool to fabricate a bracket for the end of the boom that's out of the way of all sailing activity, mount an anchor light it it, and wire it through the boom, mast, and to the panel. :)

I wonder if there's a mast head anchor light with a dusk/dawn switch?
 
Richard19068

Richard19068

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Jun 11, 2004
1,733
Oday 31 Redondo Beach
jviss said:
Greetings, I need a recommendation for USCG legal anchor light...
Click to expand
I've often pondered the question of what is "USCG legal":

The Coast Guard has said:

"Use of lights that do not provide the proper chromaticity, luminous intensity, or cut-off angles could result in the issuance of a notice of violation or potentially cause an accident. Recreational boaters should ensure each purchased navigation light contains the following information on the light or its packaging:
USCG Approval 33 CFR 183.810
MEETS ABYC A-16 or equivalent
TESTED BY (an approved laboratory) Name of the light manufacturer
Number of Model
Visibility of the light in nautical miles
Date on which the light was type-tested
Identification and specification of the bulb used in the compliance test."

So, if you want to be completely legal does the light have to state that it meets the USCG / ABYC requirements or is it enough that it does actually meet the requirements? In other words, is the Coast Guard just recommending that the light/packaging state that it meets the requirements but if it doesn't say that but does actually meet the requirements you are okay?
 
All U Get

All U Get

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Oct 2, 2008
3,810
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
jviss said:
Thanks. I was thinking (over-thinking) that it would be cool to fabricate a bracket for the end of the boom that's out of the way of all sailing activity, mount an anchor light it it, and wire it through the boom, mast, and to the panel. :)

I wonder if there's a mast head anchor light with a dusk/dawn switch?
Click to expand
Yes, some are connected through a solar panel controller. I had also seen a few that left the light on all the time.
 
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jviss

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Richard19068 said:
I've often pondered the question of what is "USCG legal":

The Coast Guard has said:

"Use of lights that do not provide the proper chromaticity, luminous intensity, or cut-off angles could result in the issuance of a notice of violation or potentially cause an accident. Recreational boaters should ensure each purchased navigation light contains the following information on the light or its packaging:
USCG Approval 33 CFR 183.810
MEETS ABYC A-16 or equivalent
TESTED BY (an approved laboratory) Name of the light manufacturer
Number of Model
Visibility of the light in nautical miles
Date on which the light was type-tested
Identification and specification of the bulb used in the compliance test."

So, if you want to be completely legal does the light have to state that it meets the USCG / ABYC requirements or is it enough that it does actually meet the requirements? In other words, is the Coast Guard just recommending that the light/packaging state that it meets the requirements but if it doesn't say that but does actually meet the requirements you are okay?
Click to expand
Not sure what nuance you are going for here. The fixture should state it, I guess, as well as the bulb. That's why I over-paid for Dr. LED bulbs! :)
 
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