Special Anchorage

Nov 22, 2011
1,192
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
Interesting. The Elan 40 that arrived a couple of days ago has been using his anchor light at the masthead; the only boat in here that is not dark. And—-it’s a strobe. Never seen a yacht w/ a flashing masthead anchor light. Might that be something European?
Seems a tad annoying.
 

genec

.
Dec 30, 2010
188
Pacific Seacraft Orion27 HP: San Diego, M: Anacortes
Whether in a designated anchorage or not, I tend to use solar powered lights at the lifeline to ensure that the boat is seen... not enough folks think to look up when approaching anything that could be an anchorage.
 
  • Like
Likes: Kings Gambit
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Whether in a designated anchorage or not, I tend to use solar powered lights at the lifeline to ensure that the boat is seen... not enough folks think to look up when approaching anything that could be an anchorage.
I think we sailors should avoid the term “designated anchorage” when we are actually referring to Special Anchorages. The term “designated” has gotten embedded in the cruising vernacular in a way that has produced much confusion and erroneous statements. I’ve heard many times the phrase “Coast Guard designated Anchorages ...” in reference to places where anchor shapes and lights are not required. There are no such places generally. There are only Special Anchorages inside the COLREGS Demarcation Line where for vessels under under 20 m LOA they are not.

It’s true that yachts OFTEN ignore Rule 30 (anchor lights & shapes required) when “anchored” in large mooring fields, such as in the coves at Catalina Island. But that does not give them (the coves) special status under COLREGS, they way I read ‘em.
 
Last edited:
Feb 14, 2017
29
Mainecat 38 Anacortes
A flashing strobe is not a legal anchor light. Folks do use them because they are easily seen. However, my biggest beef with flashing strobes is the difficulty in determining their distance away from me.
 
  • Like
Likes: Kings Gambit
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
A flashing strobe is not a legal anchor light. Folks do use them because they are easily seen. However, my biggest beef with flashing strobes is the difficulty in determining their distance away from me.
I think I might confuse one with an ATON marker under certain conditions:doh:.
 

genec

.
Dec 30, 2010
188
Pacific Seacraft Orion27 HP: San Diego, M: Anacortes
I think we sailors should avoid the term “designated anchorage” when we are actually referring to Special Anchorages. The term “designated” has gotten embedded in the cruising vernacular in a way that has produced much confusion and erroneous statements. I’ve heard many times the phrase “Coast Guard designated Anchorages ...” in reference to places where anchor shapes and lights are not required. There are no such places generally. There are only Special Anchorages inside the COLREGS Demarcation Line where for vessels under under 20 m LOA they are not.

It’s true that yachts OFTEN ignore Rule 30 (anchor lights & shapes required) when “anchored” in large mooring fields, such as in the coves at Catalina Island. But that does not give them (the coves) special status under COLREGS, they way I read ‘em.
Perhaps the confusion on my part (and on the part of other sailors) has to do with anchorages with designated mooring balls, vice an area where one may anchor, but no such mooring equipment exists. As an example consider the various Marine State Parks in Puget Sound (with mooring balls) verses locations not so designated such as La Playa in San Diego.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Here again, La Playa is a Special Anchorage, so identified on the chart, in San Diego Bay and inside Demarcation. The WA Marine Parks where there are mooring balls may not be. The situation is further confused by the imprecise term of “mooring.” A vessel is evidently moored when it is attached to a fixed structure, which might be to a dock, wharf, or to an mooring ball or can, etc., fixed to the bottom. So, I suppose one could be moored on a ball in an anchorage area that is not a Special Anchorage, or in one that is, as I noted above. Another point of note. There likely are not “speed limits” in anchorage areas outside Demarcation :yikes:, whereas inside Demarcation—often inside harbors— there are. So, another good reason to display the masthead, or other, anchor light when anchored or moored outside!
 
Last edited:
Feb 11, 2017
122
former Tartan 30 New London, CT area
Strobe is a distress signal in the US - should NOT be used for an anchor light (perhaps unless you're out of wine). Anchor lights are NOT required in a designated anchorage, but are always a good idea. However, the light at the masthead is NOT going to be seen at close range. Hang one close to eye level from the boom or the head stay. At the masthead you want a tri-color for offshore work.
Our yacht club has a designated anchorage, but the mooring area has expanded outside the DA. I've explained to our mooring chairman that boats moored outside the DA need anchor lights, to no avail. The club owns a raft used for race committee work, moored outside the DA, and it remains unlit. I've kinda given up on that crusade. There'll be a collision and the lawyers will sort it out. I've been Commodore, but will no longer serve on the executive committee due to potential liability.
EDIT: Read 'Special Anchorage' for the above!
 
Last edited:
Oct 26, 2010
1,882
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Our club has a mooring field (which is adjacent to the Atlantic Intra Coastal Waterway) and we were notified by the SC DNR that we were required to have anchor lights. Some protested (for the life of me I can't imagine why) so we researched this extensively. Some lobbied to have the mooring field be identified as a "Special Anchorage" but on sound advice from a retired Coast Guard Admiral (and myself) we opposed this. If we get our mooring field shown as a "special anchorage" we will see transients, many of whom don't know how to anchor properly, attempting to anchor in or very near our mooring field ("since it is shown on the chart as a special anchorage it must be a good place to anchor"}thereby hazarding our boats moored there and possibly accessing our docks and facilities without permission. (We routinely allow transients to tie up to our dock overnight upon request) Secondly, in the event of a hurricane it would encourage people to anchor near our mooring field, thinking "it must be a good place to anchor if its on the charts as a "special anchorage." We have enough of that already and have boats drag through our mooring field during a hurricane.

I display a "regulation USCG approved" LED anchor light at the masthead and also have a Davis LED dusk to dawn light that I hang from a location closer to the water. I am legally covered by the light at the masthead and the second light is for the yahoo that doesn't look up for an anchor light or for the person who may confuse it for a star.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,882
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Our research and communications with the Coast Guard determined that a boat is "at anchor" when it is attached firmly to the seabed or bottom. It doesn't make any difference if its an anchor deployed from the boat (the traditional thought as anchored) or attached to a mooring ball that is semi-permanently attached to the bottom and then attached to the boat. So if you are afixed to a mooring ball, you are "at ancor" as used in the regulations.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Our research and communications with the Coast Guard determined that a boat is "at anchor" when it is attached firmly to the seabed or bottom. It doesn't make any difference if its an anchor deployed from the boat (the traditional thought as anchored) or attached to a mooring ball that is semi-permanently attached to the bottom and then attached to the boat. So if you are afixed to a mooring ball, you are "at anchor" as used in the regulations.
Oh, I agree with that. But about the Special Anchorage. That is something covered under the COLREGS of the Inland Waterways. So, if in an area adjacent to the ICW of the Atlantic, I assume you’re in the Inland Waters?
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,882
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Oh, I agree with that. But about the Special Anchorage. That is something covered under the COLREGS of the Inland Waterways. So, if in an area adjacent to the ICW of the Atlantic, I assume you’re in the Inland Waters?
Yes. Thus, since our mooring field is not a "Special Ancorage", any boats on our moorings must display the proper lights and shapes for "at anchor" under the COLREGS. (by the way nobody displays the day shapes and I have seldom seen them anywhere in inland waters). My point is that we decided to not try and get our mooring field designated as a "special anchorage" since we saw it as more of a problem rather than a solution. Besides, even if not required by COLREGS I can't imagine being located where we are and not displaying some sort of anchor light.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,988
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
In the recent past, the main reason for me to keep the boat dark at anchor wherever I could was to save on power. A 20-watt bulb at 12 v is an amp and half, over two if you have a 25-watt bulb. With 14 hr of darkness, just say between 23 & 28 amp-hr to burn the light all night. In winter, with clouds, low sun angles, and shorter periods of daylight, my single 85-watt solar panel could gin up only about 20 amp-hr on good day. But now, I have an LED up there, and a Balmar 150-amp alternator. Problem solved. :biggrin:
 
  • Like
Likes: Rick D
Feb 11, 2017
122
former Tartan 30 New London, CT area
LED bulbs are a blessing. A double blessing to the boat owner! LED anchor light and a small solar panel - no issues.
 

Rick D

.
Jun 14, 2008
7,131
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
Do you remember the big debate about what mooring coves of Catalina required anchoring lights?
 
Oct 9, 2008
1,739
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
In the recent past, the main reason for me to keep the boat dark at anchor wherever I could was to save on power. A 20-watt bulb at 12 v is an amp and half, over two if you have a 25-watt bulb. With 14 hr of darkness, just say between 23 & 28 amp-hr to burn the light all night. In winter, with clouds, low sun angles, and shorter periods of daylight, my single 85-watt solar panel could gin up only about 20 amp-hr on good day. But now, I have an LED up there, and a Balmar 150-amp alternator. Problem solved. :biggrin:
We've all slobbered shamelessly over LED's.
I'm no exception.
This one uses .7 watts. (decimal 7).
You could leave it on 24 hours a day for weeks without impacting the batteries.

image.jpeg
image.jpeg
 
Feb 11, 2017
122
former Tartan 30 New London, CT area
My charts of Catalina Island show NO special anchorages. There are 3 designated anchorages off Avalon. My take is that anyplace you anchor at Catalina needs an anchor light.
 
  • Like
Likes: Rick D