Steaming/Anchoring combo light

seadaddler · Jul 8, 2013

Steaming

My 2007 H-36 doesn't have a steaming light below the top of the mast either and I did go to the top just about a month ago to find out what type of bulb for anchoring and found out 2 bulbs up inside the light and assuming one for anchoring and one is for steaming.
Been thinking of adding a flood light up under the radar or conbination steaming and spot for night time lighting of the bow area but been thinking a few years now.
nick

woodster · Jul 8, 2013

Ken Honeycutt said:
I'm just wondering if there is a rule I don't know about or do these auxiliary's need to bone up on the regs.

sounds like to me they need to call on PERKO and tell them they are doing it all wrong ...i bought on of theses lights like you have and it says on the package Coast Guard Approved......my guess that the coasty didn't know what he was talking about did you have to pay a fine.....

regards

woody

kloudie1 · Jul 8, 2013

In the actual regs, that 225 degree forward facing light is actually called a "Masthead Light"! Many sailboats have it below the top of the mast, (motoring light) but those guys need to bone up on their regs .. I'll bet they thought it was an all around light only and weren't listening to your explanation..

higgs · Jul 8, 2013

CG aux and other officials are nto always up to date. We got stopped in FL by a cop who told us that for every CG approved inflatable PFD you have to have a traditional PFD aboard even if you are wearing th inflatable. Big time wrong. If you are wearing the CG approved inlatable it counts.

I also had a CG aux tell me my CG approved Life Sling was not a legal throwable. Wrong. These guys are human and are not always right.

Ron-Anne · Jul 9, 2013

We had the same experience with the life sling, the CG aux wanted us to get a "throw able" type device, go figure

tkanzler · Jul 9, 2013

My H340 came with a Perko dual-bulb light that serves as both masthead (steaming) and anchor light, with a switch arrangement as you've described (both steaming and anchor LED's would light when 'anchor' switch is on, and both bulbs are lit).

They even have 3-mile visibility, which is more than the 2-mile required for a boat that length.

There is no mention in the COLREGs of height other than being at least 1 meter higher than the red/green sidelights, and certainly no mention of where on a mast it has to be, as long as it conforms to the visibility intensity and swept angles and rates of diminishing visibility.

In short, they're wrong.

Perko masthead/all-round white combo light.

tommays · Jul 9, 2013

They may be wrong BUT I am use to the anchor light being on top the mast and the steaming light being mid-mast

I would think it hard to be on top of every possible new configuration somebody makes ?

As they are certified for something it would be interesting to follow the paper trail on the light and see which CFR it complies with

rgranger · Jul 9, 2013

woodster said:
sounds like to me they need to call on PERKO and tell them they are doing it all wrong ...i bought on of theses lights like you have and it says on the package Coast Guard Approved......my guess that the coasty didn't know what he was talking about did you have to pay a fine.....

regards

woody

Woodster

The Coast Guard Axillary are volunteers who will come do courtesy inspections without fear of any repercussions. It is a service they provide. They also teach boat safety classes etc. My Father used to belong.

r

Merlin Clark · Jul 9, 2013

We're having this discussion on another venue. If in doubt you can always go to the source: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf
Rule 3 explains when your sailboat is a motor vessel; Rule 22 visibility of lights; Rule 23 what must be lit when your sailboat is acting like a motor vessel; and 25 light for when you're sailing (without the engine running).

It would be priceless to show the weekend coasties

the reg they are trying to enforce improperly

!

tkanzler · Jul 9, 2013

tommays said:
As they are certified for something it would be interesting to follow the paper trail on the light and see which CFR it complies with

33 CFR 183.810

My last boat was a '98, and it was OEM, so they've been around at least 15 years. But the COLREGs don't get specific about the construction of lights, only about the performance. How a manufacturer gets there is their business. The USCG-A guys should know that.

If I were the OP, I'd print out the data sheet, and the relevant CFRs and COLREGs just in case, and show them so they don't continue making the same mistake with other boats.

http://www.perko.com/images/catalog/pdf/Figs 1183 to 1197 Inst (1183INS1).pdf (note the approval seal at the top right, as described in Part 183)

tkanzler · Jul 9, 2013

merlinuxo said:
We're having this discussion on another venue. If in doubt you can always go to the source: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf

Add to that 33 CFR Part 84.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...3:1.0.1.5.39&idno=33 #33:1.0.1.5.39.0.26.14

Lots of relevant info on things like light intensity at angles of boat heel when sailing (which would explain why some nav lights are listed for power boats, and some for sailboats), and that it's ok to have an anchor light that's NOT at the top of the mast, and so forth.

And for completeness, 33 CFR Part 183, Subpart M Nav. Lights, specifically 183.810 for certification.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...=33:2.0.1.8.45&idno=33#33:2.0.1.8.45.13.227.3

rgranger · Jul 9, 2013

Thanks for the links TKanzler