I am a new sailboat owner......The CG aux came aboard to do a standard safety check, which I welcome.......but I was not passed because I do not have a working masthead light.....I realize I need it for anchoring (360 degree light), but my sailboat was made in 1986 and is not wired nor equipped with a light for steaming (225 degrees) at night.........any suggestions?
Steaming light
- Thread starter AUDIS BROW
- Start date
A masthead 360 degree light will cover you for anchoring and when under power, as long as you rear white light (135 degree) is not on at the same time as the masthead 360. This is the simplest way to wire a boat, 3 separate circuits. One switch for the masthead 360, one for the stern 135, and one for the red and green running lights. You just need to know what combination you need for your situation at the time.
Year of manufacture wouldn't have anything to do with it, the steaming light has been required for about 150 years. (We're not still using steam, right? That's how old it is.) As was previously posted, the mast top anchor light will meet the requirement, as long as the stern light does not come on with it. Power driven vessels under 12 meters in length are allowed to combine the stern light and masthead (steaming) light in one unit. Think outboard runabout with the white light on a pole. The only problem is on a sailboat that puts the stern light way up in the sky where it might not be seen from up close. You would show the red/green side lights and stern light when sailing (engine not running), red/green side lights and anchor light when motoring with or without sails up, and anchor light alone when anchored. You need all three lights on separate switches to make this work.
If you opt to add a dedicated steaming light, more that it does not have to be half way up the mast where you usually see them. Only needs to be one meter higher than the side lights. On one of my boats I put it about five feet above deck. That way when it went out I could fix it without climbing the mast. You could even install it there without taking the mast down.
If you opt to add a dedicated steaming light, more that it does not have to be half way up the mast where you usually see them. Only needs to be one meter higher than the side lights. On one of my boats I put it about five feet above deck. That way when it went out I could fix it without climbing the mast. You could even install it there without taking the mast down.
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If you have existing wiring for a masthead 360 degree anchor light, you could connect another cable to it and wire it to a newly installed steaming light lower on your mast. You would also put a diode in series with each light so that applying 12V with one polarity would light the anchor light and the steaming light would light with the opposite polarity. To run this you also install a DPDT-center off switch on your control panel. The switch would reverse polarity to the cable with the two lights. Only one light would be lit at a time. This may sound complicated (it's not) but it does eliminate the need to run a new separate cable up the mast for the new steaming light.
Thank you for all of the great advice and options. One thing tripping me up is something I read from West Marine online regarding this subject. They state sailboats under power are considered powerboats and that power vessels less than 12m may show a single all-round light in lieu of the separate masthead and stern lights. My sailboat is 27'. So what I am inferring from that is, if I am running under power at night, I can light my red and green with the 360 mast head white light and just cover my stern light. That would make it legit, right?
Unfortunately my masthead only has the 360 white light. The masthead light is actually plugged in to the deck at the mast base. And I only have one switch for the tricolor light on my panel.
I am trying to avoid rewiring and do not understand why this wasn't done correctly in the first place as these are not new rules of navigation.
Unfortunately my masthead only has the 360 white light. The masthead light is actually plugged in to the deck at the mast base. And I only have one switch for the tricolor light on my panel.
I am trying to avoid rewiring and do not understand why this wasn't done correctly in the first place as these are not new rules of navigation.
Right. Turn on the mast top anchor light and cover the stern light and you're perfectly legal for motoring. Just be aware that your stern light is now at the top of the mast.
Why the factory didn't put on a proper streaming light, they were probably just being cheap and figured you'd never be motoring at night. No excuse.
Why the factory didn't put on a proper streaming light, they were probably just being cheap and figured you'd never be motoring at night. No excuse.
Unless some new rules have come along in the last 10 - 12 yr, I don't believe that a white, all-round mast-head light is required for anchoring. An all-round white light (lantern) suspended in the foretriangle is sufficient to meet regulations. There are dozens to hundreds of battery/bulb, or oil, lamps that could be used instead of setting up wiring for a mast-head light. It's hard to imagine no steaming light on the mast, however, since your boat is not old. Maybe it's not the original, factory installed, mast?
That is true, the anchor light does not have to be at the mast head. Many prefer them closer to deck level, myself included.