LED Anchor Light

[shufti]

psneeld - I know you're trying to help - but your relentless insistence that I can use 'your' glare shield is becoming quite tiresome. I've tried to explain several times now that it just WILL NOT work. Please stop arguing with me about what will and won;t work on my boat - a boat you have not laid eyes on.

No offense intended - but I've said it won't work several times now yet you kep insisting it will. I"m fairly certain that Wesk has given me all the info I need to sort out my problem with the nav/all-round light. His picture in his post above is almost identical to the veiw from my helm station in the FB.

Thank you, though, for your concern about my problem. Sincerely.

 

[psneeld]

I have explained it's use..not whether it would work or not in your case...that's your interpretation.

Looks like my last boat, hundreds that I've seen, dozens I have operated...no the glare shield won't keep the light out of your eye...knew that from the beginning.

In that picture...they are appropriate for keeping the glare off the foredeck...not out of your eyes. That install should have the combo steaming/anchor light as did mine and most all the others I have seen or driven.

Good luck with your problem....

 

[shufti]

Ok mate. My bad. Thanks.

 

[Peter B]

Shufti, coming in a bit late here maybe, and it sounds like you might have solved the problem with WesK's suggestion anyway, but for mine, the better solution is having a separate forward nav light, set lower on the front of the flybridge facing, and have the eye level one which is the concern if traveling at night, reserved just for anchoring, as Psneeld mentioned in one post. Then automatically, if under way, the anchor light is off, and the forward white nav light is totally out of line of sight, which I agree, can be blinding otherwise. It should not be all that tricky to isolate which wire activates which function at the base of the pendant light fitting you have there, and separate them in the flybridge locker, so one feeds just the front nav light, and the other to the aft part of the all-round light be linked to the for'd facing part for the all-round anchor function. As you have mentioned, you already have a regulation aft facing nav light, in circuit with your red/green lights. Does that make sense..? Works for me.

 

[FlyWright]

Peter, That's how mine is rigged, too. My fwd facing white light is mounted on top of the windshield brow, well out of view from the FB or lower helm while underway.

My boat came equipped with an anchor light which telescoped out of the flybridge console to extend above the windshield. I imagine its glare was comparable to that which shufti experiences and no doubt, a glare shield would not have helped at all.

This location failed to meet regulation requiring it on the highest point once the bimini and radar mast were installed. The PO disconnected the old anchor light and installed a new one at the highest point on the radar mast, well above the heads of anyone on the FB. My disconnected light remains in place as a relic of her previous duty on the boat.

 

[rwidman]

............ This location failed to meet regulation requiring it on the highest point once the bimini and radar mast were installed. ...........

Can you post a link to that regulation please? Mine is not above the bimini and I have no mast.

It is in the factory location though.

 

[psneeld]

Rule 30 - Anchored Vessels and Vessels Aground

(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it can best be seen:
(i) in the fore part, an all-round white light or one ball;
(ii) at or near the stern and at a lower level than the light prescribed in subparagraph (i), an all-round white light.
(b) A vessel of less than 50 meters in length may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen instead of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule.

 

[FlyWright]

Although not clearly stated in the regs, it is implied by its function to provide an unbroken arc of light.

Anything that "breaks" the arc is disqualifying, be it a bimini upright, a radar mast of the Captain's body.


Rule 21

"All-round light" means a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 360 degrees.

"Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225 degrees and so fixed as to show the light from right ahead to 22.5 degrees abaft the beam on either side of the vessel, except that on a vessel of less than 12 meters in length the masthead light shall be placed as nearly as practicable to the fore and aft centerline of the vessel.

 

[Peter B]

Yes, I agree, the wording is a bit ambiguous but I doubt the uprights of a bimini would interfere with the arc of visibility enough to matter, as nearly all boats in our area have their anchor lights (as do I), in under the bimini, jutting up above the windscreen/deflector. Only those boats who make their flybridge a hothouse, or oxygen tent, as FF likes to describe them, need to place the light out and above the bimini/flybridge hardtop.

 

[BruceK]

nearly all boats in our area have their anchor lights (as do I), in under the bimini, jutting up above the windscreen/deflector. Only those boats who make their flybridge a hothouse, or oxygen tent, as FF likes to describe them, need to place the light out and above the bimini/flybridge hardtop.

Peter,The IG designers in their wisdom, put the anchor light well above all else, while the elements freely pass under the bimini through the unenclosed FB. I needed a stepladder on board to fit the LED.

 

[rwidman]

Yes, I agree, the wording is a bit ambiguous but I doubt the uprights of a bimini would interfere with the arc of visibility enough to matter, as nearly all boats in our area have their anchor lights (as do I), in under the bimini, jutting up above the windscreen/deflector. ...........

I'm going with that answer.

 

[Alemao]

I use a LED anchor light and it bright as well

 

[FF]

Many crappy US lights have been grandfathered to be allowed inside US waters ONLY .

For a cruiser an international legal unit may provide 2x or more visibility , abet with a higher initial cost.

The name of the game is to be seen!

We use a commercial grade Perko , which has no relation to their yachty stuff suitable for 20meters and up.

Using a very bright LED , with rebuilt mount to center it in the glass lens. its a great anchor light, with modest draw.

Similar to this , but in a older metal housing.

http://www.perko.com/catalog/category/navigation_lights_over_20_meters/product/19/

 

[rwidman]

The regulations are performance based. You can use a kerosene lantern for an anchor light if it is bright enough.

That said, the brighter the better. The anchor light is intended to keep people from hitting you in the dark. It's to your benefit to have a bright one.