A new “all around white light” for the masthead

[JDCAVE]

It seems my anchor light on the masthead is no longer working. I have not yet gone up there to explore around, but I suspect it may have succumbed to corrosion. Not sure. I’m planing for replacement but would be happy if it just needs a replacement bulb. Not looking forward to putting a ladder up the mast. With the “A” frame that is attached, lowering the mast would be complicated.

I need to get onto this quickly as I hope to cruise north on Monday. Thursday is a holiday and everything will be closed.

I am looking at one of these but am happy for other suggestions.

https://www.stevestonmarine.com/Aqu...4a96cAj-pAhZkJ_-6uZ30z5TZ6Ny3PkBoCU7sQAvD_BwE

Jim

 

[FF]

Looks WAY expensive for what you get.


Is your boat so large it requires a 5 mile lamp?

 

[CharlieJ]

@FF #2: Website states 2 mile visibility, which is the requirement.

 

[psneeld]

You could use the 24 dollar one and use an LED bulb.


I used an incandescent light fixture with a "certified replacement LED bulb" and it is Sooooo much brighter than OEM and has full 365 degree visability.


Its so bright that it puts a shadows around the boat, lights up the boat clearly enough to make out sharp details of the whole boat in the anchorge, ruins stargazing, attracts marine life beyond the shadow line, etc..... it's almost too bright...and uses a fraction of the amp draw.


This one already has the LED light installed....Certified by USCG 3 Nautical Miles ABYC A-16. LED Beam Angle of 120 degrees (says only for boats less than 12 meters but think that is in error)



https://www.amazon.com/Five-Oceans-...t=&hvlocphy=9012427&hvtargid=pla-567515984562


This one can be fitted with LED light too.


https://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Signal-...t=&hvlocphy=9012427&hvtargid=pla-574196789012

 

[twistedtree]

Here's a less expensive alternative from Hella.


https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-Marine-NaviLED-Compact-Navigation/dp/B00TUO1TBG


Personally I would replace with a sealed LED unit rather than mess with an LED bulb replacement which still leaves you exposed to corrosion failures. I say this mostly because I would only want to tackle the mast once.

 

[JDCAVE]

Thanks for the replies. I’m going up the mast today to see what is going on. Maybe it just needs a replacement bulb. The existing fixture has an LED bulb in it.

Jim

 

[jgwinks]

And if all else fails, a simple white lantern hung so it's visible 360 will suffice. Many sailboats do this, thinking the mast top anchor light 50-60 feet up is too high, up close you'd have to look up to see it and the drunk in the speed boat probably won't do that. The guy two or three miles away can see your high anchor light, but he can't hit you from there. The guy 50 feet away will.

 

[AlanT]

And if all else fails, a simple white lantern hung so it's visible 360 will suffice. Many sailboats do this, thinking the mast top anchor light 50-60 feet up is too high, up close you'd have to look up to see it and the drunk in the speed boat probably won't do that. The guy two or three miles away can see your high anchor light, but he can't hit you from there. The guy 50 feet away will.

A very good point, with the added advantage that it makes your boat easier to identify if you are returning to it in an anchorage in the dark. My sailboat brethren have taken to using the solar powered yard lights mounted each side of their cockpit on the rails.
~Alan

 

[psneeld]

The truly drunk boater may not be paying attention at all....no matter where the light is.....


Then again you don't have to be drunk to not be paying attention......


I was using solar lights till I went to an LED anchor light.... that baby lights up the whole deckhouse and rails that reflect back quite strongly. The boat almost looks like it does in the twilight right after sunset.

 

[sean9c]

That Aqua Signal 34 street price at Fisheries Supply is $99USD, though they only have it in white

 

[rsn48]

Replace the whole thing with something that will go on and off with sunset/sunrise. You may or may not be surprised at how many anchor lights I see on at my marina. The light may be on for a month before the owner returns or in the off season - months.

Take the lazy approach.

 

[JDCAVE]

This is the existing light.

 

[JDCAVE]

It looks well installed with butt connectors and heat shrink. Probably no corrosion there. The light is not replaceable by the looks of it. So the power is off and I’m going to cut the wires after securing the main cable and then test for voltage.

 

[JDCAVE]

The light is full of water. “Hella Marine” New Zealand. Earlier photos reveal it had a dome over it. I believe a seagull or a crow pecked it off. That’s my opinion.

Voltage is good at 13.3 volts. House bank is 13.39.

Update. The Western Marine catalog has the exact same light, with the same mounting points as near as I can determine. If it’s in stock, it’s a no brainer.

Jim

 

[Comodave]

But is it LED? If not I would find one that is. No more trips up the mast with an LED.

 

[JDCAVE]

Yes. LED. The original unit was quite bright. Probably 10 years old.

 

[Comodave]

There you go.

 

[FF]

IF The big difference between the 2 mile light and 5 mile light is only the LED installed , I would go for the 5 mile white light.

 

[kthoennes]

Resurrecting an old thread I know, but in an effort to minimize electronic clutter in the universe... I need to replace my masthead light. I've had Hella lights on our previous boat and this one, and in my opinion, they're very expensive junk. One of them nearly set our boat on fire, we still have a scorch mark on the forward berth headliner. Perko -- ok, but the lenses keep clouding over and looking terrible, I'm sick of replacing lenses (and I'm not even in a high UV latitude). I've got to install a new mast (pipe) too so I can tailor the mounting to whatever the new light needs.

Has anybody tried "Scialeds"? They must have a very small sales history or limited distribution, I can hardly find anything on them and only one brief (positive) mention on Cruisers Forum from 2020. I see them sold on eBay for around $100. I was thinking of doing the tricolor & anchor, 3NM. A little bigger than a hockey puck. Made in Argentina apparently. Any experience on here? Here's the company website, and a sales listing.

Scialeds Luces Exterior

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165404409239

Thanks.

 

[rslifkin]

No experience with that one, but I've done a couple of seasons with the Hella NaviLED Pro side and stern lights without issues. My masthead light is a Signal Mate 3nmmhanc. It works as both a 225° masthead light and an anchor light. And it's bright. So far it's worked perfectly (a bit expensive though).

 

[LarryM]

kthoennes,

Unfortunately mast-top tricolor lights which combine the stern and sidelights and are applicable only to wind-powered sailboats when under sail alone.

COLREGS Rule 25 Navigation Lights for Sail Boats states:

Rule 25(a) Sailboats – Under Sail Only: Red and Green side lights; White Stern light.

Rule 25(b)Sailboats – Optional Tri-color Light: Sailing vessels less than 20 meters in length may use a combination mast top tri-color light in place of the standard red and green sidelights and white stern light.

Rule 3(c) Defines a “sailing vessel” as any vessel under sail provided that propelling machinery, if fitted, is not being used.

 

[kthoennes]

Thanks very much Larry -- I appreciate the advice on just the requirements too, because after lots of googling, I'm thoroughly confused, including after searching on related threads on this forum and even taking a boater's ed test on lighting (boaterexam.com). Our boat is a "37" by model name, but it's just over 40 LOA from the edge of the swim step to the front edge of the bow pulpit, but maybe I'm getting too precise there. Our boat came from the factory with one light on a pole behind the radome, a 360° Perko white light. I do have a three-position "Nav/Anchor" switch at the helm, and that light illuminates with the switch in either position. No stern light at all. Then we have two Aquasignal 25's, those relatively common port and starboard red and green lights on each side. (We also have a small white light in the step down from the helm to the bow, but I'd count that as a courtesy light so you can see where you're walking and operate the windlass, it's not a bow light.)

What do you think? Do I need, or should I add, a stern light too? And I don't know if the regs rely on nominal length or actual. It looks to me like Mainship used nominal -- the number in the model name -- rather than actual when they lit this boat. The boat lights up like a Christmas tree at night, including a series of courtesy lights on the stairs from the aft deck to the swim step, but of course I turn off almost all the courtesy lights when we're running at night so I don't ruin my night vision. The previous owner was meticulous about Coast Guard Aux inspections and we have the (old) stickers to prove it so they must have passed it, but I'd rather not just meet the absolute minimums. But then maybe this is a situation where you follow length requirements precisely and don't turn your boat into a light show that can be seen from space just because you can.

 

[rslifkin]

If the boat is officially listed as a 37, you can go with either the 360° white or a 225*°masthead + stern light. My 38 had the masthead + stern light from the factory (and we're about 42'4" true LOA). So I've kept that setup.

 

[High Wire]

Stay with the original configuration just with better LED fixtures. Make sure there’s nothing significant obstructing the lights like canvas or radar dome.

 

[Hippocampus]

If you want to spend a ridiculous amount of money get this one.

https://www.solidsignal.com/lopolig...-036&msclkid=d3f0b168a42f13886dc3d39dccb00f3d.

 

[rgano]

Try Aquasignal

 

[kthoennes]

If you want to spend a ridiculous amount of money get this one.

https://www.solidsignal.com/lopolig...-036&msclkid=d3f0b168a42f13886dc3d39dccb00f3d.

That's the one!!! (What the...? Aluminum? Heck, better be made out of titanium and rated for the Int'l Space Station. For that much I'd want it to come with a lighting steward to climb the mast and polish the bulbs.)