Boat lights

My boat is a 43' Tiawanese trawler and after reading the coast guard regs I am a little confused. Do I need a masthead light as well as an anchor and stern light? Should the anchor light be an all around light?

and the all around light has to be at least 1 meter higher than the side lights I believe

Drago said:

My boat is a 43' Tiawanese trawler and after reading the coast guard regs I am a little confused. Do I need a masthead light as well as an anchor and stern light? Should the anchor light be an all around light?

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The short answer is YES to all of the above AND appropriate red and green sidelights.


Nav Rule 23 page 44 in the Nav Rules covers the requirements for a vessel of your size and type when underway.


Nav Rule 30 covers the requirements for an anchor light of a boat of your type and size. Page 106 in the Nav Rules.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=16&ved=2ahUKEwjg1--euILhAhWhmuAKHYw7BM04ChAWMAV6BAgAEAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.navcen.uscg.gov%2Fpdf%2FnavRules%2Fnavrules.pdf&usg=AOvVaw36O5d_pprK_hc78oyWVM7b


Ken

Benthic2 said:

and the all around light has to be at least 1 meter higher than the side lights I believe

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In his case the separation of the all-round and the side lights doesn't matter as they would never be shown at the same time.

Boats underway less than 40’ can substitute a all around ( anchor) light for a masthead steaming light and a stern light.

HiDHo said:

Boats underway less than 40’ can substitute a all around ( anchor) light for a masthead steaming light and a stern light.

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My wife often admonishes me "don't be an a$$)ole"....so I'm trying not to be... but for these subjects... I'd suggest that it's really helpful to cite the rules that support the response. It serves to validate and it encourages the reader to actually go to the rulebook and read the text. An occasional review is probably good for lots of us folks here since we probably don't remember what we had for breakfast yesterday. (Oatmeal, with bananas)

Post #4.... Rule 23, page 44 of the USCG Navrules online. I didn't verify but would guess it is correct.
At least where it comes from.

Not to hijack the OP question but which should be on the same switch/circuit and which should be separate. Mine seems not to be wired correctly, and since I'm rewiring the main panel/switches this would be an excellent time to put it right.

Drago said:

My boat is a 43' Tiawanese trawler and after reading the coast guard regs I am a little confused. Do I need a masthead light as well as an anchor and stern light? Should the anchor light be an all around light?

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Your steaming (now called masthead) light must be at least 1m above your side lights, but is only the fwd facing sector. Facing the stern is the other sector. The all round light is optional, but needs to be above the other white lights.
An anchor light is required to be all round, and is required only if you are in a "designated anchorage". Most anchor lights are lonely at the masthead and remain dark while under way.

There seems to be a little confusion here.

The OP's vessel is 43 feet long. As such, it is required to have a forward-facing white masthead or steaming light that is visible through a 225 degree arc and a separate white stern light that is visible for a total arc of 135 degrees centered on the vessel's centerline. ONLY vessels less than 12 meters in length may use an all-round white light for use while underway.

In addition to these two, separate white lights, his vessel likely requires an all-round white anchor light. This can be a masthead light or other light that is hoisted into the rigging or otherwise placed so that it is visible at 2 nm range.

I say "likely requires" because, technically, this anchor light, for the OP's vessel, is only required when anchored OUTSIDE of a designated anchorage. Ref: (g) A vessel of less than 20 meters in length, when at anchor in a special anchorage area designated by the Secretary, shall not be required to exhibit the anchor lights and shapes required by this Rule.

As requested, a definitive reference is provided: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf

Refer to page 45 of the PDF for a clear picture of running lights and page 106 for the anchor light.

Sabre602 said:

...
I say "likely requires" because, technically, this anchor light, for the OP's vessel, is only required when anchored OUTSIDE of a designated anchorage. Ref: (g) A vessel of less than 20 meters in length, when at anchor in a special anchorage area designated by the Secretary, shall not be required to exhibit the anchor lights and shapes required by this Rule.....

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There are very few "special" anchorages where anchor light and day-sign aren't required. (In the vast San Francisco estuary there is only one: Richardson Bay.) Otherwise, an anchored vessel even in designated "general" anchorages requires appropriate light and day sign.

I'm a little confused as well. On my 38, I have a white all-around masthead light on my radar mast. It is the highest feature on the boat, about 7' higher than the side lights on flybridge wings. I also have a white stern light on transom, that is visible only if in view of the transom.

When under way, all four are on. At anchor, only the masthead light is on.

I've read various regs, and depending on what you read, the masthead could be all around when running or should be shaded fwd. Not really clear in the verbiage.

I just decided in the confusion boat has better vis to others with masthead all-around. So that is how I roll.

Do not display the all-around white anchor light unless anchored. The fractional "masthead" light should only be displayed while underway.

But the rules say an all-around white light under way is either required or permitted??

Depends on what rules you read. Look at an outboard skiff. The white light is all-around.

Your boat is much larger than a "skiff." A skiff is "any of various types of boats small enough for sailing or rowing by one person."

It can be a bit confusing, because of the terminology. A masthead (steaming) light is almost never located at the location of the mast head (top of the mast). On vessels under about 40’ you can use an all-round light as both the masthead (steaming) light and the stern light, and it could be mounted at the location of the mast head. You would use it with the red and green side lights while under way for running lights, or without the side lights at anchor as an anchor light.
On vessels over 40’, like the 43’ of the OP, the masthead (steaming) light would be mounted above the side lights, but below the all-round light, so it would not be at the mast head (top of the mast) location.

So where is that clarified in the rules? Many outboards with all-around whites are much more than skiffs, basically in the same size category as my 38. Not intending to argue, simply do not know what is correct for my ride.

Ski in NC said:

But the rules say an all-around white light under way is either required or permitted??

Depends on what rules you read. Look at an outboard skiff. The white light is all-around.

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The white all-round light for a vessel underway can only be used by a vessel under 7 meters that can not attain a speed of over 7 knots. It is a bit confusing because that would be the same light shown by a vessel at anchor.

The rules go on to say sidelights should also be shown when practical, and with the availability of battery operated sidelights there really isnt any reason to not have lights if you regularly operate at night.

Geez, I am more confused than ever.

Ski, you are more stubborn than me.

Ski in NC said:

So where is that clarified in the rules? Many outboards with all-around whites are much more than skiffs, basically in the same size category as my 38. Not intending to argue, simply do not know what is correct for my ride.

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Rule 21 is definitions." "Masthead light" means a white light placed over the fore & aft centerline of the vessel showing an unbroken lightover 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".


Rule 23 addresses Power Driven Vessels Underway. (23d)(i): A power-driven vessel of less than 12 meters in length may in lieu of the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule exhibit an all-round light and sidelights (Figure P49)


That addresses the outboards using a white all-round light. But for less than 12 meters (39'-4-1/2") in length. If splitting hairs, a 40 ft. boat requires a masthead light, a 39 ft. does not. I don't know if the Rules spell out how that length is determined, but it's probably in there somewhere!



Outboards carrying their all-round light on the stern quarter as many do, fall under Rule (23d)(iii) which spells out that configuration.



Rule 25 addresses Sailing Vessels Underway where they get into the single masthead combination light configuration. A sailing vessel with it's propulsion motor running is not a sailing vessel, but a power-driven vessel. A good example of how that distinction is not directly stated in the rules, so reading just one section can lead to misunderstanding. It's like reading building codes. Some of the substance can be in what is NOT stated. Then there's the difference between "shall" and "may". The devil's in the details.

koliver said:

An anchor light is required to be all round, and is required only if you are in a "designated anchorage".

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Correction: Should be one more word "NOT" in this statement. Sorry for the confusion.
Anson & Donna has the page references for you US bound boaters. See pp 45 and 46 for nicely drawn examples.

Ski in NC said:

I'm a little confused as well. On my 38, I have a white all-around masthead light on my radar mast. It is the highest feature on the boat, about 7' higher than the side lights on flybridge wings. I also have a white stern light on transom, that is visible only if in view of the transom.

When under way, all four are on. At anchor, only the masthead light is on.

I've read various regs, and depending on what you read, the masthead could be all around when running or should be shaded fwd. Not really clear in the verbiage.

I just decided in the confusion boat has better vis to others with masthead all-around. So that is how I roll.

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For your boat either go with the sidelights and the 360* white, no stern light
Or
Sidelights and the forward facing white masthead 225* and white sternlight
As. You currently described, showing the stern light is improper.

So the only issue is that my masthead light is visible from astern. If it was blacked out aft to the correct degrees, combined with the stern light, that would be ok.

Or I could run with no stern light and keep the all-around masthead.

Seems a little silly, but I guess it is what it is.

If I am worried about traffic, often I turn on the deck light (also on radar mast, aiming aft, a couple feet below masthead light) to make sure I am visible to the go fast outboards on plane at night. I once had one run up behind me and cut away very close while I was looking ahead. But it is too much light back there, if I look aft my night vision gets washed out.

I think I will just keep things as is. Stern light and all around on the radar mast. I'd rather be seen than having that light partially blacked out aft.

If I get a ticket, so be it.

Ski in NC said:

I think I will just keep things as is. Stern light and all around on the radar mast. I'd rather be seen than having that light partially blacked out aft.

If I get a ticket, so be it.

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Not trying to be a butthead but the purpose of the correct configuration is to not only be seen but to identify WHAT you are to another vessel. Two widely spaced white lights in a vertical configuration could be confusing to someone behind you.

A ticket is unlikely. The uncomfortable part is explaining to an insurance company lawyer why Colregs don't apply to you

Sold my 42 and got into this dinky thing and began looking for my stern light when I had the aha moment. Man, I'm so small now I got no stern light!

Many of the installed US lights do not meet international standards.

A thought before going out in blue water!

High Wire said:

Not trying to be a butthead but the purpose of the correct configuration is to not only be seen but to identify WHAT you are to another vessel. Two widely spaced white lights in a vertical configuration could be confusing to someone behind you.

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I fully understand the purpose of the lights as far as identifying the type of vessel. However, I'm not sure what my vessel as configured could be confused as. White light on transom 3' above water line and another white 15' above water line.

My transom light is rather low and could vanish to an overtaking vessel in the seas. I want to be SEEN without screwing up my night vision or confusing other vessels.

Nothing against the rules leaving my aft facing flood light on, so I don't see a big deal with the low transom light being on.

Not trying to be argumentative, or claiming that I am doing right. Just was always confused by this and the rules seemed less than clear.