Where is the Anchor light on a sailboat

[SailorX]

Okay I had no idea.
I don't really think the one's I have are original though.
I have 2 large one's and a normal sized one. I've seen pictures of the same boat as mine having other winches, but the question is which one's are original...
Sadly I don't have the luxury to put someone lighter than me up the mast so I guess I'll have to figure out how to take the mast down. There is a system for it aboard, I just don't know how it works. But like you said in an earlier post, it won't be a bad idea to familiarize myself with that.

 

[LB 15]

Imagine you have something like an inflated wing sail or other contraption as a sail, the point being surrounding the mast, and a freestanding mast.

What do you then learned scholars?

If it had the sail out it wouldn’t be either under power or at anchor. But the IRPCS note this in the application section. Basically it says if you can’t conform to the letter of the rule then to display lights as close as possible to the requirement.

 

[Locus]

We regularly hoist people to the tip on 30 footers. Use main on one cabin top and the spin as backup on the other. Crank on main, take up on the spin. Both clutches engaged. Both are smaller than 40s I think. Generally they are lighter than 175k but halyards can easily hold that. (if in decent shape)

 

[Mark Morwood]

Just curious - where are you? Are you somewhere where the mast needs to come down regularly for bridges or access? I ask because from your photo you appear to have something that looks like a permanently mounted triangular gin pole arrangement on your fore deck that might be for mast lowering/raising? Most boats do not have that. If that is the case, then learning to use it is a good idea. If not, I'd wait until you are next doing major maintenance and drop the mast then and check everything at the same time. In the meantime, don't sail at night, and take a simple battery or 12volt anchor light to hang in the rigging if you are anchoring out.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Okay I had no idea.
I don't really think the one's I have are original though.
I have 2 large one's and a normal sized one. I've seen pictures of the same boat as mine having other winches, but the question is which one's are original...
Sadly I don't have the luxury to put someone lighter than me up the mast so I guess I'll have to figure out how to take the mast down. There is a system for it aboard, I just don't know how it works. But like you said in an earlier post, it won't be a bad idea to familiarize myself with that.

I am not trying to troll you here.
1. There seems to be a LOT you don't know about boats. A course or a sail with some friends might help quite a bit.
2. Removing the rig to change a light bulb is like buying a new car when a headlight burns out.
3. A couple reasonably fit people can get you up the mast.
4. Going up the mast can have fatal consequences. I am not sure this is something you should be trying right now.
5. See #4, some buddies familiar with this kind of thing would be GREAT.
6. A rigging shop will send someone up to change a bulb for less than taking the mast out

 

[See Level]

Don't go up the mast, from the photo your rigging looks fine for sailing but not for lifting humans.

You are carrying the mast lowering device on your bow around all the time and your mast is on a tabernacle, so it can't be hard to do, likely the boat lived upstream of a low bridge.
A cable to the a-frame and a block and tackle to lower the mast down aft.
Move the dodger first 😁

 

[Jud - s/v Sputnik]

Sailboat at anchor next to powerboat:

View attachment 528989

Never, ever anchor next to a powerboat; their generator will really piss you off...

 

[SailorX]

I am not trying to troll you here.
1. There seems to be a LOT you don't know about boats. A course or a sail with some friends might help quite a bit.

Well duh.... If I knew everything, I didn't have to ask it here did I?
This is my first boat I really own and my uncle has been learning me alot.
I've been having a few lessons and went out sailing with my uncle a couple of times. I am confident enough now to take the defender out myself, and I already did. I'm just still learning. What's wrong with that?
What's wrong with asking questions on a forums? I started sailing a few months ago, and I'm quite happy with how far I came so far so..

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Well duh.... If I knew everything, I didn't have to ask it here did I?
This is my first boat I really own and my uncle has been learning me alot.
I've been having a few lessons and went out sailing with my uncle a couple of times. I am confident enough now to take the defender out myself, and I already did. I'm just still learning. What's wrong with that?
What's wrong with asking questions on a forums? I started sailing a few months ago, and I'm quite happy with how far I came so far so..

Nothing wrong at ALL. Ask away. We were all there at some point.
It DOES seem like your mast is designed to be lowered, this is almost non-existent in boats of my size around here so I didn't catch on right away, but someone else did. We all learn things
* Lowering my mast involves a crane and it takes at least 5-6 people to move it around the yard after it is out.

 

[nolatom]

If you don't have an anchor light because you never "anchor out" but then poof, there you are and you need one, how can we "McGyver" one??

Take a flashlight, find some wax paper or saran wrap, or even scotch tape, ball it up into a circle shape, tape said ball onto the flashlight lens, turn it on, and ta-dah!! You've got a jury-rig all-round white light, okay not real bright but way better than nuthin', right?

Then hoist it up with a halyard and a tailing line back down to the foredeck. Of course you might need more batteries so don't sleep too tight.

I've been lucky enough to teach sailing part-time at our Community Sailing center, and I can stretch the late afternoon / evening lesson juuuuust a bit with a battery-powered red/green light tied or taped to the mast or jammed between mast and taut halyard, and the same little bootleg white light, now pointing aft from the after deck. Neither of these are doctrinally perfect in terms of red/green separation, or perfect arc or distance of visibility, but good enough to get you in after dusk, after getting to stay out long enough to have observed a beautiful sunset all the way down.


And, in the "thank you, Captain Obvious" department, remember to locate your flashlight(s) before it gets dark, cause it's, uh, harder to find it after dark ;-)

 

[CruiserJim]

Having entered some very dark anchorages at night, where there were only sailboats anchored, I’ve found it difficult to see the actual boats under the masthead anchor lights as they don’t cast any light downward. If there are powerboats in the mix, their lower anchor lights will usually provide some ambient light that will help in seeing the actual boats. Based in these experiences, I would hoist a light about 15’ off the deck on a burger halyard and had another light aft on a length of PVC pipe that raised it above my bimini. I found that solar powered LED garden lights were idea for this, they would last all night, they were crazy cheap for a box of six of them, and the lens was designed to cast light downward, illuminating my deck, but not so bright as to damage night vision. I ran the masthead light to be legal, and the garden lights to be seen.

 

[(p)Irate]

I'm just still learning. What's wrong with that?

What's wrong is all the things that you don't know you don't know. At the moment you're a high potential risk to yourself and others. What's right is that you are asking questions. But another thing that proves that you don't know much is that you came to Sailing Anarchy for the answers. The clue is in the name.

 

[blurocketsmate]

How about an LED flashlight on a pig stick, hauled up on the main halyard? A great setup for smaller boats, which don't need the extra expense, complication, or weight of a full masthead light and wiring.

Dolphin24.org - A Web site For Dolphin Owners and Others Interested in this Classic Design

Since Ron posted this, the LED flashlight and battery world has exploded with new tech, so a better one may be available (USB rechargeable, lasting all night).

A masthead light meets COLREGS, but isn't seen up close. Consider something else for your boat to be seen by late-night drunks. I've seen lanterns hung in the foretriangle, garden lights around deck, LED string lights, fake tiki torches, lights shining up the mast, and reflective cove stripes.

 

[ynot]

Hello everyone,

Currently my sailboat has 3 external lights. At the bow, there's a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side.
On the stern, I have a white light. These lights can be turned on with a switch called "navigation lights".

I also have a switch for the "anchor light" and "mast light".
Neither of those 2 switches, seem to turn on a light outside the vessel.

Assuming I either don't have em, or they are broken.

Where does one usually place these lights and how could I detect them? Are they up in the mast?
I wanted to anchor somewhere but had to leave when the sun went down and go into the harbor.

If it turns out I don't have em, what would be the best position to place em and what type of light/lamp to use?

View attachment 528955

WHT is the tripod thing bolted to the deck sides going forward triangulated?

 

[Jethrow]

WHT is the tripod thing bolted to the deck sides going forward triangulated?

World's most overbuilt anchor light mount?