How much of a PITA is it to install an anchor light on top of the mast?

[Minnesota_Slick]

On my E29, there is currently no anchor light, and my wife and I have decided that installing one is at the top of the priority list for the off season.

From the PO I learned that the mast is full of random pieces of foam that he inserted in order to minimize banging & pinging noise from the halyards. My rigger is very experienced, and says that he has only successfully been able to thread an electrical line down the mast 4 times without having to step it. Usually it only works when the mast is stepped.

I was able to gain access to the bottom of the mast, and did not see a conduit leading to the top. The PO also confirms that there is no conduit.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to accomplish this without stepping the mast? Are there any alternative locations for an anchor light that would be acceptable?

 

[Loren Beach]

On both our prior boats we used an old Guest brand anchor lamp. Still have it as a spare, matter of fact. Uses a "lantern battery".
Hung up on the forestay, high enough to visible all around, it meets the legal and practical standard. Fact is, after dark anyone wandering around the anchorage in a power boat is more likely to see that light and avoid a collision than they would a light at the top of the mast.
There are modern led version lights that can be hung up above the deck.

You might want to consider that.

Loren

ps: here's another thread with some helpful pictures, too.
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=130105

 

[toddster]

I did mine when the mast was horizontal on sawhorses. No conduit. The obstacles inside are two or three pieces of foam, bent in a U-shape and stuffed up inside the mast, plus long bolts from all of the mast hardware. It wasn't too hard to do with a sturdy fish tape. Sometimes it did take more than one attempt. I'm not sure why it would be more difficult (except for the pucker factor) vertically than horizontally. I was running multiple wires (antenna, anchor light, wind instrument, spreader lights, radar, steaming light, hailer/fog horn) because I didn't want to do it more than once!

I am curious how you get access inside the bottom of the mast without unstepping it? It would be nice to have an inspection port at the bottom, but as a non-engineer, I don't have a good enough feel for the materials to know whether it would be safe to cut one. Maybe with a welded collar, like the steaming light fitting has? I don't like electrical connectors hidden inside inaccessible spaces...

 

[Minnesota_Slick]

I did mine when the mast was horizontal on sawhorses. No conduit. The obstacles inside are two or three pieces of foam, bent in a U-shape and stuffed up inside the mast, plus long bolts from all of the mast hardware. It wasn't too hard to do with a sturdy fish tape. Sometimes it did take more than one attempt. I'm not sure why it would be more difficult (except for the pucker factor) vertically than horizontally. I was running multiple wires (antenna, anchor light, wind instrument, spreader lights, radar, steaming light, hailer/fog horn) because I didn't want to do it more than once!

I am curious how you get access inside the bottom of the mast without unstepping it? It would be nice to have an inspection port at the bottom, but as a non-engineer, I don't have a good enough feel for the materials to know whether it would be safe to cut one. Maybe with a welded collar, like the steaming light fitting has? I don't like electrical connectors hidden inside inaccessible spaces...

Well, the access I was able to get was inside the cabin, just below where the mast meets the deck. So I wasn't able to see exactly at the bottom of the mast, maybe 4 inches below it.

 

[Christian Williams]

after dark anyone wandering around the anchorage in a power boat is more likely to see that light and avoid a collision than they would a light at the top of the mast

Absolutely. And it illuminates the deck some, suggesting a boat in the darkness.

 

[toddster]

Well, the access I was able to get was inside the cabin, just below where the mast meets the deck. So I wasn't able to see exactly at the bottom of the mast, maybe 4 inches below it.

Ah. That could be more difficult. If the wiring "channel" at the bottom is wide enough, you might work a fish tape up from below, then someone at the top would have to make a relatively larger diameter hole and fish the end of the fish tape. Then feed the wire from the top.

I had to hog-out the hole in the deck, to pass all of those wires (diagonally through three or four inches of solid glass). IIRC, I made it 1" diameter, then installed a PVC fitting inside the mast-step as a dam for weepage. It might have been 3/4". But of course, you could not do that in situ, when other wires are currently installed.

 

[adam]

I believe the Perko lights on a fold down pole will meet the legal requirements with none of the PITA of installing it at the top of the mast.

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|65136|2312550|2312552&id=64724

I'd suggest waiting until your boat is already out of the water and you're working on other stuff on the mast for that.

 

[Minnesota_Slick]

I believe the Perko lights on a fold down pole will meet the legal requirements with none of the PITA of installing it at the top of the mast.

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|65136|2312550|2312552&id=64724

I'd suggest waiting until your boat is already out of the water and you're working on other stuff on the mast for that.

Interestingly, Adam, as I read more, the consensus seems to be that a masthead anchor light is less safe & visible than a fold down light like the Perko you suggested. Not to mention a PITA to install.

Maybe the masthead light isn't the best solution after all?

 

[Emerald]

I always have and still use a Guest lamp like Loren shows above. Mine has the solar switch, so it even turns itself on/off. They are readily available at a place up the street from me for about $10-$15 (www.baconsails.com). And I have always been of the opinion that the lower mounting is more visible to vessels buzzing around the anchorage at night. I also like that it does not draw off my house batteries. I like being able to turn everything off when I go to sleep and not have any dead battery surprises in the morning

 

[adam]

I always have and still use a Guest lamp like Loren shows above. Mine has the solar switch, so it even turns itself on/off. They are readily available at a place up the street from me for about $10-$15 (www.baconsails.com). And I have always been of the opinion that the lower mounting is more visible to vessels buzzing around the anchorage at night. I also like that it does not draw off my house batteries. I like being able to turn everything off when I go to sleep and not have any dead battery surprises in the morning

I upgraded my light with a led bulb from amazon. It's incredibly bright and visible.

I imagine that mast mounted lights are more visible from further away. If you're afraid of a container ship (which can't turn quickly) maybe a a mast mounted light would be better. But if smaller speedboats and sailboats are your concern then it does seem the lower light will be much more visible up close.

A final note heading off topic - Emerald, I installed a separate "starter" battery bank just so I could leave the lights and music on all night at anchor and then be sure I could start the engine in the morning.

 

[Emerald]

[snip]

A final note heading off topic - Emerald, I installed a separate "starter" battery bank just so I could leave the lights and music on all night at anchor and then be sure I could start the engine in the morning.

yep!

 

[Minnesota_Slick]

I always have and still use a Guest lamp like Loren shows above. Mine has the solar switch, so it even turns itself on/off. They are readily available at a place up the street from me for about $10-$15 (www.baconsails.com). And I have always been of the opinion that the lower mounting is more visible to vessels buzzing around the anchorage at night. I also like that it does not draw off my house batteries. I like being able to turn everything off when I go to sleep and not have any dead battery surprises in the morning

The Guest lamp certainly looks like a great option, but how would I attach it to the forestay(with furling jib) and prevent it from flailing around in a strong wind?

 

[Loren Beach]

The Guest lamp certainly looks like a great option, but how would I attach it to the forestay(with furling jib) and prevent it from flailing around in a strong wind?

The older model that we have has provision for a loop of line on the top and it would be easy to rig another loop of light line for the bottom. What with the power being supplied by a lantern battery (relatively heavy...) I doubt that it would move around much in any moderate breeze.

Attaching it to the fore stay would involve a spare halyard and some larger dia. soft line for the loop around the furled sail - actually a nice wide spare sail tie would be better. A piece of separate line acting as a down haul would be good, as well.
Note that you only want to "hoist" it a little bit over your head when standing on the fore deck, just so it can be seen from astern unobscured by the sail cover on the main.

Loren

 

[Emerald]

I've never made any attempt to attach it to the forestay. I just put a halyard directly to the top loop and then a small line from the bottom to whatever makes sense on deck ie, cleat, stanchion base, or in Emerald's case, a ring on the track on the bowsprit. I've never had a problem with it bouncing around, but also am usually on small coves, which tend to be quiet. I hoist it above head height but in arms reach.

 

[toddster]

Or run it up the backstay with the topping lift.

 

[Christian Williams]

The whole LED revolution is amazing. I have a typical cheap 6V handheld from Home Depot that advertises 10 times the life of the old model--and I left it on overnight with no apparent change.

I now read on board with a smal LED powered by two AA batteries, hung on a string tied to the overhead grabrail. I must have ten hours on it. It came from inside a throwaway halloween light from last year.

Much has changed. And a small, cheap solar array can charge AA batteries....

 

[tadslc]

I believe the law states that at anchorage all boats must have an 'all round' light, one that's visible 360 degrees. For good or bad, the top of the mast is the only place on a sailboat that meets this requirements.

Not the safest place but legal

 

[adam]

I believe the law states that at anchorage all boats must have an 'all round' light, one that's visible 360 degrees. For good or bad, the top of the mast is the only place on a sailboat that meets this requirements.

I just looked it up, and it's nice when regulations are reasonable.

Rule 30b says vessels less than 50m are allowed to ignore 30a and instead put the light where it "can best be seen."

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=navRulesContent#rule30 & 31

 

[tadslc]

I just looked it up, and it's nice when regulations are reasonable.

Rule 30b says vessels less than 50m are allowed to ignore 30a and instead put the light where it "can best be seen."

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=navRulesContent#rule30 & 31

The devil is in the details-

What that rule says fully is- "(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."

The description "all-round light" I'm sure is open for interpretation but I state once again, the only place for this is atop the mast.

 

[Tom Metzger]

Tad - You are 100% correct. You pass the test with an A++.

Now that we have determined you know what you are talking about please explain to us very young men and women who don't know their way, exactly how one hoists a light to the masthead. My halyards don't go that high. :unsure:

It would seem to me that the Colregs would have written "masthead" if that is what the meant. Since they didn't it must mean "where it can best be seen" for the existing situation. No one will argue over the degree or two that is blocked by the mast.

If you hoist a light above the furled mainsail and away from the mast you have what has been used by sailors for hundreds of years. That's good enough for me.