Anchor Light on E26

I am newly the owner of an older Ericson 26 (1969, hull #142) and it is my first sailboat. My question comes from an aversion to going up the mast and trusting my bulk to some uninspected rigging. I have no working light on my mast. Is there anything I can mount an arm’s length from the deck that will serve as an anchor light?

Thanks in advance.

Don't have my copy of the "Sailor's Handbook" handy but I believe on a boat that size you could do it the old fashioned way and get a kerosene anchor lamp and haul it about halfway up the forestay using the jib halyard. Just make sure you attach a downhaul line to the bottom of the lamp to help get it down. If you don't have a roller-furling jib, that is...

Thanks for the suggestion, Mark. I'd much rather haul up a lamp than me. Roller-furling will hopefully come with my next tax return ...

One of these Davis lights works well for an anchor light, too. Hoist it up with a halyard (main halyard will do just as well as long as you add that messenger line). It plugs into a 12 v socket, has low current draw and will turn off automatically at dawn.

http://www.davisnet.com/marine/products/marine_product.asp?pnum=03300

You can also make do with a small led light suspended between the forstay and the mast. I picked up a battery powered one from Wal Mart for about $12.00, battery life of darn near forever, and well visible at over one mile. I put it about 6' up.

Best,
Frank

I'm going to be lazy and just repeat my last post on this:

anchor light options

If you have a place that sells used marine equipment (or just call Bacon's in Annapolis and have them send you one), go look for one of the old Guest anchor lights. Here's a link to what I'm talking about for reference:

http://www.foreandaftmarine.com/85-452014.htm

Bacon's has a pile of them for around $10-15 each. Their website is www.baconsails.com

Keith Parcells said:

One of these Davis lights works well for an anchor light, too. Hoist it up with a halyard (main halyard will do just as well as long as you add that messenger line). It plugs into a 12 v socket, has low current draw and will turn off automatically at dawn.

http://www.davisnet.com/marine/products/marine_product.asp?pnum=03300

Click to expand...

I never used to use the masthead anchor light. First it drew too much power, and second it was up so high no-one would notice it. So I only used some type of light hung off the forestay about 7 feet off the deck at arm's reach. At first I used the Guest 6V model someone else posted, but it just didn't seem to stay bright for very long. Then I found these David LED lights and that's all I used. I did put a 12V outlet inside the anchor locker up forward to make things a bit more convenient. Eventually I mounted a second Davis light at the masthead, but I still used the one just above the deck because it was much more noticeable.

masthead too high

I agree with the comments about masthead anchor lights being too high. the usual "speed through the anchorage and spill everyones dinner" jet ski or runabout is only 4 or so feet above the water, and they are looking straight ahead, not up. I discovered this phenomenon while anchored out at Block Is. several times, and nearly missed being rammed on those occasions. since then, a davis light at boom level or on the forestay seems a much better choice, and doesn't involve climbing the mast to change bulbs. unless the vessel you're trying to tell that you are anchored is a 400 foot ship with a bridge 60 feet above the H2O, you are much better off with a low level anchor light, in my opinion.

Grateful to Keep Feet on Deck

Thanks, every one for your great suggestions. The battery operated light looks like the best option for me initially, before I steel my nerve to attempt elecrical work (I'm an electrical shock attractor). I hope to learn more from all your posts in the future.