Navigation Lights - Mast Light Placement

The Blue Heeler · Dec 26, 2006

I'm going up to do some work on our "new" E29 in about a month. The PO said that the lights on the mast did not work so we will be re-wiring the mast and replacing light fixtures. I know that we need a Steaming light for use under power. I keep seeing a reference to spreader lights. Could someone tell me what kinds and how many lights that I need to mount on my mast so that I can install these while the mast is still down. I think I'll replace any that are currently there. Suggestions on brands and what kinds would be nice. I think, based on amp draw, I would prefer to go the LED route. Thanks in advance of the help!!!

Bart

chaco · Dec 26, 2006

LED...come down to earth

You will need a Masthead 360 Anchor Light along with your Steaming Light.
The spreader lights are for deck safety and not a Navigation Light :nerd:
Check out orcagreen.com for LED Nav Lights. WM has good info on Nav Light
USCG requirements. Most of the COMMON Nav Light Mfg (aquasignal / hella)
are NOT up to speed on LED. You are still paying a PREMIUM for LED products.
I am WAITING for them to come down to earth on price for major retrofits.

Happy LED :egrin:

treilley · Dec 26, 2006

Hi Bart. I assume when you say "spreader lights" you mean a light that will illuminate the deck. Spreader lights can be a tricky add on as the wiring can be difficult to run from the interior of the mast to the lights themselves. I use a combination deck/steaming light similar to the one in the link below. This unit keeps it simple and works great on my 35. It uses conventional bulbs but I suppose it can be changed to LED. Just be carefull as LED are not as bright and can be costly. I am not sure they are even USCG certified. If you are worried about bulbs burning out, just change it every time the mast is down like I do.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc.../0/deck light/All_2/mode matchallpartial/15/0

jkm · Dec 26, 2006

Because of the issues of electrical storage on an Ericson I did the following on my 35.

Changed all interior light bulbs to LEDs(SUPERBRIGHTLEDS.COM), mooring light (DAVIS INSTRUMENTS), steaming light and bow light left as is. Got rid of my spreader lights, which in reality are tractor lights, and replaced with single halogen fixture-10 watt (FORESPAR) I have a 20 watt which I may change out as the 10 is marginal.

Don't change out your mast light or nav lights to LEDs-they just don't have the visibility you want.

Probably the most used light is an LED headlamp which I can wear when I'm working anywhere at night.

HAVE FUN

JOhn

The Blue Heeler · Dec 26, 2006

sketch

Great information. Can someone post a sketch of the mast and where these lights go on the mast? I'll rig something different for the deck lighting.

treilley · Dec 27, 2006

Put the masthead light, well, at the top of the mast :egrin:

Put the steaming/deck light just above the spreaders. Your boat should already have lights at these locations.

jkm · Dec 27, 2006

Tim

I was looking at your photos of islands to check out which islands and harbors you visit. Brings back many memories.

There were a few shots of a garden-if that is up at your place it's a beautiful backyard.

How I miss Casco Bay in the summer, but not in December. Keep thinking I'll go back to CE, but then the temperature here goes to 70 in December so I put that thought on hold. Still have a place there with my sisters.

I know I'll end up there, but then I might not be aware of the trip ,via UPS.

John

treilley · Dec 27, 2006

I wish that was my back yard although mine is wooded and very pretty also. Those are the formal gardens in Northeast Harbor. One of the oldest hiking trails in Acadia ends in the gardens.

Guy Stevens · Dec 31, 2006

Led Lights on the mast top

We have had a number of failures of the Led systems from the more expensive manufactures when operated with a SSB. Seems that the never planed their lighting circuits to have ANY resistance to HF.

However we have had great luck with the Aquasignal 40 lights with the DR Led Lights in them. The cost is fairly reasonable too, and the visuals in our albeit limited tests, and in Dr. Led Extensive tests (USCG approval was granted), Tests were superior to the incandescent bulbs.

The cost is nice too, about $50.00 for the bulb fits into your existing aquasignal light. Goes from about 2 amps down to .04 amps... Really .04.

Leds are not the end all of the world however.

Check out the chart of Lumens per watt. Florescent lights are much more economical for interior lighting than leds are, and if they use modern t-9 or t-10 bulbs much easier on the eyes. The Alpenglows are wonderful. bulb life is about 5 years of constant use on a CF for about $2.00 a bulb. If you want to make something of your own that is similar to an Alpenglow, or convert existing fixtures the ballasts are available from a number of sources, as are the bulb sockets, however Alpenglows are very well made, and are very good looking.

The following chart should provide some information on various options.

Where LEDS really shine is in severe environments where they can be completely sealed from the environment. Such as the top of the mast. There are numerous methods for getting the maximum lumens per watt, including pulse and pulse width modulation of the led etc.

Hope the table helps.

Type Light, Luminous Efficiency Lumens Per Watt
Incandescent, 15 Lumens Per Watt Best
Halogen, 21 Lumens Per Watt
1980 Led 5 Lumens Per Watt
1990 Led 20 Lumens Per Watt
2000 Led 50 Lumens Per Watt
Todays best Led 75 Lumens Per Watt
florescent 1940 70 Lumens Per Watt
florescent Now 105 Lumens Per Watt
Mercury Vapor 60-65 Lumens Per Watt
Metal Halide 110 Lumens Per Watt
Hi Pressure Sodium 125 Lumens Per Watt

Lighting is an advanced subject. There is a lot of information available, but the above chart is one of the hardest to find.

Guy

garryh · Dec 3, 2019

"Put the masthead light, well, at the top of the mast. Put the steaming/deck light just above the spreaders."
This is an old thread but just surfing for info since I am replacing all my nav lights and several options. Just making the clarification for future surfers... the 'masthead light' (confusingly enough) IS the steaming light and does not go atop the mast. That is where the trilight (and typically the anchor light) are placed.
"The masthead light may be located at the top of a short mast on a powerboat but is usually located about 2/3 of the way up the forward mast on a sailboat. The official Navigation Rules refer to this light as the masthead light which must be turned on at night when a vessel is using its engine "
Typically at the spreaders but in my view, as low as is practicable on the mast to be viewed by other boats in conjunction with your running lights.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w

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RenDe · Dec 4, 2019

garryh said:
"Put the masthead light, well, at the top of the mast. Put the steaming/deck light just above the spreaders."
This is an old thread but just surfing for info since I am replacing all my nav lights and several options. Just making the clarification for future surfers... the 'masthead light' (confusingly enough) IS the steaming light and does not go atop the mast. That is where the trilight (and typically the anchor light) are placed.
"The masthead light may be located at the top of a short mast on a powerboat but is usually located about 2/3 of the way up the forward mast on a sailboat. The official Navigation Rules refer to this light as the masthead light which must be turned on at night when a vessel is using its engine "
Typically at the spreaders but in my view, as low as is practicable on the mast to be viewed by other boats in conjunction with your running lights.

Actually no. The masthead light is your anchor light, also used for other purposes but no need to get into that now. The one facing forward and to slightly abaft of beam, on either side, is the steaming light. Tricolor lights are an interesting debate as technically they are showing the wrong signal if run in conjunction with a steaming light but then there is the 'screw the rules I would rather be seen from farther off" line of reasoning..

garryh · Dec 4, 2019

the 'Masthead Light' is the steaming light, by definition.
The light at the masthead CAN be the anchor light, often a trilight if mounted but optional.
In a crowded anchorage I believe an anchor light at the top of the mast is pretty well useless and I string one somewhere in the foretriangle.

RenDe · Dec 4, 2019

I do agree with your last sentence. I do that too. I think this might be a potato potaaato sorta thing. Light at the top o your mast is the anchor light. Light above the spreader facing forward is your steaming light and is sometime called a masthead light but it is not the light at the head of your mast.

garryh · Dec 4, 2019

no agreed, it is not the light at the head of your mast... I was just trying to clear up a terminology issue that is very confusing to many (was to me).
The 'masthead light' in nautical terms has nothing to do with it's position on the mast... it IS the Steaming Light and not positioned at the top of the mast.
This is very similar to 'topsides' which so many people use as the 'deck', while it is something else entirely.
Not being pedantic... using the wrong term is confusing in a conversation... which (usually) is why they were coined in the first place. (as in no lefts or rights on a boat)

fool · Dec 4, 2019

The Masthead Light is the light used to indicate a sailboat is under power, unbroken forward to 22.5 degrees abaft of the beam on both sides of the vessel.

The anchor light is any 360 degree white light visible from 2 nautical miles (min) and can be placed anywhere on the vessel, but is commonly placed at the top of the mast. The top of the mast is also known as a masthead. An 360 degree anchor light at the top of the mast is an anchor light on top of the masthead, but not a masthead light.

garryh · Dec 4, 2019

"An 360 degree anchor light at the top of the mast is an anchor light on top of the masthead, but not a masthead light."
precisely..!

bgary · Dec 4, 2019

Interesting...

I would have bet this was wrong. My understanding has been that what we call the masthead light is, you know, the one at the masthead. The 360-degree "anchor" light.

But then I checked it in the ColRegs. Rule 21 in the International rules says

(a) Masthead light means a white light placed over the fore and aft centerline of the
vessel showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 225° and so fixed as
to show the light from right ahead to 22.5° abaft the beam on either side of the
vessel.
.
.
.
(e) All-round light means a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of the
horizon of 360°.

So... according to the ColRegs, the "masthead light" is NOT the one at the masthead.

Go figure.

I stand corrected.

nquigley · Dec 4, 2019

and, ... in case it's not clear at this point, what we often call the 'steaming light' is exactly the same as the 'masthead' light.
This is a common fitting, that serves both as a masthead/steaming light, and a foredeck illumination light:
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/hell...ogen-black-housing-12v--14568455?recordNum=11
Other manufacturers have a similar design.

garryh · Dec 4, 2019

it tends to cause so much confusion that the term 'masthead light' should just be avoided and use the functional terms anchor light, steaming light, trilight etc.
"lights can be confusing at the onset. In this particular topic, sailors tend to get confused because they think a mast is only on a sailboat. But, a mast head light is also used (and defined for use) on power boats"
I would guess that the term originates on power boats or maybe freighters where the steaming light is positioned atop a short mast for better visibility.

Loren Beach · Dec 4, 2019

Let there be Light

garryh said:
it tends to cause so much confusion that the term 'masthead light' should just be avoided and use the functional terms anchor light, steaming light, trilight etc.
"lights can be confusing at the onset. In this particular topic, sailors tend to get confused because they think a mast is only on a sailboat. But, a mast head light is also used (and defined for use) on power boats"
I would guess that the term originates on power boats or maybe freighters where the steaming light is positioned atop a short mast for better visibility.

Good Point.
"Masthead" is just a location. It helps to remember that the 360 degree Steaming Light has only to be XX inches higher than the Red/Green lights and that's why smaller power boats have a short metal (removable) pole in a holder on their stern for this night time running light.
When the handy combo of a steaming and additional deck light fixture is installed on sailboats, on the front side of their spar, they have to have another stern light that shows aft, and completes the full 360 degree arc. This also puts it well above the minimum height distance.

As for having your anchor light on the actual masthead, and thus having a visible range of 360 degrees, the only problem then is having that light put our the minimum amount of brightness to comply with CG standards. I notice that most dedicated "anchor lights" including ours are too dim to meet than standard.

As for anchoring, you can always hang a dedicated anchor light from the forestay or even the end of your boom. As a practical matter it will ID your location very well in most places. We still carry one of these as a backup to the nifty little LED fixture on our masthead.

The drawings in reply 13 and also 15, show this very well.

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