Anchor light

[Jack Hutteball]

While crusing for three days last week I noticed the anchor light was not working.  All other mast lights are working.  Assuming I will be taking a trip up the mast to replace the bulb soon, but I do not know what kind of bulb it is. I hope to only have to take one trip up the mast and fix it the first time.  What kind of bulb would be in the anchor light on a 2001 Mll?

[Stu Jackson]

Jack

This is the only reference I remember from the past few years, searched on Perko only because I remembered:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=103.0

Might be different for your boat.

I did end up replacing that with a Davis mega light, which has never seemed to have worked well. Either the Fresnel lens diffuses the light so you can only see it from far away (and I've not anchored with my dinghy available since I put that in) or it's kaput.  We did check it out from up the mast last Saturday for something else - roller furling problems, ya don't wanna know - (David went up -- thanks again, Dave --, not me!) and it wasn't working.  We've been using our lamp oil anchor light off the split backstay.  We like it, it's (maybe) legal and I do NOT want to start that discussion here, puleeeze...  We ain't been hit yet.

If you're going to the trouble to go all the way up, why bother reinstalling an energy hog.  I'll bet the Davis mega lights have been improved a lot since we did ours like six years ago.  Research some more, consider LEDs - the battery draw from an anchor light is almost half of a fridge daily load!    Reduce electrical consumption -- stay out on your boat longer!   

[David Sanner]

Another thing to check is that your switch is working.
(That's been my problem)

Simple test, you should have 12v (to ground) on either side with the
switch on, only one side when the switch is turned off.

[Bruce Hanson]

Stu: A oil anchor light sounds like a great Christmas gift for my wife, which manufacture and size do you have and how do you like it?

[Stephen Butler]

Would appreciate some thoughts on using a solar-powered garden lamp, for anchoring.   We anchor out a lot and this last summer, started using a solar-powered garden lamp that we purchased at HD.  We had seen a number of boats doing this and decided to look into it.  We purchased the brightest/largest/most weather proof garden lamp we could find, and actually ran some visibility tests...it is as bright, or brighter than an oil lamp.  We hang it from the back stay, which BTW, a coastguard officer once told me is much more "noticeable," particularly in a crowded anchorage, than a mast-head light.  So, the light is bright, charges up during the day, draws nothing from the house bank, requires no fuelling, comes on even if we are not aboard, and requires little or no maintenance (we added silicon seal to just about every place we could squeeze it into).  But is it REALLY legal and REALLY safe?  Is there a "regulation" solar-powered light on the market?  Would sure appreciate some input.  BTW, our mast-head light works fine.

[Stu Jackson]

Stephen, they haven't gotten that far, yet.  I think the reason we are all coming up with these ideas is that there is nothing on the market.  In 1978 there was an idea published in cruising World on led lamps in a jar to make an anchor light.  That's awhile ago, eh?  Still not on the market.  I believe that part of the issue is the "approval" process required to get anything like that approved - the CG is chasing other priorities now.

Anyway, I agree that an anchor light WAY up a mast in a small anchorage is less likely to be seen than anything we have managed to make up that hangs in the cockpit.  For larger anchorages, way out, maybe a masthead light is better, but I sure feel more comfortable with my light where some late night skipper coming in can see it.  I think your experience tells it all.  Forget about legal -- I know, slap, slap, slap on the wrists, but th legal lights at the top of the mast do nothing for protection anyway.  Know anyone who's been sued because someone hit him and HIS anchor light at the top wasn't on?  (Lawyers need not respond  )

[Ron Hill]

Jack : As David mentioned check the switch and I'd also check out all connections, especially at the base of the mast - before a trip to the "Top".   

[Jack Hutteball]

Thanks for the input guys.  I had not thought of replacing the light on top of the mast with an LED version, probably because I have not seen any at the marine store or in catalogs.  I have looked at the solar garden lights at HD and thought that they would be a good Idea.  We did use an oil lamp for years aboard our 22 footer, and yes Stu, we used to anchor in hospital cove on Angel Island and never had a problem.  I would call that a busy anchorage.

Think I will check the connections and switch as suggested, buy a solar lamp if those are not the problem, and save the mast trip for when I have other things to do at the same time.  Would be nice if there were simply a LED light that would plug into the existing light socket.  I like the Idea of reduced battery consumption.  This is the sixth season for our original batteries and they seem to not hold the charge as well as they used to.  Think I am comming up on the golf cart battery conversion pretty soon.

Jack

[Ron Hill]

Jack : I wouldn't go out and purchase any LED bulb until you look at your light fixture and find out what the bulb base looks like.
You may not be able to go the "normal" LED light bulb route.  From my experience with LEDs (clusters shine up and festoon lights on ONE side) you'll need a special LED so it shines the 2 nm required by the USCG.
 
An alternative in a new anchor light fixture.  I mounted an Aqua Signal anchor light on a friends C34 it was #315150 and draws .41 amps ( less by the time you add 50' of wire).  There also a Mega-Lite with low amp draw (.11amps) and it also senses light so it shuts off automatically. 

[Paul Blumenfeld]

I installed the Davis light this past winter and it's worked fine all summer.  I'm not able to see if it's on unless I get 100 feet away, easy to do when the boats at dock.

My old anchor light was intermittant.  I think the weight of the electric line running up the mast pulled on the connector.  I've now attached the to the mast so it doesn't pull. 

Paul