under sail at night

[timjf]

Looking for the right proticol for "under sail at night" do I have both the masthead light and the steaming light illiminated or just the masthead light switched on
Cheers Tim

[sailingdog]

If you're not motoring, the only lights you need are a red, green and a stern white light. The steaming light is only necessary if you are under power—motorsailing.

You can have the lights either as deck level lights, or if you boat is under 20 meters a masttop tricolor will work as well. A masthead tricolor is better used when out in open waters. Deck-level lights are far better in crowded harbors, since many other boats will fail to look up at short distances and won't see the masttop tricolor.

[paulk]

Ditto. The masthead light serves as an anchor light, so that shouldn't be lit while under way. The steaming light is for when you're steaming - not sailing. Of course, you can pretend to be a cruise liner and light everything all the time, add some Christmas lights, and let the other guys try to figure it all out. Chances are you don't have the displacement they have to make such an approach a deterrent to getting run down.

[jackytdunaway]

I only have the stern white light and the red/green bow light switch marked running lights. i have a white light at the top of the mast and it was hooked up to a switch marked steaming that would only work if the running lights were on. I am putting in a new breaker switch today to run the light at the top of the mast through and moving it to the spot marked anchor light so i can anchor with it independent of the running lights and also use a mega light lower while anchoring. The questions are:
#1 Am I correct to independly switch the light at the top of the mast and mark it anchor?
#2 Can i turn this on while under poer at night and use it for a steaming light or do i need to add a lower steaming/masthead light.
Notice that due to an earlier thread i am not calling the light at the top of the mast a masthead light.

[camaraderie]

For a sailing vessel under power...this is the combination of lights required. Note that the "masthead light" which may be placed on the front of the mast OR the top of the mast has an arc of 225 degrees.
If your boat has a proper "masthead light" at the top of the mast...it cannot be used for anchoring as it is not an all around white light. You can use a Davis anchor light ALONE when you are at anchor.
Conversely...if your "masthead light" is NOT a 225 degree light...but rather an all around light...it is really an anchor light and you need a "steaming light" lower on the mast. Given the preinstalled wiring...I would doubt this.

[jackytdunaway]

The light at the top can be seen from in the cockpit so i think it is an all-round light. i have pawned the 5 year old daughter off on a neighbor I am surprised the P-27 did not come with a steaming light standard. The switch marked steaming was just a toggle that was added by the PO. I have pawned the 5-year-old daughter off on a neighbor for an overnight trip and the wife is working so I will be doing an all day and nighter working on the boat so I will look tonight and see how she lights.

[camaraderie]

You could climb the mast and paint out the back 135 degrees of the anchor light to turn it into a "masthead light" without re-wiring. Then simply use the Davis for anchoring.

[SailorMitch]

Originally Posted by jackytdunaway

The light at the top can be seen from in the cockpit so i think it is an all-round light. i have pawned the 5 year old daughter off on a neighbor I am surprised the P-27 did not come with a steaming light standard. The switch marked steaming was just a toggle that was added by the PO. I have pawned the 5-year-old daughter off on a neighbor for an overnight trip and the wife is working so I will be doing an all day and nighter working on the boat so I will look tonight and see how she lights.

Jacky -- The P-27 did come standard with the steaming light (located on the front of the mast about 2/3 of the way up maybe?), but no anchor light was standard. Your PO must have changed things around. As others have said, the steaming light and anchor light are 2 different lights. You need to figure out what the PO did and how he did it, and then proceed from there to set things up the way you want them.

[jackytdunaway]

Thanks SM. i checked it out last nite and it is an all-around. My P-27 is a little different on a couple of fronts. i have a single back stay instead of the double on most and maybee the steaming light is one of thiose things. I could see the PO doing something odd but i don;t think he would have taken the light down. I will probably add a steaming light when i install the TV antenna on the mast.