[casey1999]

Currently my Nav lights include a tri-color at the mast head. I have no steaming light. Also have the red and green bow lights and stern light. I am in the process of making the boat as simple as possible. My VHF antenna is mounted on a targa frame at stern and not at top of mast. The mast does not have an internal conduit for wiring and installing one is difficult because of the way the base and mast head are fabricated.

So to try to eliminate as much mast wiring as possible I am considering removing the tri color light and use a hoisted light for times when I need an anchor light. I plan to install a steaming light and just run the wires loose in the mast as my mast mounted deck light is run.

I realize the masthead light give good visibility, but where I sail, there are very few boats.

So for a 34 foot boat can I get away with just a steaming light and the bow and stern lights and be legal?

 

[silverheelsIII]

Absolutely yes! Also, make sure you have a bright white (LED?) anchor light that can be seen from all around your boat all night. You're good to go.

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

Casey,

Other option is to put an all round white light at the mast top in place of the tri-colour, which
I take still works?

Then u use the white all round as the steaming light or anchor light.

Remember the steaming light and stern light combined covers nearly 360degs anyway.

Not perfectly legal but it errs on the side of better visability

 

[newhaul]

When you change your masthead tried color to a white light convert to led at the same time

 

[overbored]

Convert the mast head tri color to a all white 360 degree. turn on the mast head light, the red and green and the stern light off when motoring. when sailing the red and green and the stern light are on and no mast head white light. when anchoring just the 360 degree mast head. no need to add steaming light.

 

[newhaul]

Convert the mast head tri color to a all white 360 degree. turn on the mast head light, the red and green and the stern light off when motoring. when sailing the red and green and the stern light are on and no mast head white light. when anchoring just the 360 degree mast head. no need to add steaming light.

Actually he needs the red and green bow lights when steaming or sailing at night

 

[casey1999]

Convert the mast head tri color to a all white 360 degree. turn on the mast head light, the red and green and the stern light off when motoring. when sailing the red and green and the stern light are on and no mast head white light. when anchoring just the 360 degree mast head. no need to add steaming light.

I should clairify. The tri color has red and green as well as a white light that covers the same angle as a stern and also a white all round. I use the white all round when steaming or at anchor. All the bulbs are led. The light does work, which is surprising consider miles and the fact the wires dangle from the mast head to the mast base getting abraded by the wire internal halyards. Just looking for a way to reduce wiring and the wiring to the mast head. Another factor for eliminating mast head wiring, maybe it would reduce lightning strike damage.

 

[overbored]

Actually he needs the red and green bow lights when steaming or sailing at night

that is what I was trying to say
the red and green are on when underway
the stern light is off , white mast head on when steaming
the white mast head is off , stern light is on when sailing
white mast head doubles as anchor when not underway

I have masthead tricolor with anchor light, and red and green mounted on mast just below spreaders
tricolor for sailing
red and green on mast and 360 anchor for steaming

 

[overbored]

I should clairify. The tri color has red and green as well as a white light that covers the same angle as a stern and also a white all round. I use the white all round when steaming or at anchor. All the bulbs are led. The light does work, which is surprising consider miles and the fact the wires dangle from the mast head to the mast base getting abraded by the wire internal halyards. Just looking for a way to reduce wiring and the wiring to the mast head. Another factor for eliminating mast head wiring, maybe it would reduce lightning strike damage.

I don't understand changing it. if it ain't broke. if you have lighting strike the wiring might be the least of the worries I would think. I don't have much experience with lighting does not happen here very often

 

[ReefMagnet]

vessels less than 12 m (approx 40 ft) can use an all round white light as a combined stern and masthead light per COLREGS. The problem is you still need a stern light when sailing.

My anchor light has been bung since we purchased our boat and I made up a temporary anchor light that is mounted to an old tent pole that hangs off the davits at the back of the boat. Works fine because no-one's run in to us during the night so far. I could imagine you could use the same type of setup for your anchor and all round white light (it **might** be debatable on the "all round" aspect), but you would still need to retain the stern light for sailing.

 

[DonScribner]

We step the mast of our Lancer 25 every time we go out. Far too many times than I want to disclose to mixed company, I failed to unplug my mast wirining and . . . parted it with extreme prejudice. So, on many an occasion, I have a couple of Walmart puck lights back-to-back dangling before the mast. They are MUCH brighter than the boats around me. I tie them to the unused jib halyard and send them up with a messenger. Then I tie the messenger off to the pulpit. This keeps them from banging against the mast and they are less likely to be in the shadow of the mast. But, keep in mind that whatever makeshift anchor light you raise, it probably doesn't satisfy the COLREGs in wavelength or brightness.

 

[aeventyr60]

If it is in place and working then keep it. I justa about got teeboned by a guy with no nav lights in the middle of nowhere...sounds like you have been doing a lot of the right things getting your ship ready to go. Don't skiimp or compromise here. We usually use deck level flashing blue and white lights at anchor, easier for the local fisherman to see us, and we don't look like a sailboat at anchor from miles away. If lightening strikes, it's going to fry a lot of gear anyway....

 

[smurphny]

For anchoring, I really like the idea of a low-mounted anchor light instead of the masthead light (which I have now). Fast-moving small boats speeding around anchorages are more likely to see a light mounted down low. I have a couple of those solar lights I keep on deck but they are not very bright. The boats I see with low anchor lights are much more visible from deck level. Having a separate, hoisted anchor light may give you more options.

 

[JonEisberg]

Currently my Nav lights include a tri-color at the mast head. I have no steaming light. Also have the red and green bow lights and stern light. I am in the process of making the boat as simple as possible. My VHF antenna is mounted on a targa frame at stern and not at top of mast. The mast does not have an internal conduit for wiring and installing one is difficult because of the way the base and mast head are fabricated.

So to try to eliminate as much mast wiring as possible I am considering removing the tri color light and use a hoisted light for times when I need an anchor light. I plan to install a steaming light and just run the wires loose in the mast as my mast mounted deck light is run.

Guess I must be missing something here... How are you "simplifying" your setup, by eliminating the wiring to the tricolor, but yet adding new wires for a steaming light?

Weren't you considering a circumnavigation, if memory serves? Seems to me a tricolor might come in pretty handy, in that event...

 

[outbound]

Would note.
To other boats/ships your tricolor is what's most visible at distance when underway. No one really cares much if you are on sail or motor power. So the tricolor should be on with a steaming light place lower on the mast. Coregs was not written by idiots. There is a good reason for the rules.
At night we leave the anchor light on even when on a mooring but given it is not in the line of sight of the drunken sailors returning to their boats also leave a light on in the cockpit. All lights are LEDs. Solar makes up for their consumption in 15m after the sun comes up.
So you need to decide - do you want to get hit by a drunken sailor or boater looking at the horizon once in a blue moon running on AP or rig the boat accordingly to standard coregs and leave another deck level light on at night.
my 2 cents.

 

[aloof]

...the tricolor should be on with a steaming light place lower on the mast....

Don't think so...tricolor lights are for sailing only.

For the OP: tricolor lamps may have came about because of the difficulty of locating a leeward navigation light that is not masked by sails.

 

[casey1999]

I don't understand changing it. if it ain't broke. if you have lighting strike the wiring might be the least of the worries I would think. I don't have much experience with lighting does not happen here very often

The reason for change is that I got the mast down and plan to replace all halyards and wiring. Yes the tricolor mast head works now, but considering the age of the wiring and that it is not installed in conduit, but dangling loose for 40 feet, I am sure it will not last much longer. I could just renew wiring and see how long it last, but at anchor that wire makes noise, and if insulation wears through, then I got a short circuit to deal with, or potential electrolysis problem with the stray current running through the mast and rigging. My thoughts on lightning is that if it hits the top of the mast, some current will probably track down the mast head wiring and into my main electric panel doing more damage than might happen with no mast head wiring. Lightning may be rare, but anything that can be done to reduce damage to me is worth it.

The other reason to reduce mast wiring is maintenance. I can deal with bow and stern lights, or a steaming light (mounted half way up the mast) a lot easier than a mast head mounted lights and antennas. Plan would be to just store the tricolor and reinstall when needed for major passage planned for future. It does offer much better visibility on open ocean to other boats.

 

[casey1999]

Don't think so...tricolor lights are for sailing only.

For the OP: tricolor lamps may have came about because of the difficulty of locating a leeward navigation light that is not masked by sails.

Yes, I believe tricolor mast head is for sailing only:

http://catalogs.westmarine.com/app.php?RelId=6.4.7.5&bookcode=wma15

Go to page 572

The bow lights are not good for several reasons. When heeled or rocking they are hard to see. The lights can be easily blocked by waves, or buried by waves. The lights are not high in elevation which reduces distance to horizon to which they can be seen. Tricolor mast head definitely better, but have more maintenance and harder to get to.

 

[casey1999]

For anchoring, I really like the idea of a low-mounted anchor light instead of the masthead light (which I have now). Fast-moving small boats speeding around anchorages are more likely to see a light mounted down low. I have a couple of those solar lights I keep on deck but they are not very bright. The boats I see with low anchor lights are much more visible from deck level. Having a separate, hoisted anchor light may give you more options.

I agree with you. I have been at anchor and nearly got hit with the white mast head all around on, and no other boat lights on. The problem with a mast head mounted anchor light is that if the night is totally black, it can be hard to estimate how far away a boat is, and if you are close to the boat, you may not even seen the anchor light 40 plus feet above you.

 

[casey1999]

Guess I must be missing something here... How are you "simplifying" your setup, by eliminating the wiring to the tricolor, but yet adding new wires for a steaming light?

Weren't you considering a circumnavigation, if memory serves? Seems to me a tricolor might come in pretty handy, in that event...

I would be simplifying by having no wiring or coax going to the mast head. As it is now, I do not meet colregs as I really do not have a proper steaming light. I do have an all around white light that is included with the tricolor- I use that light when motoring or at anchor, but according to colregs- the steaming light should be mounted half way up the mast, and using the steaming light as well as stern light would satisfy the colregs. The way I see it, the white all around does the same thing, just the elevation does not meet colregs from what I understand. Also I do have and need a deck light that is mounted half way up the mast. I could replace this with a steaming/deck light combo and install a single 4 conductor cable instead of existing 2 conductor cable, so no additional cables added (I might be able to install a conduit for this shorter run, if not, the cable only hangs for 20 feet and is easier to repair/ replace if needed). Circumnavigation is a few years away, plan is to store the tricolor until then and re-install.