Anchorage identification and boarding techniques

It used to be that an LED anchor light would be scarce enough (and
much brighter among all the incandescents) that finding our boat would
be a piece of cake. That's no longer the case, at least in the
anchorages we were in this last 7 or so months - LEDs are now
predominant.

However, we used some of (we had to buy an entire reel) the red LED
rope lighting we have throughout our boat to illuminate the cockpit.
We'd originally thought of it for under-way use, but it's far too
bright for that application, red or not. It's impossible for anyone to
mistake this for a navigation light, as it forms an arc (~18" tall) on
the binnacle. It isn't a 2-mile visibility item, in any case, but it
does show up from perhaps a mile away as a very faint line (getting
brighter as you approach, of course). So, not only is it unique
(well, our cruising buddies who liked the idea so well they did it,
too, aside), it lights the cockpit as we board. Its overhead (recall
my electrical post budget/list) is all of 0.1A, just like our anchor
light, so we usually leave it lit all night when we're at anchor. It
helps us find Flying Pig, but also provides some deck-level lighting
for those in close range and impaired, assisting in avoiding (yes, I
know they're making better idiots every day) us, helping identify that
there's a boat there, even if they fail to notice the anchor light.
Those same red lights below tend to make the windows (well, ports!)
show up a bit better in the dark, too, helping us and others identify
the presence of Flying Pig!

To assist our boarding we have a remote-control LED stern deck light
(11x9 array - extremely bright, used in billboard illumination in
remote areas where batteries and solar panels power the lighting -
overhead 0.6A) which we activate as we approach, bathing our platform
and stern in visibility. That same light, if spreader lights and
foredeck light were not enough to highlight our presence to large
traffic which somehow didn't see us, could be aimed forward to our
sails...

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to
make it come true. You may have to work for it however."
(and)
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its
hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts."
(Richard Bach, in The Reluctant Messiah)

"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
...
Anchorage identification and boarding techniques

It used to be that an LED anchor light would be scarce enough (and
much brighter among all the incandescents) that finding our boat would
be a piece of cake. That's no longer the case, at least in the
anchorages we were in this last 7 or so months - LEDs are now
predominant.


Most LEDs are generally not even legal for anchor light purposes. They tend
to be too directional in nature and are more like a mini-spotlight than the
required, two-mile minimum, 360 degree light. Nothing is more pathetic than
a half a million dollar yacht anchored using those pitifully weak, LED,
illegal, solar lawn lights but one sees them in use all the time. Sad!

For a good, bright, long-lasting anchor light one should go the compact
fluorescent route. Here is my suggestion:
http://www.servicelighting.com/catal...m?prod=TC10715

It will fit in a standard night light socket and it is such a powerful,
bright light with a very noticeable white (as opposed to the usual
yellow-looking feeble anchor light) Run it off your inverter hung from the
backstay about fifteen feet up. Don't use the photocell socket as compact
fluorescents are slowly damaged by the flicker effect that photocell sockets
cause when coming on and going off.

If this proves too bright for your purposes (It puts out close to what a 100
watt incandescent bulb produces) there are lower wattage examples available.
The four watt model is actually bright enough to be legal. But, if you want
to be able to pick your boat out even from five miles away the bulb linked
above is the way to go.

Wilbur Hubbard

wrote in message
...
On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:56:46 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:


"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
...
Anchorage identification and boarding techniques

It used to be that an LED anchor light would be scarce enough (and
much brighter among all the incandescents) that finding our boat would
be a piece of cake. That's no longer the case, at least in the
anchorages we were in this last 7 or so months - LEDs are now
predominant.


Most LEDs are generally not even legal for anchor light purposes. They
tend
to be too directional in nature and are more like a mini-spotlight than
the
required, two-mile minimum, 360 degree light.

What a dope! The LED mastlights are comprised of many leds mounted to
a cylinder inside a faceted lens. No problem whatsoever getting 360
degrees and two miles.



$300 and difficult to wire and mount. vs. $14.95 and an extension cord and
ten minutes to affix! Now, ask yourself who is the dope! And, in most yacht
anchorages small boat traffic is the only concern. Small boats don't
generally look way up in the sky for anchor lights. Anchor lights mounted at
the masthead are far less noticeable than one mounted ten or fifteen feet
high.

Now, run along little boy!


Wilbur Hubbard

Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
in most yacht
anchorages ....



a light is not required....


Cheers
Marty

On 2008-04-18 23:27:02 -0400, Marty said:

Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
in most yacht anchorages ....

a light is not required....

As long as you don't mind being bumped into and can pay the damage your
insurance company won't pay for.

There are very few anchorages where an anchor light is not required by regs.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:02:56 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:52:40 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

On 2008-04-18 23:27:02 -0400, Marty said:

Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
in most yacht anchorages ....

a light is not required....

As long as you don't mind being bumped into and can pay the damage your
insurance company won't pay for.

There are very few anchorages where an anchor light is not required by regs.

Really? Has anyone ever explained to you how to read a chart? All those
designated anchorages do NOT require an anchor light.

According to the regulations I read the following is in effect:

(a) These Rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in
all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessel

(b) Nothing in these Rules shall interfere with the operation of
special rules made by an appropriate authority for roadsteads,
harbours, rivers, lakes or inland waterways connected with the high
seas and navigable by seagoing vessels. Such special rules shall
conform as closely as possible to these Rules.

In other words the authorities controlling the waters can publish any
regulation they wish and you must comply with it.

and:

Responsibility
(a) Nothing in these Rules shall exonerate any vessel, or the owner,
master or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to comply
with these Rules or of the neglect of any precaution which may be
required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special
circumstances of the case.

If they say "get a lite" and you don't scamper right out and get one
then you are at fault.

Designated anchorages MAY require an anchor light.

It is not really an area to be discussed as I have seen a boat
anchored in a "designated anchorage" without an anchor light that was
"T-boned" by a speed boat and was found solely at fault in admiralty
court as local regulations stated an anchor light was required..

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct email address for reply)

wrote:

On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:52:40 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

On 2008-04-18 23:27:02 -0400, Marty said:

Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
in most yacht anchorages ....

a light is not required....

As long as you don't mind being bumped into and can pay the damage your
insurance company won't pay for.

There are very few anchorages where an anchor light is not required by regs.

Really? Has anyone ever explained to you how to read a chart? All those
designated anchorages do NOT require an anchor light.

There are not that many designated anchorages listed on the charts
where we sail. I know of one off Annapolis, and I thought the
anchorage at Mile Hammock Bay was one, but when I looked at the chart
it wasn't on there as a designated anchorage, even though that is all
that it is used for.

Only if it is a special anchorage area designated by the Secretary (of
Homeland Security) is an anchor light night NOT required. It may even
be defined and administered by a state or local government, that
anchorage does not automatically become one of these designated
Special Anchorage Areas

To find out where such anchorages exist, go to The Code of Federal
Regulations, Title 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters, Part 110,
Anchorage Regulations (CITE: 33CFR110.1) [available free at
www.access.gpo.gov and most public libraries]. Here in Subpart A,
Special Anchorage Areas, there are 96 listed locations with very
specific boundaries described. Some, like 110.30 Boston Harbor, Mass
and adjacent waters have multiple individual anchorage locations
specified and supplementary rules and regulations so there are a few
more individual sites than the 96 major listings. Even so, considering
all of the possible places to anchor in the U.S., there are not a lot
of these special anchorages as a percent of the total anchorages.

wrote:
On Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:52:40 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

On 2008-04-18 23:27:02 -0400, Marty said:

Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
in most yacht anchorages ....
a light is not required....
As long as you don't mind being bumped into and can pay the damage your
insurance company won't pay for.

There are very few anchorages where an anchor light is not required by regs.

Really? Has anyone ever explained to you how to read a chart? All those
designated anchorages do NOT require an anchor light.



Thanks, salty, at least there are a few around who know what the term
"designated anchorage" means. Of course given that there are so many
who don't, it is probably prudent to bathe your vessel under the light
of magnesium parachute flares every 10 minutes, lest the likes of Jere
slam into you at 3 in the morning returning from some God forsaken
watering hole.

Cheers
Marty