Chrysler Sailors Forum

I'm in the process of rewiring my boat. My Chrysler 22 has a stern light, a steaming light, and the red green bow light. I realize under the official rules a sailboat under 23 feet is only required to carry a flashlight but I'm going to be going out to Catalina island quite frequently and want to be seen. My question is about an Anchor light. It doesn't seem to have one. Is it it acceptable to turn on the steaming light and the stern light at once in lieu of an all around white light?

Hey Jeremiah
This may shed some light on the issue... (ha)!

http://stingysailor.com/2014/08/31/anch ... -solution/

http://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/N ... ight-Rules

{edited from OP}

(Sorry- read your post too quickly before I replied...)

I know this doesn't answer the question, but I would think having the steaming light on at anchor may cause confusion to other boaters..? I meant to offer a budget solution with the link. Sorry for the dumb reply. I promise to be fully awake from my nap next time I hit the "Submit" button!!

Cheers!
Matt

If you turn on the steaming light at night you are telling other boaters you are under engine power and thus surrender all rights of way a sailboat has over a power boat.

You must then give right of way as if you are a power boat even if you are under sail.

If you are motoring then you are required to run the steaming light.

Scott

My question is what do others do for an anchor light? Do any of you have one?

I added one to the top of EE's masthead. I wonder (assuming the 'can be seen' distance is met) if you couldn't just hoist a battery powered all round light up on the rare occasions you were anchoring out..

choyado wrote:My question is what do others do for an anchor light? Do any of you have one?

Oops, sorry i too should read more thoroughly lol!

We use an anchor light. All around 360 degree on top of the mast.

Anchorages get busy around here so we also have cool blue lighting in the cockpit and solar lights hanging off the back!

West Marine offers a very nice temporary anchor light with a cigarette plug on a 25' wire that can be used. Be aware the mast will block a portion of that type of light so hanging it as far back as possible is better than close to the mast.

Scott

I have not wired my C-26 lights yet, so this is of interest to me. On my previous 22' sailboat, I had a mast top all around light. I used this as an anchor light. When I was under power at night, I switched off my stern light, and used the bow red-green, and the masthead all around light. Is this a legal solution? To me it was easier to put the stern light on a different switch, than to put a separate steaming light on the mast.
On another note, I recommend using some sort of extra lighting such as the solar led lights people use in addition to an anchor light. I find an anchor light way up on top of the mast can be disorienting on a dark night. It can be very hard to tell distances, or even what you are seeing. When we anchored out a few times this past summer, in addition to the mast head anchor light, I tied an led headlamp to the forestay shining down on the deck. It lit up the boat nicely, and ran for two nights on one change of batteries. I may look to wire something more permanent on my C-26. Something like a low wattage deck light wired part way up the mast that I could leave on all night for peace of mind. If anyone has done anything like this I would be glad to hear your experience.

Sorry Ken, not legal. Steamer has to be 225 degrees.

Not trying to argue, just trying to understand. Isn't a sailboat under power just like a powerboat? I know they have red green bow lights, and a 360 white light on a pole.

sail under power is the same as power boats over 40', but different than power boat under 40' Here's some good info.
http://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/N ... ight-Rules

From the link provided, #5 says:
"Sailboats under power are considered powerboats."

and #7 says "... Power vessels less than 12m may show a single all-round light in lieu of the separate masthead and stern lights."

So if my sailboat is less than 12m is a single all around light ok?
Or is there another aspect I am missing?

it does say that. But if you look at the pictures it shows a "non-360". If you go to the Coast Guard website you should find a place you can send questions. I've done it. You'll get specific answers to specific questions.

Ok. Thanks for the guidance. Maybe I will mount one of those combination steaming / deck lights if I can find a reasonable LED version.