Source for a masthead navigation and anchor light

[Catigale]

Im looking for a one-shot light up top the mast that performs both navigational and anchor light functions ...so far have just found this at defender for $140....anyone know of something cheaper??

ANchor light

Also, whats up with the strobe functions on the mast light - is this recognised as an emergency signal by boaters? First I have heard of it..

[James V]

The strobe is just for emergency signal.

Sorry, I cannot help about the mast head light. When I was looking for them I looked at the LED type. A lot more expensive.

I have postponed this because of the little night time sailing that I was going to do and I wanted the anchor light closer to the deck.
(masthead lights are not to be used when motoring, bummer)

[Tahoe Jack]

Catigale.....take a look at my mod on this issue...it is under 'electrical' and is titled '26X Masthead...' My lamp was much less expensive than what you are looking at. The mod also includes VHF, combo electrical, and TV amplifier BTW. I am watching the LED stuff and may swap out the lamp sometime...but that is now a simple task. The diode stuff sounds technical, but it is pretty simple. I snagged that trick from a way older mod by others. Jack

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Im looking for a one-shot light up top the mast that performs both navigational and anchor light functions ...

This is another one of the personal preference issues.
When I had an anchor light on top of the mast I would forget to turn it off during the day, until it was time to turn it on the next night, and I would see it had been left on all day.
I bungy my main halyard off of the mast about 6' above the deck. I have an anchor light, made by Davis, that I hang over the bungy and plug into the deck where the masthead light plugs into.

[Chip Hindes]

Im looking for a one-shot light up top the mast that performs both navigational and anchor light functions ...so far have just found this at defender for $140....anyone know of something cheaper??

Why? Use the stock Mac system for navigation, and add a separate top of the mast all round for the anshor function. [www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|65 ... 9&id=89437] $40 for the series 40, less for the series 20. Sorry about the long url; I've never been successful using BBCodes with Defender urls.

[Frank C]

Sorry about the long url; I've never been successful using BBCodes with Defender urls.

Defender's website addresses use the " | " vertical bar, which Heath's software cannot process.
But one can go to TinyURL, enter Defender's address, and get this in return: http://tinyurl.com/2s9x9x


Curiously, Defender's images work cleanly ...

[bcassel1]

But it takes two bulbs, so three wires need to be run up the mast.

I did it and as long as I'm not worried about battery consumption, it works fine.

The light has one bulb facing forward and one covering aft. With just the aft on, you're set for after dark navigation, with just the forward one on with your navigation lights, your set for steaming, with both on with your navigation lights, your set for steaming if you cut your factory stern light off, with the navigation lights off, you've got your anchor light.

I use it quite regularly and it works great, when I anchor for a while I use a Davis Megalight for an anchor light hoisted up the back stay.

[Frank C]

bcassel1,

Welcome aboard again, Bob. Still with that well-modified Mac 26 classic?
IIRC, last time I saw you might have been a little cove at Lake Berryessa ... c.-July 2002?



Might be confusing you w/someone else, but didn't you or Admiral publish a "book" about Tahoe ramps & marinas?

[tangentair]

Actually you can use a two wire system and light both the Anchor and Running lights seperately using a diode or two and a double throw switch. It is simple when there is no common grounding. It becomes a little more complex when there are spar or other lights sharing a common ground. But if you have two wires running up to the top of the mast, you can bring those wires to the center of the switch, wire the two outer connections so that the polarity reverses when you switch one way or the other, and then it is a simple matter to add the diodes to the leads for the anchor light which will "steer" or "block" the current flow depending upon the polarity of the wires. The running lights will burn regardless of which way the switch is thrown, other than the center off position. It is really much simplier than I make it sound and if I knew how to post a drawing, it would be quite simple to see. You can do this with leds but since they are often polarity sensitive, it becomes a more complex circuit with more diodes.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I just finished my latest mast mods. I did as Chip says and used all the stock Mac lighting and then added more. I'm not sure how you can have a masthead light be the same function as an anchor light. Isn't the masthead light the same as the steaming light that is just supposed to be 10 feet above the deck?

Anyway, I replaced my masthead light with a combo light that has a foredeck spotlight on it too. But I used the old wiring for the masthead part of it and new wiring for the deck light (which is higher wattage).

I also added a spreader light (to illuminate the cockpit) as well as a 5 dollar anchor light that I mounted to a custom made mast cap (made out of white cutting board material for 3 dollars).

The tricky part was the wiring. These 3 new lights had to be fed so I got a 4 conductor 16ga marine wire and put it up the mast. First, I removed 2 of the conductors from the top 18 feet of the wire (that was the worst part of this whole job and I regret doing that) to reduce weight a loft a tad. The black ground wire is common for all three lights.

I put a new deck connector in (4 conductor) and wired it off of my second panel (heavier gauge wire that the original Mac panel). So, I have one switch at the panel which feeds 3 switches that I put in just in front of the compression post in the ceiling of the Mac. I wanted to have this double safety net so that the kids would have less chance of turning on the lights during the day, etc. I do the same for my pressurized water system.

Bottom line is that I have 3 separately controlled lights now. At first, I thought about rewiring the mast head light too, but that would have required 5 conductors which is just not easy to find or work with. Now I have 3 thru hull electrical connectors. The new one for 3 lights, the old one for the masthead light and the third one for the VHF cable which also goes to the top of the mast.

[tangentair]

Lights at night - all I can remember from the old days of standing watch is red over white, fishing at night, green over white and the rest escapes me. Since I am to young to post the link, you will have to google the US sailing course and find the page - cruising - communications that has the link to the Ohio DNR power point on lights. Or for the full inland regulations google gpo cfr title 33 part 84.03

In general sail boats the size of a Mac 26 -

When under power must show the red/green 120/120 forward running and a 360 total white light that can either be one 360 on the mast head, or a combination of 120 stern light and 240 forward light on the upper mast but the 360 total light should be a meter (40 inches) or more above the level of the red/green. 33 CFR 84.03 (d) and (g)

When under sail the 240 white forward mast upper or head is not lit. The red/green/white stern 120s can be either on the mast head or deck or above deck structure. You can also show a 360 red over 360 green in addition to the deck 120/120 red/green 120 white stern.

Now toss in the 360 white anchor light and the types of lighting combinations that you can have built into individual or combo lights are --- well there are many options and ways.

I wonder how the mac's stern light and mast combo qualify as a 360 white one meter above the red/green but it must have gotten by, as most mfgrs seem to do this.

So back to my original post if you want the anchor and 240 forward white when under power up top on the mast head, it can be done with 2 wires and a couple diodes and a double throw switch. As for the issue of the additional weight aloft of the light and possible vhf antenna and wind indicator putting 2 or 3 lbs on an arm of 30 feet this will require a countering weight of 6 to 9 lbs on the centerboard 10 foot or so below the mast base. Or some gear weighing 15 to 20 lbs lying in the cockpit 5 feet below the mast base. Or IMHO the weight aloft is no big deal if you’re not a racer. Dealing with it when trailering is an altogether different subject.