It's mis-marked. They're often marked 'steaming' or 'steaming light', though technically it's called a 'masthead light', in the COLREGS, and in authoritative books and references (like Chapman).March wrote:I thought that the light half-way up the mast was actually the anchor light. At least that;'s how it's wired on my 26X.
As already stated, it's technically a masthead* light, and used when under power after sunset, along with the navigation lights (bicolor combo light on the bow for our small boats, plus white stern light). Even if the sails are up, if the engine is propelling the boat at all, it's technically a power boat, bound by the rules of power boats, and must display the masthead light. That's why it's there - to identify it as a power boat by displaying red or green plus white from the front, rather than a sailboat with just red or green from the front (depending on which side, of course), for purposes of the 'rules of the road'.March wrote:So what's the deal with the "steaming light"?
You're not getting 360 degree 2-mile (minimum) white light coverage, which is what you need for an anchor light. But an anchor light is cheap to buy, even in LED versions, and the WM unit is the cheapest I've seen, though there are many others out there. Here's the shortest version, and it's also available on a longer 7" stem, and also in fold-down versions. http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-mari ... --15761513 Notice that it's not identified specifically as an 'anchor light', because that's a functional description, but there are other uses for an 'all-round white light' in the COLREGS, like a combo masthead and stern light on small power boats (under 12m), which is how most small power boats are equipped.March wrote:That's the light I keep on during the night--and the engine is certainly not on at that time
There are even combination masthead-stern lights, usually used as 'steaming' and 'anchor' lights. The front light covers the 225 deg. arc required of the masthead light, and switching on the rear 135 deg. arc , for both together, the unit functions as an anchor light. My last boat was equipped this way, and I see them on virtually all of the canal boats (for rent - very common here on the Erie Canal) on a stub mast. But for LED versions, they're a bit pricey, and even retrofitting an existing means two LED replacement bulbs. Cheaper to add a single LED all-round white to the top of the mast, IMO.
Another option is to hang an all-round white light from the rigging and just plug it in. The COLREGS allow up to 6 degree arc to be blocked, but a mast would only cover a very small sector if the light is any distance away, like off the backstay and above the boom with furled mainsail. The less you block, the better, IMO.
*The origin of the term 'masthead light' is interesting. In the old days of wooden ships, the 'masthead' referred to the location of the main spar and/or the 'crows nest' at that location, where access to that spar was gained. The 'masthead light' is mounted, on a sailboat at least, 1/3 to 2/3 of the way up the mast, on the front (of course). These days, it refers to the top of the mast, as in 'masthead rig' where the forestay and shrouds originate at the top of the mast. But the COLREGS use the term 'masthead' when referring to the forward facing white light used while under power, and in fact, larger vessels use two of them, with the rearmost being higher. Arcane and pedantic, for sure, but then codes and standards tend to be that way.
