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Here's an almost-completed new bit of improvement that some others may find useful.

My mast had an aluminium 'mast cap' as it were, welded to the top of the mast, with broken welds, and really serving no purpose. It was drilled and there were a few tapped holes also, so I'm guessing there were things bolted to it at one point. I wanted a real anchor light, and the method I used to mount the Windex was pretty bad (long screws through the backstay chicken head with giant washers), and I needed something useful to do over the winter, so I made a better (IMO) mast cap.

I had some scrap 1/2" Starboard (sheet HDPE) left over from my engine control project, so I traced the outline of the mast, added an extension over part of the chicken head, and cut a cap from the Starboard. I also made a slug for the inside of the mast, which took a number of trips to the disc sander to fine tune to fit, as I wasn't going to pull back the tarp in the winter, at the off-site storage location, just for that. Lastly, I turned a donut to lock the tube to the cap, with a cross pin in a notch to lock it both vertically and against rotation, and screwed the whole mess together with SS screws from my collection.

The light is one of those Perko plug-in pole style 2-mile all-round white lights, which is what my flag staff is (previous owner). I didn't need the light on the top of it, at least not the one that's not higher than the bimini (I have a longer one that gets over top, for when it's in trawler mode with no mast), so I stole that light, and put it on top of a short piece of tube that used to be a kinked spreader. Nothing like retasking scrap, I say.

The longer pole light came with a second lens that's clear on the bottom, which I specifically wanted so that it's visible even close up. The 2-mile rating is maintained, and anyone some distance away sees the side, but approaching an anchorage they'd be looking up somewhat, and many all-round white lights have a narrow vertical azimuth. So this otherwise unused lens was just what I wanted. The socket also has a 5 degree tilt built into it, so I oriented it to counter the 4 degree tilt of the mast. I don't think anyone will notice the 1 degree error, though it's probably more since I don't rake the mast quite that far back.

I changed the bulb out for a Doctor LED replacment (supposedly USCG or Perko approved replacment for the OEM incandescent bulb), to keep battery draw as low as possible.








continued . . .

I shortened the tube so the mast light is just lower than the Windex. If a hulking tanker is coming close to where I'm anchored, and the Windex blocks the light, well I guess I'm toast, but there's nothing I can do about that anyway. Shouldn't have anchored in a shipping lane.



I drilled two holes in the front of the mast for small SS sheetmetal screws which engage the slug inside the mast, and drilled out the hole for the Windex mount that's closest to the mast for a #10 x 3" long SS machine screw. The other Windex mount screw is like the ones into the slug. The long machine screw passes through a pair of opposed spacers, which are also made from the same Starboard, with chamfers on each side to key into the slot in the chicken head, and to provide a place to lock nut it on the bottom. Only light torque is needed, as this thing has no load on it to speak of.





continued . . .

I still have to wire it into the masthead (steaming) light, with diodes and a polarity reversing switch and a new plug (original plug has half-broken prongs), so if anyone wants to see the spacers or the cross pin details (holding the tube in place) or even dimensioned drawings, just ask.

But it's pretty simple and easy to make, and is a whole lot cleaner than the carp that was up there before. And my so-so Windex installation, for that matter.

Edit: Just found this pic, which shows the cross pin holding the tube in place.



The flat spots on the sides of the slug is because the mast wall is thicker on the sides than on the front, presumably to increase bending strength and stiffness side-to-side, so the slug has to fit what amounts to flat spots on the mast interior.

That looks real good Tom, so is an anchor light always on top or always ABOVE the steamer light? (I don't know the rule on that)

What we have on the boat's stock is really a steamer light, right? (I dunno) but that's a light for sailing at night? ( ) and then the ANCHOR light - is something else, right? Or can you use a steamer light AS an anchor light??

edumacate me please

The official term for the white light on the front of the mast, used only when under motor power (whether or not the sails are up) is "Masthead Light", but it's more commonly called a 'steaming light' in casual conversation. I always write it as "Masthead (steaming) Light", to cover the official and the common-usage terms. To confuse things, some folks refer to the all-round white light on top, used as an anchor light if it's there, as a masthead light, but that's not correct - the term has an official use, and that ain't it. Being on top of the mast doesn't make it a masthead light - it's a term referring to function rather than location, at least these days, and in official rules and regs. Historically, the 'masthead' isn't at the top of the mast anyway.**

The Masthead (steaming) Light is always white, 2-mile (or more, for longer vessels) intensity within a certain vertical azimuth, faces forward, and sweeps an arc from dead-ahead to 22-1/2 degrees abaft the beam on either side. Same arc of coverage (horizontal azimuth) as the Sidelights*. The Masthead (steaming) Light must be one meter or more higher than the sidelights for a small boat like ours, but can be higher. My keel boat had the Masthead (steaming) Light at the top of the mast (see below).

The Masthead (steaming) Light is used only when under power, even if the sails are up (you're a power boat when motor sailing), but if under sail power alone (engine off), you turn it off. That's why it has its own switch, unlike power boats, which are always power boats, and always burn all nav lights when under way. On a sailboat, you only burn the side lights and stern light when sailing without the engine running.

An anchor light is merely an "All-round" (official term) white light. It should have an unbroken arc of 360 degrees, but it can be broken by up to 6 degrees (that's in the COLREGS), which allows for an anchor light hanging in the foretriangle but obstructed by the mast, for instance. There's also other language giving relief on anchor light location based on the practicality of various locations.

The Anchor Light actually can be two lights within a certain distance of each other (there are specs in the COLREGS) such that from a distance they appear as a single light. My last boat actually had only a 2-element white light on top of the mast - Masthead (steaming) Light using the front bulb, and Anchor using both. The stern light was on the hull. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/perko--f ... cordNum=35 I see these a lot on the Erie Canal rental barges/boats, which are long and low, as they have to put the Masthead (steaming) Light up higher than the Sidelights anyway, so the second element just makes it an anchor light.

*Proper classification for the bi-color bow light is "Sidelight(s)". Small boats are excepted from having separate Sidelights (though they can), and they can be combined into a single bi-color light on the bow, on the centerline. But for anything longer than 12 meters (I think) has to have separate Sidelights, and there are even rules about 'screens' to prevent bleed-over beyond dead-ahead, so you don't see both red and green anywhere but directly dead-ahead.

There are even COLREGS specs about the vertical azimuth for Sidelights and Stern Lights, which are different between power boats and sailboats (sailboat lights cover a greater angle, since they heel while under way), and how fast the intensity drops off with heel angle.

And that doesn't get into single tri-color lights for sailboats under sail, or the additional red-over-green lights at the top of the mast of ocean sailors ("Red over green: sailing machine!), which are in addition to the standard Sidelight and Stern Light requirements, as another vessel wouldn't know from the two lights at the top of the mast what your orientation is unless you also burn the Sidelights and stern Light (which the other vessel will see once closer, especially in a seaway, so the two at the top are an early warning system that you're a sailboat).

Had enough? Or should I keep going?

It's complicated.

Edit: I should clarify that you don't burn the navigation lights and the anchor light at the same time. Nav lights are as much for showing orientation as for visibility, so other vessels know what action they should take (stand-on vs give-way vessel), and burning nav lights when anchored could confuse someone, especially if they're the stand-on vessel and are expecting you to give-way, when in reality, you're anchored and three sheets to the wind and just watching as they almost run you down because you didn't 'give way'. Or something like that. If all they see is a single white light (and no red or green sidelight), it's because you're either moving away, or anchored, and in either case, the other boat is the burdened vessel (I think).

** Wikipedia wrote:Masthead
A small platform partway up the mast, just above the height of the mast's main yard. A lookout is stationed here, and men who are working on the main yard will embark from here. See also crow's nest.

Crow's nest
Specifically a masthead constructed with sides and sometimes a roof to shelter the lookouts from the weather, generally by whaling vessels, this has become a generic term for what is properly called masthead. See masthead.

That's almost certainly where the term "masthead light" came from - a fuel lantern hung from an accessible location on the mast, the crow's nest or 'masthead', which eventually became what it is today - an electric light partway up the mast to indicate a vessel under power (in concert with red/green sidelights). Big boats (over 50 meters) use two of them, with the second one behind the first, and higher.

What Tom said is what I understand.

Here's a pretty picture, if you're so inclined:
https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/ ... ight-Rules

I don't see the "sailing machine" with the "red over green" ? thingy in the picture? How does that work?

All-round red over all-round green, with 1 meter minimum vertical spacing. MUST be used concurrent with Sidelights and Stern Light, or another vessel won't know which way you're pointed or what you're doing, and therefore they won't know what they're supposed to be doing.

Also, that's NOT the same thing as the tricolor at the top of the mast, which can only be displayed by itself (they are the Sidelights and Stern Light), and only under sail (no Masthead (steaming) Light, because the boat is not under engine power, and the Masthead Light has to be at least a meter above the Sidelights).

Red-over-green is just an early warning system for other vessels, generally in big water. They're so high up, a boat or ship is likely to see them much earlier than 'normal' navigation lights, especially when the hull keeps dropping below swells.

I should add that only a few such units are made, and they're expensive, and generally intended for big sailboats. A cheaper alternative for big water sailing would be the tri-color. And it saves energy because it's the only light burning. And you can put an all-round white on top for an anchor light.

Now, whether you should be taking a small trailer boat out into big water is another story, currently being thrashed about thoroughly in another thread.

Geeze Tom, how did we ever survive the 70's? I don't think my dad even ran the running lights much when we were sailing at night. (Was no on out there back in those days anyways) but mostly he did not want to run the battery down. We even put a lee cloth on one of the inside bunks so I could sleep without falling out of the bunk (my dad put it up - he called it a "Lee Cloth" and at night on the ocean he would make me sleep below deck when he was on watch. Dad's berth was up front with mom so I guess they did not roll out of bed? But I don't remember any lights at night unless we were close to shore!

I guess we were wrong to be that way.

I think I will get a "green Machine" sailing light for 'boat' - that looks cool.

As for sailing small boats in "big water" I'm not sure what that means - small boats sail out here in the ocean all the time - the water is 'big' I guess but it's not reel ruff. In fact, the smoothest ocean surface out here is always at night - it's very fun to sail at night here as long as you out in the ocean away from all the other boats.

I think I will go night sailing next month and take some pictures for your guys - I think you might like the pictures - it's real fun to do over here and the water makes lights in the splash behind the boat - it's real cool.

I fabricated a similar mast cap some years ago. I made the top "fry pan" shaped platform from two identical pieces of 1/2" black starboard. I routed out a trough on each piece to provide a raceway I could use to run wires through. Then fastened the two 1/2" plates together to form a 1" thick "fry pan". For the part that fits into the mast cross section I used a premade cap that I purchased from Dowsar which I bolted to the starboard. I used a similar anchor light. I mounted my VHF antenna to the assembly as well, and included the light base for the windex so I could see it at night. No bend in my windex mount. Its been working splendidly for many years.

That mast cap/anchor light/Windex doohickey is sweet, Tom. How do I order one for my boat?

I tried to read all the above responses and maybe missed it but you can run under power with your anchor light (all around) and the bow running lights. If you do this there should be no stern light showing. You can see that configuration at the bottom right above.

I have both boats wired so I can run under power either that way or with the stern, masthead and bow lights on.

Nice job on the mast cap, anchor light windex,

Sumner

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1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

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Sumner wrote:

I tried to read all the above responses and maybe missed it but you can run under power with your anchor light (all around) and the bow running lights. If you do this there should be no stern light showing. You can see that configuration at the bottom right above.

I have my Stern Light on its own switch for a similar reason - when motoring with no mast, like in the Erie Canal, I use the long pole light with 2-mile all-round white like the small powerboat in the graphic above, in conjunction with the bi-color Sidelight unit. The pole light is off-center, and plugs into the same socket as the flagstaff (which originally was a light, but now just has a knob on it), but that's allowed on small boats.

That wasn't mentioned in all that above, by the way. And thanks.

Nice work, Tom! By the way, my mast doesn't have a cap and there are no traces that suggest that it ever did. Was it introduced from a specific model year?