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Bit of a trend out there with blue anchor lights.  Not a legal colour I would have thought, but it must be exciting for some.  Am I just a crusty old grump or is this really taking the p*ss?

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It is stupid. And should a Boat run into another that is showing a blue light, I doubt the insurance company is going to want to know them.
Ass onto that, the silly idea of the Solar garden light whuch many seem to be using now. Dangerous and illegal. You MUST have the correct colour and you MUST have a light that has a distance rating, or you are breaking the law and are likely uninsured.

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I use a deck level solar light but it’s a powerful one that lights up the deck and looks brighter than many that are wired in. I understand that the cheap dull ones are inadequate but it seems that a nice bright solar light is a good way to go?

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There is no solar light that meets the colregs that I know of.

What wheels said. Use proper, approved lights, or you'll likely have no insurance.

Also, I really disagree about Masthead lights being an issue. If you are 1 boat length away from a vessel with a Masthead light, and looking at sea level, you can see the Masthead light without looking up.

If your closer than that, your simply not looking!

There are a LOT of boats out there using crap (or no - idiots) anchor light. Stupid.

A regulation anchor light must be the correct colour, and be visible for 2nm.

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The problem with masthead lights is just that ,a masthead used when motoring faces forward,where as anchor light is a all round white light,  Mine did not have a all round white light,so i hung a all round led white light under the spreader away from the mast and yes very visible even when after some lemonades.

 

No doubt will have the same problem going to Mahuranga at Anniversary weekend,Too many mastheads making it difficult to find the mark boat.

Masthead lights shine forward in a 255 degree arc and must be at least 1 metre above the s

Every boat at anchor must show only a white lig

On boats up to 12 metres in length, white lights must have a range of 2 miles and sidelights a range of 1 mile.

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HT, I think we are all meaning the all round white Anchor light at the mast head. Not the steaming light.

The Anchor light is not just about distance, but colour temperature as well. It is a specific white. It was why it took so long to get an LED to use. They originally did not have the right colour white. And if the LED was placed behind a red or or green filter, it did not give the correct red/green colour either. These colours are essential to other boats seeing you and navigating around you.
The Garden light is more blue than white. In fact they are so close to star light, they can simply look like another star. Mounted on a deck, it may light up that area for you, but they do not project that out into the distance at all well and to someone coming in to an anchorage, they can completely fool you and you cannot work out what you are looking at and/or how far away it is. If you don't believe me, then next time you are out, up anchor in the middle of a very dark night, motor out a couple of mile and then try and get back in and observe how it all looks. You might get a surprise. And as for those blue lights, they are a menace and should be banned.

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Agreed again wheels, HT a steaming light is most definitely NOT an anchor light. It's not rocket science, and good modern led nav lights are extremely reliable. Set your boat up correctly, once, and then a simple check each pre season to ensure they all work should be all you need.

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Several of the new LEDs have clear lenses, and the colour of the LEDs themselves changes, so there is no visible top light, it's just all three sections of the tricolour change to white for anchor light.

I'd also like to point out that a tricolour is normally the last light to add - you must have deck level lights and a steaming light to comply when motoring 1st. Iirc the steaming light must be a minimum of 1m above the sidelights.

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Yep, you can do that - the anchor light gives both stern and steaming, still need deck level port and Stb.

The reg says steaming light to get a minimum of one meter above sidelights, no Max, so Masthead OK.

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Sure you need to comply but a totally dark boat with a complying white light 60 or more feet above it and nothing but darkness below is not the best protection against collisions even if you are totally in the right. And even a dim solar light will improve that situation. They also work on moorings where no light is required but you may find your boat being hit by others at times By the way is durville rock still unlit that deserves a light of some sort.

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That's a good thought xtl, my boat is black, the only white parts being ama decks. Maybe a solar garden light on the cabin top could be useful on the mooring. I'm not exactly in a high traffic area though.

 

This thread has made me realise that I need an anchor light by next weekend. Battery powered LED cost around $30, and as that is the extent of my electrical system, I'd best get shares in Energizer batteries

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I was led to beleive that you didn't require the deck lights if you were under 12m. The tricolour with anchor light was accptable for Cat 3. The 1m requirement was waived if under 12m.

That's interesting chariot, but it does not comply with the international colregs. Frankly I'm surprised that ynz are accepting it. It could give your insurance company an out, if you had an accident while motoring.

Remember that you are a motor vessel when motoring, so you must show correct lights for that.

Correct lights shown here:

Navigation-lights-1.jpg

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