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David R's avatar

I don't anchor the small boat(s) overnight but we do swing on our keelboat's ground tackle. That boat came with a non-working masthead anchor light and I havent climbed or paid for a rigger to go up the 45' stick to replace the bulb or fixture. Instead, we use a Davis Mega-Light Utility Light (LED). Although not USCG Approved specifically as an anchor light, it does meet the visibility requirement as an all-around white light visible for up to 2 miles (farther if using the supplied incandescent bulb). It plugs into the 12v ACC/lighter socket via an extension cable. I hoist it on the main halyard with a carabiner securing it to a two-line bridle clove hitched to port & stbd lifelines. It lights the foredeck, has a dusk/dawn sensor, and burns less than an amp overnight. It takes only a couple of minutes to rig it up (vs simply flipping the anchor light switch on the panel). I completely agree with the idea to illuminate the deck and cabintop (which puts it closer to the line of sight of the drunk nighttime powerboater), and the potential issue of an operator mis-identifying a masthead light as a star or planet. It also helps identify our boat in a crowded anchorage.

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George Hume's avatar

We used a hurricane lantern as an anchor light. No backstay, so hung from the boom on our Paceship 20.

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