Mast Light

[Diverted Income]

On this very, very cold night I am wondering what others are using for a mast light? Right now I have a light that is mounted on the fly bridge air deflector. You must flip it up to make it usable at all. I don't care for the crappy installation and think it should be outside the bridge enclosure anyway! Looking for a more permanent solution. Stay warm everyone!

[Commissionpoint]

I'm using the factory set-up. It works well enough that I'm not gonna mess with it.

I'm sure someone here has a pic of one if you are unsure what they look like.

[prowlersfish]

The Trojan mast set up is fine . Unless you decided to use your boat after dark . Why they would put a lamp in the line of site of the operator I don't know . This was the first thing I fixed on my F36 and one the first issues on my F30 . The fix was easy on my F36 I put it on the had top . I did The same on the F30 after the top was installed .

I would remount it up above the top if you can

[Away On Busine$$]

Only had my F32 for two years, have never gone out a night, this is our first boat, but I do understand your point, this thing meets the required specs but would also prevent visual awareness of surroundings. Think I'll change mine.

[comodave]

My last boat had a similar setup on the flybridge brow for the steaming light. Besides being in my line of sight all during the day, it made running at night very unsafe. The light would blind me from the loom of the light coming around the side of the fixture so I fashioned a temporary shield to help protect my night vision. I bought that boat north of Seattle and ran it down to LA that summer. With 140 hours run time, we were underway many nights. After I made the temporary shield, it was better, but there were still night vision problems due to the steaming light shining on the bow deck. The bow deck being white would reflect light up into my eyes effectively cutting my night vision way down. At times it was almost impossible to see beyond the bow of the boat. The F32 has basically the same setup that I had on my 46' MY. I have removed the running light on the front of the bridge brow and put an LED one on the radar arch that I installed. That way the bridge canvas will block the white light from getting onto the bow and will make my night vision much better. It is amazing how dark it is about 30 miles offshore where there are no lights from the shore to interfere with night vision. That is when I really noticed how much the steaming light was impacting my vision. In the harbors with all the background lighting it did not seem too bad, but it was. I never could understand why Trojan put the steaming light where they did. Even when you anchor depending on the canvas you have on the bridge, the anchor light may end up being illegal due to the canvas blocking the 360 degree visibility of the anchor light.

[LandVF36]

Just replaced ours last year with and LED Attwood mast/anchor light. We anchor out many nights and I like the low current draw and much brighter light of the LED.

[Big D]

There are several configurations for running/steaming light and anchor light. Some are all in one, some are separate. If all in one, the light has to be the highest point on the vessel so it can be seen all around by approaching vessels and not blocked by canvas, bridge, etc. For running/steaming only, a light mounted on the brow is legal as long as you have a stern light mount somewhere facing aft, all unobstructed. There are vessel size considerations also.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... ight-Rules

[comodave]

Big D is correct, but to expand on the configuration for steaming and anchor lights. When anchored, the 360 degree light must come from one fixture, not the steaming light and the transom light to make up the 360 degrees. That is where Trojan made a potential mistake if you have bridge canvas, etc. That is one of the reasons that I moved the light to the radar arch. It has full 360 degrees visibility and the light can not fall onto the forward deck ruining night vision, to say nothing about having to look around the light fixture in front of the helm.

[Big D]

...When anchored, the 360 degree light must come from one fixture.....

+1

[mikeandanne]

I have a question----- what are the thoughts on using those solar powered lights attached to each side of the bridge or on a pole on one side to use as an anchor light only---- think they would be legal for that use----- Mike

[Big D]

....solar powered lights...to use as an anchor light only---- think they would be legal for that use----- Mike

Visible for at least 2 nautical miles?

[Diverted Income]

Thinking now my solution may be a mast light tall enough to from the rear bridge railing to just above the canvas. I have cutouts in the rear section for rod holders. I could remove one and mount the light back a couple inches so it doesn't rub the enclosure at all, then go up.

[Big D]

I take it you do not get lifted in your slip for winter? If you get hauled and shrunk wrapped, you may want to consider a hinged unit or a removable one.

[gettaway]

here are a couple of photos from our F-32, when I brought the boat down from LA it had the original white navigation light on the mast in front of the bridge cowling, positioned perfectly to cut off all sight at night when lit. I ran about 4 hours in the dark on the the trip so I rigged up a temporary light that plugged into the lighter adapter and zip tied the light to the radar arch.
I later cut the mast light down to about 2" tall I then installed a (Taco) 60 degree 3/4" round rail fitting upside down on the 2" stub and then mounted a Perko traditional 180 degree round base white navigation light to the upside down rail base. I had to slightly re drill a couple of mounting holes to get it to fit. I was able to reuse the original wiring for the Navigation light.
this put the light about 4 feet below line of site while steering the boat and there was no white light glare from the helm. In the bottom picture, its blury but you can see all of the navigation lights (not the Christmas lights) are on,

I also installed a Perko all around light on the radar arch which I could have used if I would have been required to be lit during anchoring, however, the only places you can legally anchor in So-Cal are designated anchorages and don't require that you have an anchor light on.

I have made a few edits as my memory came back!

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN ON THE TRIP FROM LA TO SAN DIEGO RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT THE BOAT, YOU CAN SEE THE NAV LIGHT


THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME VIEW OFF THE BOW



HERE YOU CAN SEE THE REPOSITIONED NAV LIGHT AND MAST LIGHT ON THE RADAR ARCH, AND SOME CHRISTMAS LIGHT



light


rail fitting

[mikeandanne]

....solar powered lights...to use as an anchor light only---- think they would be legal for that use----- Mike

Visible for at least 2 nautical miles?

Guess not --- I have seen quite a few boats with that type of thing that is why I asked---- even some of the led replacements do not fit that criteria---- would have to be USCG approved I think

Scott I like that setup--- I wonder if it is ok to have the top light on a pole at the side of the bridge above the enclosure as we don't have an arch---- Mike