Jeff Nash
New Buffalo, Michigan
Boat Name: Decien
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1981
Hull No. MC 0888 TC
Hailing Port: St. Joseph Michigan |
 12/05/2007 12:40 PM Pacific Time
I have an 81 C22 and the mast did not come with an anchor light on top, or a mast head light for steaming under power at night. Do I need to install a seperate steaming light on the front of the middle face of the mast or does an anchor light up top double as a steaming light when your under power? |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
12/05/2007 1:49 PM Pacific Time
It is a good idea to install a light in the middle of the mast.......
it will also light up the jib while sailing.......
good to see the tell tales...............you can use (I understand) this light and the stern light as a 360 white....(check on this)
'
.Tom
#13576
sans souci
(without suzy in fractured French) |
Erv Zimmerman
Anchor Bay Shores, Michigan
Boat Name: Adventuring
Model/Year: 1973
Hull No. 1787
Hailing Port: Anchor Bay, Lake St. Clair |
12/06/2007 12:26 AM Pacific Time
I don't believe there is anything that says the steaming light must be mounted in the center of the mast. You can mount a combination light at the masthead. With just the forward section on, it serves as a steaming light and with both sections on, it serves as an anchor light.
I use a double-pole-double-throw (DPST) toggle switch to control it. Forward is for "steaming" and aft is for "anchor".
Check with the regulating authority that governs the area you sail in to be sure this is correct. |
Jeff Nash
New Buffalo, Michigan
Boat Name: Decien
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1981
Hull No. MC 0888 TC
Hailing Port: St. Joseph Michigan |
12/06/2007 6:01 AM Pacific Time
I was wondering about that Erv, I cant for the life of me find anywhere on the face of the mast where a light may have been hooked up and there is only one wire (black and white) running out from the inside of the bottom of the mast which is what I figured was for the anchor light. |
David Torrisi
Santa Clara, CA
Boat Name: Dumbo
Model/Year: 1975 C-22
Hull No. 4330
Hailing Port: Santa Clara |
12/06/2007 6:51 AM Pacific Time
There's a pretty concise explanation of the lighting requirements here:
http://www.boatus.com/boattech/runlights.htm
You can also search the web under 'COLREGS navigation' and get all kinds of good info.
One reason that all of the boats don't have steaming lights might be that the motor was an option at the time of purchase. My mast had one about a meter below the masthead.
Fair winds,
David |
Stan Hullett
Littleton CO
Boat Name: Hanky Panky
Model/Year: 1979 C-25
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Chatfield State Park |
12/07/2007 8:44 AM Pacific Time
At one time Catalina Direct offered a kit of replacement mast wiring with 3 conductors and a ground. They also had the instuctions for installing a PVC conduit inside the mast, to keep the wires out of the halyards. I would reccomend the mid mast steaming - deck light combo, very handy if you come in, or anchor after dark. |
Bob Conway
Huber Heights, Ohio
Boat Name: Spindrift
Model/Year: C22/1979
Hull No. #8717
Hailing Port: Buck Creek, Ohio |
12/07/2007 9:59 AM Pacific Time
You know, I don't believe a fixed steaming light is a requirement for our size boats. If you need it regularly, it's a good idea. If you only need it once in a blue moon, get a good light that you can keep in the boat for other uses, then tie or bungie it to the mast when needed.
Bob |
Jeff Nash
New Buffalo, Michigan
Boat Name: Decien
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1981
Hull No. MC 0888 TC
Hailing Port: St. Joseph Michigan |
12/07/2007 2:13 PM Pacific Time
To me the regs read that a sailboat of 22 feet must have a white light facing forward when under power and can be a 360 all round one. But if I use that as a mast light and a stern light I cant have the 360 light when Im under sail at night but still need a stern light. So I could use a 360 anchor light as my masthead light at night, yes? |
Howard Friedman
Pisgah Forest, NC
Boat Name: Forspacious Seas
Model/Year: Wing - 1989
Hull No. 14907
Hailing Port: Lake Keowee-Seneca, SC |
12/07/2007 2:32 PM Pacific Time
I'm not sure about an '81 but the next time you lower your mast, look inside and see if you have a plastic conduit running up the length of the mast. This was included with the masts that came with internal halyards. If not there, a PVC pipe can be blind riveted in place. If you have external halyards, you dont' need the pipe. Foam spacers were used with the older mast systems to keep the wire from rattling around. I redid my mast lighting and it wasn't a big deal. You can buy an anchor light with stand-off post for around $30 from CD. The lamp itself is common in West Marine. A steaming/deck light combination is about $50. The deck lights come in handy at night. Drill a hole in the front of the mast at a midway height and fit a rubber grommet to prevent chafe. You will have to drill a hole at the top of the mast for the anchor light wire. Mine came with a hole drilled thru the mast head but you could come out the top side of the mast if you want to. Use a grommet also. You should remove the mast head to make it easy to pull the wire. The post mounts to the top of the mast to keep the light away from the running rigging. Buy a 4-wire cable using marine wire, especially if you are in salt water. 3 leads go to individual switches and 1 lead goes to a common ground.They are connected through a quick-disconnect plug mounted on the deck in front of the mast plate. This makes it easy to lower the mast. CD sells these 4-wire plugs but I also found one in West Marine. On the other end, connect 1 lead to each light and the common ground to each light. Borrow or buy an electricians snake to pull the wire thru. Cheap ones are under $10. If you want, this is a good time to run an antenna cable for a VHF radio, mounting the antenna to the top end of the mast. I also was able to fit a wind vane from CD using the offset mount that comes with it. The only problem I've found with these light is that the bulb is held in by spring tension and can loosen up, a real pain in the anchor light as you have to lower the mast. You can reach the other ones. Bend the prongs holding the bulb to make a really tight fit before closing the light up. |
Bob Keim
Nashville
Boat Name: Pursuit
Model/Year: C22/1976
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Nashville |
12/07/2007 11:38 PM Pacific Time
I'd just like to point out that lights are hard enough to interpret when they are in standard positions and in standard layouts. I strongly advise everyone to keep their lights as standard as much as you wish them to be understood by someone who has had a drink or two and is going faster than 6 mph. Every little deviation will require that drunk a few more seconds, or minutes to understand. In the meantime he could be bearing down on you in excess of 40 mph, as was the power boater who killed the woman on Clear Lake, CA this summer. |
Wayne Jones
McLeansville, NC
Boat Name: Lazy Days
Model/Year: C22, 1987
Hull No. CTYH4170D787
Hailing Port: Greensboro, NC |
12/08/2007 7:10 AM Pacific Time
I replaced the factory anchor light on my '87 last summer with an LED version, and am very pleased with the results. Seems to be brighter, and uses less power, which everyone is concerned with. Here's a link to the one I used:
http://www.stecktronics.com/anchor20.html |
Jeff Nash
New Buffalo, Michigan
Boat Name: Decien
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1981
Hull No. MC 0888 TC
Hailing Port: St. Joseph Michigan |
12/10/2007 10:51 AM Pacific Time
Thanks for all the tips and info everyone. I guess what I'm trying to get to the bottom of is: Can my anchor light double as the mast light that signafies I'm under power and not sailing. I know a 360 degree white light combo can be used for the stern light and mast light on a small boat under power and my mast does not seem to ever have had a mast light center of the mast. |
Howard Friedman
Pisgah Forest, NC
Boat Name: Forspacious Seas
Model/Year: Wing - 1989
Hull No. 14907
Hailing Port: Lake Keowee-Seneca, SC |
12/11/2007 8:10 AM Pacific Time
David Torrisi's listed website referenced earlier gives all the regs. Check it out. |
