The masthead/steamlight light/top of mast confusion comes from the COLREGS definitions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Regulations_for_Preventing_Collisions_at_Sea
In COLREGS, when they refer to a masthead light, they are talking about a steaming light, which may be situated anywhere, as long as it is some required vertical distance above the port and starboard navigation lights. Boats without masts (motorboats) are also be required to have "masthead" lights. It really doesn't matter whether a light is actually installed on your mast since i) you might not have one and ii) at night you typically can't see what the lights are mounted on anyway. What's important is the relative positions of the lights to one another and the extremities of the boat. As an aside, as I read the COLREGS, I think there's also no requirement to mount an anchor light on the top of the mast (although that's very sensible place). I think for the most part, the USCG requirements are the same as the international COLREGS. Actually, as a point of interest, does anyone know if the coast guard signal requirements differ at all from COLREGS? Most manufacturer's definitions that I've seen use terminology the same as the COLREGS usage. It definitely makes it hard to search for "lights that fit on the top of a mast" -- just be sure to double check you're buying the right thing. I installed a Lopolight achor/tricolor combo last year and have been very happy with it. One of the nice thing about the Lopolights is that they're very, bright, small, low draw, sturdy, very corrosion resistant and allow you to mount a windex or anemometer directly on top of it. When you're looking around, pay attention to whether the light can be mounted sensibly, and in the case of flat-topped masts, whether there's enough vertical clearance to allow a line of sight from the light to vessels close by -- many LED lights (including the Lopolight) have a very low profile and the top of the mast may get in way. I needed to make a riser for mine to increase its visibility. - Stu North Star, Newport 41 On Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 8:33 AM, 'bella <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > and you got that definition where? > > http://www.seatalk.info/cgi-bin/nautical-marine-sailing-dictionary/db.cgi?db=db&uid=default&FirstLetter=m&sb=Term&view_records=View+Records&nh=2 > > Term: masthead (n) > Definition: The top of the mast. > > Term: masthead fitting (n) > Definition: A metal casting fitted at the masthead to which shrouds and > stays are attached. > Term: masthead light (n) > Definition: A navigation light mounted high in the rigging near or on the > masthead. > See Also: masthead > > > > > > On Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 11:04 AM, Yanni Nikopoulos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: >> >> Wrong, >> >> Mashead light=steaming light for some=120 degree forward. Mast head is the >> third of the mast from the top. >> >> Top of the mast light=anchor light=all around white light >> >> >> Yanni Marinated >> S/V Princess Thalia >> Columbia 8.7 #73 >> Hamilton-Fifty Point @H3 >> N 43.13.406 >> W 73.37.431 >> >> ----- Original Message ---- >> From: 'bella <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: [email protected] >> Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 10:15:45 AM >> Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] led masthead lights.. >> >> no skip... >> masthead... = top of mast (the one required all night when anchored and >> dragging over to those nasty mudbanks.... (grins)) >> steaming light = the light 2/3 of the way up... >> >> >> On Sun, Oct 12, 2008 at 9:25 AM, Skip Gundlach <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> wrote: >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: 'bella >>> To: [email protected] >>> Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2008 3:03 AM >>> Subject: [Liveaboard] led masthead lights.. >>> Anyone installed one... how well did it do.. as bright as the hype said >>> it would be.. cost? >>> >>> >>> >>> If by masthead, you mean the white light that has to be displayed by a >>> motor vessel under way, commonly found on sailboats about 2/3 up the mast, >>> not me. That's what the Coast Guard calls masthead lights, so I've gotten >>> in the habit of calling them that, too. >>> >>> If you mean one of those things which has tricolor and anchor light in >>> one unit and goes on top of the mast, I have one. I call them sailing and >>> anchor lights; others call them masthead lights and, I presume, something >>> else :{)) >>> >>> It's the bees knees. Got it from John and Libbie at Hotwire, there at >>> the shows. Orca, I believe, very small and tidy and absolutely brilliant. >>> >>> I went with the solar shutoff anchor light, not strobe version, as strobe >>> is strictly emergency use or get big trouble and a bunch more. >>> >>> I've got pix of the installation in my gallery, somewhere, I'm sure. I >>> don't recall for sure the price, and that was a couple of years ago, so >>> things may well have changed, but memory sez ~300bx. >>> >>> Took a pair of (single strand, not jacketed, to save space) #16 or 18, I >>> forget which, on which polarity is reversed to make either anchor or sailing >>> lights. >>> >>> I love it. >>> >>> L8R >>> >>> Skip >>> >>> Morgan 461 #2 >>> SV Flying Pig KI4MPC >>> See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery ! >>> Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog >>> and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog >>> >>> "You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make >>> it come true. You may have to work for it however." >>> (and) >>> "There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its >>> hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts." >>> (Richard Bach, in The Reluctant Messiah) >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Liveaboard mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> To adjust your membership settings over the web >>> http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard >>> To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>> To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ >>> >>> To search the archives >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >>> >>> The Mailman Users Guide can be found here >>> http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html >> >> >> >> -- >> It's not about the boat it's sails or rigging. It's about the freedom. >> >> http://www.slideshare.net/jacko91/these-are-my-credentials/ >> >> http://fisherhouse.org/ >> >> http://www.specialops.org/ >> >> "We are the gaurdians of a great faith. When we believe that freedom >> offers the best chance of peace and prosperity for all, and our desire for >> peace cannot be seperated from our believe in liberty." Harry J. Truman >> >> Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical >> minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which >> holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd >> by the clean end. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Liveaboard mailing list >> [email protected] >> To adjust your membership settings over the web >> http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard >> To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ >> >> To search the archives >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> >> The Mailman Users Guide can be found here >> http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html > > > > -- > It's not about the boat it's sails or rigging. It's about the freedom. > > http://www.slideshare.net/jacko91/these-are-my-credentials/ > > http://fisherhouse.org/ > > http://www.specialops.org/ > > "We are the gaurdians of a great faith. When we believe that freedom offers > the best chance of peace and prosperity for all, and our desire for peace > cannot be seperated from our believe in liberty." Harry J. Truman > > Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical > minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which > holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd > by the clean end. > > > _______________________________________________ > Liveaboard mailing list > [email protected] > To adjust your membership settings over the web > http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard > To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ > > To search the archives > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > The Mailman Users Guide can be found here > http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html > _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
