Good Lantern

Dick Barthel · Post by **Dick Barthel** » Oct 28th, '06, 16:59

I just covered Dream Weaver for the winter and its raining and miserable in Connecticut. Time to begin making plans for next year.

In a recent thread Carl talked about his anchor lantern getting stuck. I've been thinking of replacing my lantern that just bought the farm with a new lantern. We used it in the cabin and in the cockpit but I never actually used it as an anchor light and Carl's post got me thinking. What a great way to anchor a traditional boat like the Cape Dory.

I've found a company in Vermont called Dietz which seems to be famous and long in the lantern business.

Where have others on the board purchased lanterns suitable for cabin lighting and hanging on a halyard as well?

This website shows the cheapest Dietz "hurricane lantern" I could find. It looks like it might just work and for $20 you could buy a back up! Of course they do make a lot more expensive models.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... id=0035483.

I'd also like to generate some discussion on how people do it - back stay? flag halyard? top of mast? If I tied off my boom I could use the topping lift. What else do you need to think about?

Thanks,

Dick

ronkberg · Post by **ronkberg** » Oct 28th, '06, 18:18

Hi Dick, although I do not need lantern on my Typhoon, I thought I'd take a peek. Got me to the the store but no lantern.

Ron

Tod Mills · Post by **Tod Mills** » Oct 28th, '06, 22:25

http://www.oillampman.com/quicklist.html

http://www.base-camp.co.uk/default.html

http://www.cgedwards.com/Weems/lamps.html

http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product ... uctID=6259

One thing to bear in mind if you wish to read by them is that the wick should be as large as possible (1" or larger). Most oil lamps on the market have wicks that are too small to read by.

Bruce Ebling · Post by **Bruce Ebling** » Oct 28th, '06, 22:37

I have always used a kerosene lantern for my anchor light. It came from not having a way to charge the single battery in my Catalina. I also liked the ceremony of lighting the lamp and hoisting up the backstay. In observing my anchor light in the night from afar I saw how important it is to use a fresnel lense. It focus's the light into a horizontal beam that can be seen from far away. Just a plain kerosene lamp with no focusing lense cannot be seen from very far. I am now in the hunt for a new lamp for the anchor light and another for inside the cabin. I love the warm glow they add to the cabin.
Bruce Ebling
1982 CD25D "Selah"

Dick Barthel · Post by **Dick Barthel** » Oct 28th, '06, 22:46

Ron: For some Dietz examples. Not sure why other web site didn't work. Obviously Tod has provided some really nice sites also.

http://www.y2klanterns.com/html/dietz-hurricane-sm.html

Carl Thunberg · Post by **Carl Thunberg** » Oct 30th, '06, 16:46

Dick,

I'm not sure how much of a traditionalist you are, but have you considered an LED lantern? I love the look of the old oil lanterns too, but I finally came down on the side of function over form. I got an Eveready LED lantern for 15 bucks at the local hardware store. It takes 4 D-size batteries that get you through several nights. I haven't had the opportunity to get far enough away from the boat, so I don't know if it can be seen from a distance of 2 miles or not (not that I want to bring up THAT issue again). It seems plenty bright to me. It has a nice bevel on the base, so you can tie a slip knot for your downhaul, too.

As for where to hang it, there are many schools of thought on that and they've been discussed at length. Personally, I run mine up the jib halyard, but I stop a couple feet shy of the top of the mast. If I send it all the way to the top of the mast, the mast shadow creates a blind spot, so it's not truly a 360 degree lantern in that case. I've rowed my dinghy behind the boat and with the lantern a few feet away from the mast, there's still a blindspot directly astern, but it's not very wide.

Eventually, I plan on re-wiring my mast and installing a real masthead light. Until then, the LED lantern works fine. Just something to consider.

Dick Barthel · Post by **Dick Barthel** » Oct 30th, '06, 17:58

Cathy Monaghan · Post by **Cathy Monaghan** » Oct 30th, '06, 19:42

Hi Dick,

Don't just look at those Dietz lanterns at Cabela's, look at the others too. Anyway, I purchased an LED lantern from them a few weeks ago and really like it.

CLICK HERE to view the different lanterns available from Cabela's.

And CLICK HERE to see the one that I purchased.

Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

David VanDenburgh · Post by **David VanDenburgh** » Nov 1st, '06, 23:54

Informative article at this link:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-main ... light.html

s.v. LaVida · Post by **s.v. LaVida** » Nov 2nd, '06, 16:13

Dick,

Perhaps you might remember the three small W&P lanterns I carry on LaVida.

They have proved their worth so many times over.

From romantic lighting, to anchor lights, to just a hint of warmth to keep the chill out of her cabin in those cold Newfoundland nights, they have performed above and beyond!

IMHO - The secret to a good lantern is robust construction and the best fuel.

The W&P have been through many a gale, wildly swinging from LaVida's spreaders and never once have blown out.

I always use parrifin oil, a bit more expensive than kero, but clean burning, no soot and good light.

With the W&P I could usually get a full night's anchor light out of just a few oz of fuel.

I think I paid around $85.00 per, but perhaps you could find them used on ebay.

sea u matey,
rit

Carl Thunberg · Post by **Carl Thunberg** » Nov 3rd, '06, 20:02

One of those Davis Mega Lights might find their way under my Christmas tree. I hope my wife's reading this. Honey???

Julian · Post by **Julian** » Nov 21st, '06, 16:32

I really like the look of the pressure type lanterns. I will buy one when I visit the USA next year since they are not readily available in Canada. I'll let you know how good they are.

Julian

Paul D. · Post by **Paul D.** » Nov 21st, '06, 23:58

For probably over most of the last century, the wilderness camp I work at, YMCA Camp Menogyn in Northern Minnesota, has lit its sauna and outside area (read as hole in the ice) with the Dietz Blizzard kerosene lanterns. Through many a windy and frigid winter night they have never failed and, I reckon, sometimes have saved lives for people crossing the lake. They are really cheap. To my joy I found them for less than $10 and replaced 8 of the lamps probably 20 years old that we had. If I didn't have an electric anchor light, that is what I would buy.

Since we have a W&P large Yacht lamp - I picked up for half cost (as is - dented) at West Marine then found it leaked and they wouldn't take it back (Jeeez - come on guys) so I soldiered it up in protest and have had five glorious leak-free seasons with it swinging away and sometimes hitting our heads in the cabin - I keep that ready for stand in duty as a back up. Though it would not be bright enough to be legal.

I bet the Dietz Blizzard would come close. There is a bit of kerosene lamp care which, if done regularly, then, like a good diesel, it will work well for a very long time even buring kero instead of the purer lamp oils. Just clean the globe with windex and trim the wick straight flat. Keep the flame lower than you think is high and it won't blacken the globe. I try to teach this to the next generation of illuminationists

Paul

The Cape Dory Board

Good Lantern

Good Lantern

Link does not work

some other possibilities

Anchor Lantern

Another website

Consider LED?

thanks guys! n/m

Davis Mega Light

Weems and Plath lanterns

I really like that lamp, Dave!

Petromax