Wow...
Thank you all very much for this entertaining discussion. I'm impressed with the variety of helpful and amusing suggestions. This board really is a wonderful resource.
Considering it took me 45 minutes to figure out how to recharge "Cricket"'s batteries this weekend (I'm a complete luddite but I'm learning fast!) I think I'm going to try out a halyard hoisted battery operated light... coupled with some reflective tape on the stanchions for now.
Thank you all again!!!
bdugan@stepzero.com
Lights on Cape Dory 25D
Moderator: Jim Walsh
-
Don Carr
Re: Anchor light only reguired.....
Larry;
I fully concur with your thinking here. However an oil fired lamp properly maintained and wicked up should fulfill your 2 NM requirement. Especially with a 'true' anchor light (fresnel lenses) as opposed to the Dietz basic tent lantern.
Many offshore cruisers use oil fire running lights and although not USCG approved they are appoved by many international maritime organizations.
In fact Den Haan also makes both electric and oil fired bi-color running lights. I was considering getting one (at $195 from Rotterdam to my doorstep-copper or brass) and using the smokeless lamp oil as opposed to kerosene. Look at the load reduction from your house battery.
FWIW
carrds@us.ibm.com
I fully concur with your thinking here. However an oil fired lamp properly maintained and wicked up should fulfill your 2 NM requirement. Especially with a 'true' anchor light (fresnel lenses) as opposed to the Dietz basic tent lantern.
Many offshore cruisers use oil fire running lights and although not USCG approved they are appoved by many international maritime organizations.
In fact Den Haan also makes both electric and oil fired bi-color running lights. I was considering getting one (at $195 from Rotterdam to my doorstep-copper or brass) and using the smokeless lamp oil as opposed to kerosene. Look at the load reduction from your house battery.
FWIW
carrds@us.ibm.com
-
Hanalei
Re: REFLECTIVE tape ! !
Captain DeMers,
Understand Sir, I hold you in highest esteem, but the idea of taping up Hanalei with reflective tape on every stanchion is out of the question! Sir, it is NOT Traditional! The Den Haan anchor light has a very nice fresnel lense, and it CAN be seen for the required distance. Reflective tape belongs on your life jacket shoulder boards, or maybe on your forehead if you fall overboard, but NOT on the life line stanchions! Just my silly opinion....
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
Understand Sir, I hold you in highest esteem, but the idea of taping up Hanalei with reflective tape on every stanchion is out of the question! Sir, it is NOT Traditional! The Den Haan anchor light has a very nice fresnel lense, and it CAN be seen for the required distance. Reflective tape belongs on your life jacket shoulder boards, or maybe on your forehead if you fall overboard, but NOT on the life line stanchions! Just my silly opinion....
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
-
Larry DeMers
Re: Anchor light only reguired.....
Hi Don,
I agree. If they use a Fresnel-Lensed lamp, then there is a likely hood that they may have approximately two mile visibility. But it is not likely that people will go that route when they can get a less expensive lamp and basicly do the same thing..unless they do as you are doing, taking pains to do it right. In an accident situation, be prepared to prove the 2 mile range of your light however, as it certainly will be discussed.
The battery drain problem can be approached from at least two directions; accepting that your banks are too small and not adequate for an anchor light..which I find intolerable. Or you can deepen your capacity to accomodate the meger draw of 12 amphrs/day, and install a convenient, legal, and proper anchor light. I have chosen the later of these two ideas, and find that after the kinks are ironed out and the credit card payed off, the convenience and utility of having a decent amount of capacity in your batteries is overwhelmingly a positive move. With refrigeration/freezer working and stereo use as well as house lights, occasional inverter use for recharging camera batteries, running a drill or palm sander, or even a hair dryer occasionally -And the anchor light (at 20w not the usual 10w), we can still go 5 days without recharging. To recharge, it takes 45-75 minutes of motor use (or shorepower since the charge rate and 3 stage protocol is identical for either method), and we are good for another 5 days. This opens up a tremendous horizon for cruising that would have been less 'convenient' if we stayed with the old system of a group 24 house battery and a starting battery.(90 amphrs, 45 useable compared to around 375 amp hours, 190 useable).
It is all in how you want to sail, and where you sail, and how much you sail. What I have found to be very true is that, the closer you get to "True Cruiser" status (ie: you are living aboard and away from home port for extended periods, not depending on shoreside assistance for recharges, refueling, rewatering, but depending on your own supplies carried on your back..so to speak), the more independant your boat has to become, and the captains usually then outfit with this activity in mind.
So the boat arrives from the manufacture setup to be a day sailor, with the possibility of staying out over a weekend or even a long weekend without adding much in the way of capacity to the batteries or other tankage. This is great for the average use I expect. But as soon as this use becomes a week long jaunt to the anchorage 100 miles away, your needs change -as do the preparations and equipment needed, and the tankage and power capacity need to increase alongside that.
So wrapping this up..as the capacity of the battery banks increase, the really small load that the anchor light represents becomes insignificant compared to the total picture, eliminating the usual reason not to use a 12vdc powered anchor light. Now traditionalists may still hang on to that kerosene powered lamp, but the reasons are pretty clear at this point as to why. It is a choice they make..but not due to necessity.
Cheers and great Sailing!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
demers@sgi.com
I agree. If they use a Fresnel-Lensed lamp, then there is a likely hood that they may have approximately two mile visibility. But it is not likely that people will go that route when they can get a less expensive lamp and basicly do the same thing..unless they do as you are doing, taking pains to do it right. In an accident situation, be prepared to prove the 2 mile range of your light however, as it certainly will be discussed.
The battery drain problem can be approached from at least two directions; accepting that your banks are too small and not adequate for an anchor light..which I find intolerable. Or you can deepen your capacity to accomodate the meger draw of 12 amphrs/day, and install a convenient, legal, and proper anchor light. I have chosen the later of these two ideas, and find that after the kinks are ironed out and the credit card payed off, the convenience and utility of having a decent amount of capacity in your batteries is overwhelmingly a positive move. With refrigeration/freezer working and stereo use as well as house lights, occasional inverter use for recharging camera batteries, running a drill or palm sander, or even a hair dryer occasionally -And the anchor light (at 20w not the usual 10w), we can still go 5 days without recharging. To recharge, it takes 45-75 minutes of motor use (or shorepower since the charge rate and 3 stage protocol is identical for either method), and we are good for another 5 days. This opens up a tremendous horizon for cruising that would have been less 'convenient' if we stayed with the old system of a group 24 house battery and a starting battery.(90 amphrs, 45 useable compared to around 375 amp hours, 190 useable).
It is all in how you want to sail, and where you sail, and how much you sail. What I have found to be very true is that, the closer you get to "True Cruiser" status (ie: you are living aboard and away from home port for extended periods, not depending on shoreside assistance for recharges, refueling, rewatering, but depending on your own supplies carried on your back..so to speak), the more independant your boat has to become, and the captains usually then outfit with this activity in mind.
So the boat arrives from the manufacture setup to be a day sailor, with the possibility of staying out over a weekend or even a long weekend without adding much in the way of capacity to the batteries or other tankage. This is great for the average use I expect. But as soon as this use becomes a week long jaunt to the anchorage 100 miles away, your needs change -as do the preparations and equipment needed, and the tankage and power capacity need to increase alongside that.
So wrapping this up..as the capacity of the battery banks increase, the really small load that the anchor light represents becomes insignificant compared to the total picture, eliminating the usual reason not to use a 12vdc powered anchor light. Now traditionalists may still hang on to that kerosene powered lamp, but the reasons are pretty clear at this point as to why. It is a choice they make..but not due to necessity.
Cheers and great Sailing!
Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
Don Carr wrote: Larry;
I fully concur with your thinking here. However an oil fired lamp properly maintained and wicked up should fulfill your 2 NM requirement. Especially with a 'true' anchor light (fresnel lenses) as opposed to the Dietz basic tent lantern.
Many offshore cruisers use oil fire running lights and although not USCG approved they are appoved by many international maritime organizations.
In fact Den Haan also makes both electric and oil fired bi-color running lights. I was considering getting one (at $195 from Rotterdam to my doorstep-copper or brass) and using the smokeless lamp oil as opposed to kerosene. Look at the load reduction from your house battery.
FWIW
demers@sgi.com
-
Hanalei
Re: I agree Sir,.....
Captain DeMers,
Your statement is very clear, concise and to the point, and I agree whole heartedly. My question though: You must have one hell of an extension cord? ? ? ! ! ! Kidding....
D. Stump
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
Your statement is very clear, concise and to the point, and I agree whole heartedly. My question though: You must have one hell of an extension cord? ? ? ! ! ! Kidding....
D. Stump
Captain Commanding
Hanalei
-
Bob Dugan
Re: Lights on Cape Dory 25D
I just wanted to follow up on my steaming light endeavor. After four attempts with different sized screwdrivers, I was able to remove the steaming light lens and cover. I took this to Boat U.S. and found a PERKO Stern Light Lens Cat No. 74-DP-WHT which matches the lens almost perfectly => $5.49Bill wrote: Well you certainly have chosen a worthy project. The steaming/deck light fixture are still available (at least they were in May 2001) from WM part number 174409 (I think). You may want to go ahead and replace the wires to this light while you are at it....
I noticed that the rubber gasket behind the lens appears to have decayed, so I'm going to try jury rig something to replace that as well.
I considered your suggestion about replacing the entire steaming/deck light unit, but it looks like everything else is in good working order.
Thanks again for all the advice!!!
Bob
dugan@cs.rpi.edu