Among the most nerve wracking issues many boaters face is being able to safely anchor for extended periods when on long cruises. Some of the worst stories you'll hear involve people who found what they thought was obviously a safe anchorage well from regular traffic, simply to wake
in the middle of the night to find another vessel bearing upon them in the darkness. Unfortunately, this is simply as often the fault of the boat owner because it is the owner of the underway vessels'. A lot of boaters assume because they are well removed from the lanes of normal traffic and in what appears to be a fairly acceptable position, they are thus safe from potential collisions, and so think nothing of saving a couple of amps of power by not owning a dedicated anchor light. Even worse, some boaters tend to utilize anchor lights that are woefully inadequate or improperly placed, making its use really a moot point. If you doubt the reality of all this, simply take the time to note at sunset the amount of vessels are anchored nearby the next time you are out, after which how many all around anchor lights the truth is illuminated once darkness falls. It's possible you'll be more than a little surprised.
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Anchor LightsIt really is unfortunate that many boaters don't give enough awareness of their anchor lighting. Even though it is true that an anchor light producing the conventional minimum visibility as outlined in Inland Navigational rules can create a substantial drain on battery reserves during the period of a night, the potential consequences of not running one, as well as the energy efficient options available, really eliminate any justification for not running one. It just is not worth the risk of collision, or even the fines and citations that are included with being out of compliance, simply to reduce the drain in your power reserves. There are safer ways to save power and still maintain compliance, and all sorts of it takes is a little knowledge and willingness to use something new.
The full text of Navigational Rules is found online at the USCG's website, and so they outline what you like a boater need to know in order to maintain safe and compliant lighting operation. Rule 30 specifically references anchored and aground vessels, and we'll include it here for convenience.
"Rule 30 - Anchored Vessels and Vessels Aground"
(a) A vessel at anchor shall exhibit where it could best be seen: (i) inside the fore part, an all-round white light a treadmill ball;
(ii) at or nearby the stern and at a reduced level than the light prescribed in subparagraph (i), an all-round white light.
(b) A vessel of lower than 50 meters long may exhibit an all-round white light where it can best be seen rather than the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of the Rule.
(c) A vessel at anchor may, plus a vessel of 100 meters and much more in length shall, likewise use the available working or equivalent lights to light up her decks.
(d) A vessel aground shall exhibit the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) or (b) with this Rule and in addition, if practicable, [Inld] where they could best be seen; (i) two all-round red lights inside a vertical line;
(ii) three balls inside a vertical line.
(e) A vessel of less than 7 meters long, when at anchor not in or near a narrow channel, fairway or where other vessels normally navigate, shall 't be required to exhibit the form prescribed in paragraphs (a) and (b) of the Rule.
(f) A vessel of lower than 12 meters in total, when aground, shall not required to exhibit the lights or shapes prescribed in subparagraphs (d)(i) and (ii) with this Rule.
(g) A vessel of under 20 meters long, when at anchor in a special anchorage area designated through the Secretary, shall 't be required to exhibit the anchor lights and shapes required by this Rule.
As you have seen, an anchor light just isn't an option, but a legal requirement. So, exactly how is it possible to run a compliant anchor light through the night without producing a substantial drain in your battery reserves? Well, the best option these days involves upgrading from the old incandescent bulb anchor light to at least one outfitted with LEDs. A vintage incandescent style anchor light can pull from 1 to 3 amps per hours from a 12 volt electrical system. Worse, these incandescent lights are very often just barely visible for the 2 nautical mile requirement, which makes them at best adequate, and also at worst difficult to find out if conditions are less than ideal. As we run a 1 amp anchor light for 10 hours, that is 10 amps pulled from the battery bank, which adds up if you also consider you'll likely be running cabin fans and interior lighting too.
An LED anchor light on the other hand will operate about 80% more efficiently than an incandescent version. A typical incandescent bulb puts out about 15 lumens per watt, and an LED about 60 to 70 lumens per watt. And that means you can produce a much brighter 360 degree signal while pulling less power. If your current 3 watt anchor light produces 45 lumens, you can aquire a 1 watt LED which will produce around 60, and pull lower than 1 amp. This could knock down power consumption to around 3-4 amps after 10 hours of operation, showing not only less battery drain, but improved output also.
With this kind of performance, there is just no real reason any boater should skimp about the safety and security of an anchor light simply to try saving a few amps of power, particularly when they can knock power consumption down a great deal with just a fixture change. You are able to produce a brighter signal that'll be easier for other boaters to determine, even in less than ideal conditions, reduce power use, and gaze after compliance with navigation regulations, simply by simply upgrading to LEDs in your anchor light. - Anchor Lights