Anchor Light Replacement ~Captain

In an ideal world, all cruising vessels are Coast Guard compliant when it comes to equipment and documentation.  We have gotten by with our compliance to some of the regulations, lots of new life jackets, plenty of new flares, air horn, holding tanks, no warrants out for anyone’s arrest, etc. Our masthead anchor light, not even close.  Warning tickets are a great way to inspire us to make permanent, professional-type repairs.

The main problem was our anchor light, or our lack thereof. Flipping the switch and hot wiring the circuit resulted in no illumination. Located forty some feet above deck level, it is not an easily serviced item. We have gotten by using solar garden lights that were attached to a fiberglass rod and affixed to our main halyard. Visible at about one half mile away, it falls far short of the USCG requirement of three nautical miles for a vessel our size.  Coleman propane lanterns, while bright, do not have the 360 degree visibility also required in the regulation. Looks like the Captain is going up the mast!

After cleaning

Our friends aboard S/V Red Letters had a similar problem develop recently, so we decided to help each other with these repairs. Rigging our bosun’s chairs and safety harnesses, we took turns hoisting each other to the mastheads, examining and removing the parts needing replacement. Red Letters’ light suffered from strange and expensive looking bulb burnout, while ours had no lens, no bulb and was filled with evidence of bird occupancy. They don’t call it the crow’s nest for nothing!

After removing the organic materials from the aluminum and plastic housing, cleaning electrical contacts and installing new power wires. This cost one cardboard-backed nail file from the Admiral’s manicure kit and some spare wire removed from the boat’s previous fluorescent light fixtures. Testing with a voltmeter showed good connections throughout the fixture, so we installed one of our galley light bulbs in the socket. These were purchased at West Marine for 75% off while they were having a moving sale.

Next, we had to address the lens issue. There wasn’t one! Noticing there was a twist-off lens base to access the bulb, we sized it to a cylindrical, closed on one end, transparent and weather-resistant item in the galley. (A plastic juice cup.) Knowing the plastic would oxidize and get cloudy in the tropical sun, we elected to use a glass lens, and ventured ashore. The first practical place to locate a lens of this quality turned out to be the Goodwill store on Sanibel Island.  Locating a whiskey glass after five minutes of searching and trial fitting.  We enjoyed discovering the non-marine application price of two dollars.

Returning aboard with our repurposed treasure, we set about installing and weatherproofing our new lens. Sanding the plastic housing and putting a bead of silicone in the base, the glass fit snugly and was allowed to dry overnight. Final test lighting to ensure nothing had come loose during the assembly. Success!

Repeating the mast climbing procedure, this time to install our rebuilt light, took a little longer than expected. I had to remove, reroute wiring and then reassemble the fixture, while suspended 60 feet above the waterline. While aloft, I addressed the broken strands of an upper shroud, which were noisy in any winds. This shroud will be replaced before any heavy weather sailing, and described in a future blog entry. Test lighting was successful, we now are Coast Guard legal, visible 360 degrees and from three nautical miles away. Captain Scott of S/V Red Letters said our light is the tallest and brightest in our anchorage. A fitting description of our humble but mighty No Más.

~The Captain