Masthead Light

[keysskipper]

Another day another problem, never ending on an old boat, we went sailing today after check-ins, really windy weather reminds me why I love this keel boat, anyway we were going to drop the hook and grill some lobster on the lee side of Bahia Honda when I noticed the masthead light might not be working so we headed home, by the time I had her tied up and rinsed off my worry was confirmed...out again...so old salty must go up the mast and fix it right once and for all...new wire..no problem but I am looking for suggestions on the new light. I need to be visible for two miles by law and MUST work while at anchor, with the short mast what do yall recommend, also would like to add a deck light for many reasons....
any ideas? also because we leave her out and bring the dingy in if we have to play the tide so a LED with photo cell would be perfect but can't find it. Help the old skip try to keep the refuge managers happy. KS

[Windward]

On Windward I use a Davis anchor light. ttp://www.davisnet.com/marine/products/marine ... pnum=03310 (you can find it cheaper elsewhere). Not LED, but the std .1 amp bulb is allegedly visible for 2 nm, and has a sensor so that it only comes out at night.

An LED retrofit, which I've not tried, is available at ttp://www.marinebeam.com/dameledre.html.

For a steamer and deck light, I have a Hella masthead / deck light. http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?pat ... 4&id=64341

I don't use the deck light that much, but will look at replacing with LED at some stage. I'll eventually add a second, stern-facing light of some description for the times I need serious cockpit lighting, like as we're rafting up several boats.

[keysskipper]

Thanks Jeff, you are a wealth of information, I bought a portable today at west marine that I can attach and plug in ubtil the wind calms down and I can take the chair up, we will not use the deck light much either but helps when pulling up to my unforgiving concrete seawall, we are planning a trip to the Marquesas come on down and join us. Thanks KS

[Windward]

I also have one of those dangly Davis plug-in ones that I use for "ambient" cockpit light. I sometimes suspend it either from the boom or in the foretriangle at night if I want your average fisherman to notice me at anchor, since unless they're stargazing they're usually looking a bit lower than my mashead.

I sail year-round here anyway, both solo

and with crew

although sometimes with a bit too much sail?

but I gotta admit that sometimes it's nice to have clothing be a modesty thing rather than a thermal necessity. When are you heading for the Marquesas? I would so love to make the trip, but will have to beg for a raincheck, since my excuses are legion: still working on Windward (wx and sched haven't coincided... maybe before New Year's?), don't have much annual leave built back up since my Outer Banks trip, and have lots going on at work for the next couple of months trying to get a system completed and implemented.

[keysskipper]

Thanks again Jeff,
and thanks for the pics, my wife was actually born in Knoxville but has spent most of her life here in the Keys, we call her a "freshwater Conch"
she wants to know where you sail and is as cold as it looks, awesome pics of Windward heeling, also noticed how good she looks has she always been in freshwater? do you keep her in the water? we have a keel boat so we only haul her every 2 years, hurry up and finish your projects and bring her down looks like you need open ocean, we have never sailed in a lake. as for our upcoming trip we are leaving Jan. 19 another trip planned for late march to Cal Sal Banks, Bahamas...love going there KS

Todays Weather From the Conch Republic
Southeast Winds 10-15 Seas inside the reef 1 ft. outside 2-3 higher in the Gulfstream High 83 Low 72 Seawater temps around 76

[CaptainScott]

love the photos!

Scott