Elver stern light

[willmarsh3]

I have a question about how to mount a stern light on a 20' Elver canoe yawl that I am building. Here is what the stern looks like today.

Elver stern pictures (http://www.willmarsh3.net/el/elver100404.html)

I looked at COLREGS and they said >23' LOA requires red and green port and starboard lights and a white stern light for sailing. Also LOA includes appendages such as bowsprits and boomkins. My boat is 26' LOA with these.

With that said I decided that I would mount the red and green lights on the front of the cabin. But where to mount the stern light? I'm aiming for a traditional appearance but there's no good place to put it so it clears obstructions raised by the rudder and tiller. I could put it on the end of the boomkin but I think that would look silly. Or I could put it on a little post on the stern near the mizzen mast. Any suggestions?

TIA
Will

[Bob Smalser]

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/4639129/58622485.jpg

These NOS bronze Chris Craft lights show up on Ebay occasionally and can be adapted to fit...say on your port stern.

I scrounged an entire set for less than 50 bucks. Search Ebay accessories/boats for "bronze".

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/4639129/58453526.jpg

The "stern" light above is a white windshield post light...sweeps a bit past the normal 180 degrees but not so much than anybody'd notice.

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/5305809/68712271.jpg

[ 10-04-2004, 11:46 PM: Message edited by: Bob Smalser ]

[Jim Goodine]

My Elver has a masthead light for sailing but I use a clamp on, battery type light on top of the rudder if I'm motoring in the dark. I would suggest a removable stern light on a post with the socket located between the rudder and the boomkin, as far aft as possible. Good luck.

[Bruce Hooke]

This is not quite an answer to your question but if you plan on doing much sailing I would highly recommend a masthead tri-color. It's MUCH more visible to other boats (except VERY close in when it can be a bit high), and it is never blanketed by sails and the like. Also, if you have limited electricity available the masthead tri-color has the advantage of only needing one bulb. Of course for motoring you will still need the deck level lights (and a steaming light on the mast -- white pointing forward only).

[Venchka]

Originally posted by willmarsh3:

...

I looked at COLREGS and they said >23' LOA requires red and green port and starboard lights and a white stern light for sailing. Also LOA includes appendages such as bowsprits and boomkins. My boat is 26' LOA with these.

TIA
WillWhat page of which documant gives the definition of LOA to include bowsprits and boomkins? I just read my copy of the U.S.C.G. regs on international and inland rules and I didn't find it anywhere. I would like to clarify this because my boat has a removable boomkin which extends about 6' beyond the stern. Otherwise, my boat is 19'-6" LOA. I have always thought that my boat qualifies under the "less than 7 meters and less than 7 knots" provisions of COLREGS and Inland Rules. The 7 meter/7 knot rule states that I don't absolutely have to have the same lights as larger boats. Am I right or am I wrong?

The definition of length from the U.S.C.G. Rules;

(j) The words "length" and "breadth" of a vessel means her length
overall and greatest breadth.Wayne
Using the Rules to best advantage in the Swamp. :D

[ 10-07-2004, 10:55 AM: Message edited by: Venchka ]

[willmarsh3]

At first I was going by "length over all" meaning including bowsprits, boomkins and any other thing. But I just checked with Alabama State Police and they consider LOA to mean the length of the hull which is 20 feet.
Also they said an all around white light is ok under sail or oar but that I would have to use the red/green/white configuration with a motor.
As I want to keep things simple I will go with the white light. Later if I get a motor I will get the clip on battery powered nav lights so I don't have to wire up the boat. BTW I found a nice set of LED clip on lights in the 2004 Defender catalog that are relatively cheap.
Thanks for everyone's help.
Will.

[Venchka]

That's good news. With all due respect to the A.S.P., any boat "less than 7 meters (23') long and less than 7 knots top speed" is only REQUIRED to display a white light in time to prevent collision. The clip on battery lights are ok as a back up to a mega-candlepower hand held lantern.

I'll continue to operate under the 7 meter/7 knot rule until some crusty old USCG chief tells me otherwise.

If you get any grief, refer folks to the USCG Navigation Rules, pages 48, 74 & 75.

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D