33i running lights

[memornix]

I have a 2010 33i and she has a masthead tricolor running light which is great for when we go off shore. The problem is sailing around our home port of annapolis, none of the power boaters are smart enough to look up and we frequently have people not seeing our running lights. While we are technically legal, if people are not seeing them, we are also not safe.

All of that being said, I have found an easy way to switch power from the masthead light to deck lights so we can choose which one we want to use rather we are in shore or off shore but the problem is where to mount deck level navigation lights.

Has anyone else with a 33i fit navigation lights at deck level? I had planned to weld mounting plates to the pulpit but there isn't an ideal spot and there also doesn't seem to be a good place on the deck either.

[ianpowolny]

Hi there,

We have a 45DS with the running light supports welded one stanchion back from the pullpit. When the bow dips in to the water these lights go under. I'd suggest you see if you can mount the lights mid-ships on to one of the stanchions. Our stanchions have a holes drilled in to them to allow a cable to drop in to the hull. The new LED running light cables are have a very small CSA so only require a small hole to be filled with Sikaflex.

Something like these: www.floatyourboat.co.uk/navigation-light-bicolour-led-stainless-steel-evoled?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzNWHjY6e7wIVS57tCh27-AXjEAQYASABEgJ8V_D_BwE

[NZL50505]

Of you’re under engine you are not technically legal with a masthead tricolour. Because you should be showing a white light mounted clearly above your red & greens. Which you can’t do properly with a masthead tricolour.

[rene460]

Hi Memornix, our SO30i has the mast head tricolour similar to yours, and I presume you also have the red and green running lights for motoring just above the first spreader.  Still too high in close quarters, or approaching towns.

We sail on a lake system where other boats are never far away, and I know what you mean about the masthead light.  To be fair to the approaching boats, it’s not easy to pick the distance to a mast head light when others are close around you.  Deck level lights are more often seen with a black water background from another nearby boat, while higher ones disappear into the mass of shore lights.

We rarely sail at night these days, but with our previous boat we sailed in the overnight race held on these lakes each year.  It’s about 50 nautical miles, and I have sailed that with hundreds of other boats, the maximum year was actually 650.  With rivers to navigate and shallow waters confining the sailing area, those light positions become most important.

We had port and starboard lights on the aft leg of the pulpit, on purpose made brackets that held the lights inside the rail (for when we approach jetty’s), and they always seemed to show up well, and did not cause problems with the shape of the sail.

The short sharp lake waves never caused the bow to submerge far enough to submerge those lights, but ocean waves may well be different.  

A popular spot for the lights on many boats was on the side of the cabin.  Fine for motoring or drifting, but one side was nearly always obscured by the Genoa when sailing well heeled.  Another spot that worked well, on boats where the pulpit is continuous around the bow was a combined red and green right on the centre line on the front of the pulpit top rail.

But to be able to switch to the mast head when at sea, seems to me to be the best of both worlds.  Alternatively low red and green plus one over the other at mast head is also an option.

rene460