Non-C-Dory Stern Light Question

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My wife got a tad tired of waiting for my C-Dory extension to be finished. So she bought an "inexpensive" West Wight Potter 19 that needed work. We've done a lot of re-coring, fiberglassing, and painting, and are finally reassembling the hardware and lighting. The boat came with a 135° stern light mounted on the starboard top of the transom - seen on the right side of the photo above the swim step. It seems to be easily blocked by the tiller handle and outboard toward port. I'd thought about a high-center transom mount - seen below hanging with blue painter's tape - since it appears that it could be seen by all within the USCG-given angle. But I'm not sure. As an alternative, I've been looking for short masted (6-8") "stern" lights, but so far all I've found are all-around lights. Does anyone know of a short mast, transom mount - preferably folding - light with the requisite 135° visibility angle for a stern light? Is there such an animal? Yes, I've been Googling, and Googling with no luck so far.
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Hi and congrats on the WWP. I know you can get a stern light on an extendable mast, so that you can leave the light down until you want it on, then raise it and turn it on and it will be about head high or ... depending on which one you get. I think you can find anything from 24 to 48 inch heights. (Measure your clearance up to your boom, so you don't take the top of your light off on the first, and order on just short of that distance.) I'm sure Perko makes them and you can find them at West Marine, OR, they can order it for you.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Harvey,
First, thanks for the reply to a non-C-Dory topic! Now, are you talking about a true stern light on a mast? I'm not talking about THE mast - where we have an all-around anchor light - just a short stalk on the transom to get the 135° light over the tiller and outboard for full visibility... Just want to make sure we're on the same page. Based on my interpretation of nav. lights, if we're under power or sail at night we need to have a stern light shining rather than an anchor light.
Thanks,
T
 
Buy an all around to fit your criteria and use duct tape mask off to the necessary angle. Other options are paint inside the lens.
 
Tom, OK, you can have a Mast head light that is both anchor and running light, and I don't know which you have. If it was my sail boat I would have the combo, also available from Perko. The combo light will suffice for the 135 light, and then work as an anchor light when you need.

OR yes you can do that with a separate stern light.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Back to typing with 2 hands...The "normal" sailboat will have a white steaming light of 225* forward on the mast. It will also have the 135* aft steaming light. When under sail, the forward steaming light is not shown, but each side light and the stern light are shown.

Thus, an all around light will not be legal for that sailboat--as it maybe in a power boat. Many boats--including some of our C Dories use only the all around light as both a running and anchor light.

On the other hand, a tricolor masthead light cannot be used and be legal on a power boat.

What I cannot understand is why the W Potter would put a stern steaming light of 135* right behind the tiller. I suppose that the theory is that the rudder is removed and steering is only by the outboard. Then when acting as a sailboat--the only light "necessary" is a flashlight. Although this is "legal", it is certainly not the most desirable from a safety standpoint.

What I suspect is that W Potter figured that their sailboats would just use a flashlight when under sail. Does your boat have a forward steaming light on the mast?

Sailboats less than 7 meters (22.96 feet) may carry an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light to be displayed in sufficient time to prevent collision.

If practicable, the lights prescribed for sailboats less than 20 meters should be displayed.
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Bob, WWP doesn't put their stern light behind the tiller; I wasn't clear that that was my compromise. I thought since the interior reflector was wider than the tiller it could be seen. It looked like the original would be obscured from those on the port side where they had it installed. Having looked again, it appears that the original might just work if it was installed closer to the starboard edge. Need to tie a string to it and move it about the transom extending the string to port past the tiller and outboard to know for certain.
Wish I'd been this much of a newbie 40 years ago... :?
 
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