Double ender stern light

[Clyderigged]

I have a Tahiti Ketch and need to rig a stern light on her. Being a double ender, without a boomkin, what or where is the best place to place a stern light? (An Aires wind vane will be mounted in the near future) As you can see from the photo, I have a mizzen truck mounted wind generator that precludes placement at the masthead.

Cheers,
Jamie White

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid48/pf4501b7002c0f05ec81c6280e95e3afb/fcc00a9d.jpg

[Venchka]

Originally posted by mmd:
Re: Elly's stern light.

Note on the picture below that there are two D-shaped sockets mounted on the stbd rudder cheek. In the daytime, Bill flies a flag on a flagstaff that slips into these sockets. At dusk the flag is shipped, stowed in the lazarette, and replaced with a lamp standard. The 12v lamp has a cord that is laid across the short after-deck and plugs into a waterproof socket under the lip of the cockpit coaming.

Simple, elegant, legal.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid60/pd7b2eced97d4d6e5c21ab5e43472ea49/fc4aa77c.jpgOn my smaller double ender, we mounted the stern light on the aft face of the rudder head and ran the wires over the rail similar to ELLY.

Wayne
In the Swmap. :D

[Ian McColgin]

If you're cruising, you'll be making both main and mizzen boom gallows anyway. Put the light on the mizzen gallows.

G'luck

[cbob]

C, It looks like you might have a VHF antenna atop the main mast, which might be hollow? the lead for which might be inside? its hard to do this outside with the hoops bearing on the wire under sail. Anyway, if the mast is hollow, you could put a tricolor up there. I have one on a marconi rig, which uses about just under 1 amp at 12V, using the 10 W. bulb. The three lights at deck level use about 2 amps. This wouldn't be legal (but very visible) with Inland Rules, but in my experience viewing pleasure boats underway after sunset, 99% are not legal for some reason or other anyway. Under power there is also the steaming, called, but not at the masthead, light, required, both sides of the inland waters line. This should not be used in conjunction with the tricolor, ever. The Rafiki double ender near me has his stern light mounted somehow off his self steering windvane mounting structure, which is partially obscured by the wind vane part, when in use. thus another reason for the tricolor, although this boat has no mizzen boom over the vane. Later, cbob

[JormaS]

My stern light sits on top of the cap rail, port side. The cable comes through the covering board.

[Clyderigged]

Thanks for all the thoughts and ideas. I am leaning more toward making a bolster to mount a stern light on the after side of the mizzenmast at the beginning of the pole section. This would prevent the windvane blades from obscuring its arc of visibility. If I mount the light anywhere on the rail, the rudderhead will at times block its arc of visibility.
Any comments???

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid149/pc19cfe5415f0157ea81b383a762fa44a/f5f4980b.jpg

[Venchka]

Is that a high tech radar reflector above the radar antenna on the forward side of the mizzen mast? Have you ever gotten any feedback from passing ships on the effectiveness of the reflector?

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[Clyderigged]

The unit is a Firdell Blipper and came with the boat when I bought her. I have yet to recieve any feedback from passing ships. I intend on doing some offshore passages next summer and will be interested to get some feedback from radar operators.

[Venchka]

There you go. Please pass that information back to the Forum. There is nothing as good as real world testing.

Thanks!

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D