Removable Masthead Light & Antenna Assembly Total Page Hits: 2613
Post Type: Technical/Project
Boat Part: Running Lights/Anchor Lights
Date Modified: 06/17/2018 8:40 PM
I wanted a configuration for Serenity's navigation lights that met regulations and provided as much visibility as possible for a small boat like the M17 both when sailing and when under power.
The configuration for Serenity ensures there is a nav light active and visible for 360 degrees at the mast head in both modes of propulsion.
Serenity has an all round white plus the regular tri-colour mounted at the top of the mast, as well as side nav lights mounted on each side of the Bow on the pulpit rails.
When sailing the nav light configuration is just the typical tri-colour up top, and when under power Serenity's lights are configured with the all white up top and the side mounted nav lights lit up.
This provides maximum visibility with the mast head lit up at all times, and has the added benefit of saving my night vision by avoiding the placement of an actual stern light at cockpit level.
The all white also doubles as an anchor light. All of the lights are low power LEDs.
I also had some other "wants", including a mast mounted VHF antenna for good communications at distance in support of my penchant for sailing "off the beaten track", and 4-5 inches of forward separation between my furling jib and the spinnaker sheave used by my top down asym furler which is mounted to my semi-retractable bow sprit (see Serenity's Asym spinnaker project posted here).
However all of this is way too much stuff to be hanging off the top of the mast when trailering the boat so my solution was to fab up a removable mast head assembly that could be easily removed when trailering.
The assembly is constructed out of standard square stainless tubing and a small peace of teak, it provides a mounting arrangement for the tri-colour, all round white, VHF antenna, windex, and the forward placed spinnaker sheave...
It slides firmly over top of the existing bare masthead, has a flat 4 power connector for the lights and the standard stainless RF connector of the antenna, it is secured with two 1/4" stainless rigging pins...
It takes just a couple of minutes to install or remove.