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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Oil Anchor Lamps _ Who uses?

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Deric
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/02/2009 : 18:28:06

Hello Folks,

I am interested in reading your thoughts regarding oil anchor lamps (lights).

Apparently there are few places that sell these type of lamps. I believe the use of the lamps doesn't meet USCG specs. Nonetheless, anybody out there using them?

Good experiences?
Bad experiences?

Thanks,
Deric

Edited by - on

dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2009 : 19:48:07

i love the lamps for nite.
i have used the cheap oil lamps that you can buy for about $7.

i use citranella oil and use the lamps in the cockpit to keep the bugs away. not sure if they really help though.

once we head to bed i fasten them on the bow pulpit and the stern rails.
i feel safe that noone will broad side or hit me with the lights down closer to the water.
the anchor light isn,t something you can easily pick up when flying in a power boat.

some may say they are according to the coast guard but, it's ok to disagree.i just don't like the one light 30 some feet in the air.
sometimes common sense is the smart thing.

dave holtgrave
5722 sk/tr
hard and dry near carlyle lake
in southern illinois.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2009 : 21:05:06

I have two of these and bought them because friends use and recommend them. Another benefit is that when used down below they keep bugs away.

Edited by - on

Deric
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2009 : 21:10:17

Hi Dave and Frank,

What is it about the lamp that keeps bugs away?

I am missing something for sure. I figured the bugs would be attracted to the glow.

Frank, what make is the make/model of the oil lamp you posted?

Deric

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2009 : 22:05:58

That's the very expensive Weems & Plath oil lamp Deric. 90 bucks @ WM, stay away from the fakes at boat shows! Soldered attachment points will fail under normal use because of heat. The W&P version is very cool and they make them in two sizes... Also check out this site http://www.anchorlamps.com/

We have run ours when on the hook and needing an extra light on the foredeck. We run a Davis cig plug light aft and of course the anchor light normally. BUT, given the number of incidents we have been involved in and/or heard about - hanging lights are a good idea. One, the flicker of real flame is almost better than a bulb. I've compared it from the dink and it really gets your attention. The aforementioned model will go out in blow however. Two, it's so old school that your credability amongst your neighbors rises substantively. Our C25 was frequently mistaken for a blue water vessel because of our gear, DODGER

, ground tackle, and willingness to play with the big boys in the anchorage like they play... Running an anchor light even when bigger vessels aren't will get you a lot of respect from me and the peeps for sure. Run an oil lamp and we'll probably think you are on a Flicka or something!

As far as a bug deterent, I'll concur with Frank. Not sure why, but on our C25 and now on our "Home" the heat buildup inside the vessel at the cabintop seems to drive the bugs away. We either fire up our W&P oil lamp or the diesel heater before installing the netting and have virtually no bugs in about 10 minutes or so.

Sten

DPO Zephyr - '82 C25, FK, SR
SV Lysistrata - C&C 39 - on the hard - temporary timeout in Portland OR to care for mom

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2009 : 11:41:26

Maybe it's because I work in the IT business and love new technology but there will be no oil lamps on the Nauti Duck. This is the 21st century people!

LEDs rule!!

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2009 : 14:45:12

LED's do rule, but there is something about old school that warms my keel. For example: On a recent Newport to Bermuda run, one crew complained that they had to "Dead Reckon" the whole way. Of course I was fascinated, but upon further inquiry, "oh yeah, we would turn the handheld GPS on ever 6 hours or so to verify our position." That's not dead reckoning! Neither is using a sextant, that too is an aid to navigation. Old school dead reckoning is what it is - an art!

Oil lamps fall under the same old school reliability category. You may not need to run it all the time, but when all your juice is gone for some reason like water intrusion, you'll be happy you have at least one old school backup!

sten

Edited by - redviking on 01/03/2009 14:47:49

Deric
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2009 : 18:28:12

Sten,

I find two enticing aspects to the oil lamps:

1) They are a tool that can be used when other tools fail.

2) There is a nostalgic historical element to the lamps.

Thanks for the tip, Sten.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2009 : 22:49:23

Deric,

I can't tell you how much I love old school. Case in point - we were southbound about 15nm offshore when we noticed our stern light off. Tri-color on, but technically not OK. Ran the oil burner until a fix could be found... Next port. Try doing that with LED.... Ooops, I forgot to mention that we have also run a white dinghy stern light for the same application... Anyway, backups for backups is always a good idea. Failure is not an option.

sten

Edited by - on

Unsinkable2
Captain

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USA
273 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2009 : 22:58:05

I run an oil lamp in the cabin. It's an old one that came from the PO. Nice lamp, it is gymbaled and hangs above the dinette.

The light is soft, and the flicker sets a great old-nautical atmosphere that looks great in the boat, on the deck, and around the marina.

Edited by - Unsinkable2 on 01/05/2009 20:57:42

danandlu
Navigator

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USA
174 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 10:13:20

If anyone needs a gimbal bracket for a large Weems & Plath lamp see my post in the swap meet.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 10:40:17

I have a gimbal that has never been mounted as well, I could not find a place on my boat to use the gimbal, it makes the lamp too intrusive in many places. I ended up buying a ship's bell mount which was removable from its base. I mounted the base on the mast support and only put the "arm" in the base when I was going to hang the lamp from it. I also hung the lamps from a teak handhold I installed on the starboard salon roof or from the pop top support tubes.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 11:01:36

One thing that bares mentioning about the Weems and Plath Yacht Lamp, it gets HOT, as Sten alluded in his first post, the fakes come apart from solder joints melting! These lamps cannot be handles with bare hands when operating and must be cooled down before setting anywhere. I could move mine only buy holding onto the very hot hook at the top and then moved very quickly. Another point is the fuel, it is bio safe, non poisonous, and dirt cheap.

Edited by - pastmember on 01/04/2009 11:02:02

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 11:04:05

We mounted ours on the mast support on our C25. We have yet to find a place to mount the W&P on Lysistrata for the same reasons as Frank.

sten

Edited by - on

Deric
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 17:44:25

Hello Folks,

I am glad to hear how the thread developed about where to place the lamps. I had been thinking about that myself after looking online.

Knowing that the lamp get very hot, I shall think about the safest place to hang the lamp.

Thanks for the extra information.

I noticed the W&P Anchor lamps are very expensive. Wow I was surprised.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5352 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 19:57:23

I will agree that the Weems are VERY expensive, and while I agree that you get what you pay for, I think they may have taken this approach a little too far.

Last year I decided I wanted to add some old school "atmosphere" to <i>Passage</i> and purchased a very beautiful lantern from Vermont Lanterns. I got the 10.5" Nelson.

http://www.vermontlanterns.com/content/nautical-lamps-brass-nelson-105

I posted a picture on the forum last summer and one wag quipped that it is almost too nice for a Catalina 25.

I considered converting it to a 12V LED lamp, but once I lighted it last Autumn, I really fell in love with it.

I cannot say whether it is built with the same exacting standards as the Weem, but to my eye, it is excellent. It is made in India, and at $80, I am very satisfied with the workmanship.

For those wishing to enjoy the advantages of an oil lamp, but who may not want to pay several hundred dollars, this may be an alternative.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 21:09:56

Again, buyer beware.... I bought one (fake Weems) at the boat show in Boston and it burnt thru the solder and broke. I returned it to the same guy at the Providence boat show and he sorta shrugged... The support connections are flawed... If this crashes to your floor, you will not be happy... I sold the replacement at our yard sale sans hanging mechanism.

sten

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 21:13:07

I am sure someone can go to a farm supply and get a serious lantern for a very reasonable price, I find Weems and Plath compelling.

Edited by - on

Chris Z
Captain

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452 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 21:18:00

I have had this thought of using a LED bike light on the boat in various places.

Take a look at this one I found. Our club does a night race and I thought having a couple shining up on the head sail might help out. It would also be nice to light up the cockpit at night before leaving for the day.

http://www.modernbike.com/itemgroup.asp?IGPK=2126175304

Also, they offer a flashing mode which might be nice while anchored.

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2009 : 22:26:14

I bought one 3-4 years ago. Since then I have bought 4 more! I keep 2 on the boat, one for inside and one outside. You want to burn liquid paraffin in them as it has no smell at all. In the cockpit at night, the yellow light does not attract bugs. LED's will!

The lamps will last about 30 hours and that is not very much fuel.

I bought all of them on Ebay. I never paid more than $35-#40. The key is this - the darker the blacker the finish, the cheaper you will get them for. I use a polishing wheel on a grinder and some german polish to bring them back to as new condition. Most don't understand that the worse they look, the lower the serial number and the more classic they are. The old ones had thicker glass but the design has not changed. They all polish up very well.

The new ones are sealed with a clear lacquer. It lasts about a year and then it will turn dark. I polish mine once a year.

If you can find the silver ones, buy it. They never dull or get dark. I have one and it is my favorite.

Edited by - Turk on 01/04/2009 22:27:57

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2009 : 08:43:27

I use bike LEDs on my Hobie for night sailing. I put a green gell in a clear light.

Edited by - pastmember on 01/05/2009 08:47:09

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2009 : 10:12:07

what? no tri-color on the masthead Frank?! A remote control steaming light and a white sail might improve nighttime visibility...

sten

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2009 : 10:18:04

The Bike lights actually work very well for a load of different things. We have often clipped one onto our lumber hanging out the trunk on a trip home from home depot.

Same deal when we were doing a lot of canoeing and had them overhanging the back of the trailer we used to haul them around. At $5 for a cheapy, they are a pretty good option.

Last year on out night race we had one on hand and although we never needed it, it was a very bright flashlight, and the handlebar mount fit nicely on the stern pulpit. We had one red and one white (night vision ruining, night vision safe...)

Edited by - on

glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2009 : 15:08:31

On Adventure we have two oil lamps, one for the interior and the other for anchoring. Yes I’m atmospheric (I prefer that term to OLD school). In the cockpit we use a lantern made by the “OFF” corp. This uses a candle that heats a insert suspended at the top of the lamp, These can be found at Home Depot and are made to be used on a patio. We have tested this in some Canadian anchorages that are notorious for blood sucking mosquitoes, and we are very satisfied with them

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2009 : 07:52:04

Is anyone burning citronella oil in their oil lamps? I *may* be getting a nicely gimballed interior lamp for my B-day (I peeked) and was thinking that citronella would keep some bugs at bay.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2009 : 08:51:33

Try the pure paraffin first, you may see that there are no bugs anyway. Remember, paraffin is smokeless and that is huge inside the boat.

Edited by - on

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