Do you need an anchor light when on a public / courtesy mooring at night?
Thanks.
To expand on twodogs1969s answer, as brief and to the point as it was, an anchor light is only needed when you are actually anchored, so no you do not need an anchor light when you are moored.
That may be true but it depends on the situation
If I was on a mooring in the probable path of other boats at night I would be tempted to leave something on
Regards Don
Select to expand quoteDonk107 said..
That may be true but it depends on the situation
If I was on a mooring in the probable path of other boats at night I would be tempted to leave something on
Regards Don
"Something On" (cabin or cockpit light for example) will show your position. An anchor light shows an action.
I always show a anchor light on anchor or on a mooring! Have you ever entered a river/harbour in the dark with yacht on moorings without lights? scary!
In Qld you must display an all round light when anchored or moored. www.msq.qld.gov.au/Safety/Navigation-lights
there must be a lot of good battery's out there!!
if every yacht on a mooring is running an anchor light every night .... or 24 /7 .....or using lumatrolls
The colregs are silent on moored boats. I guess the greater proportion of anchored boats and the lack of led/solar tech at the time they were written had an influence.
I think it's a matter of common sense - probably not in a crowded, well known group of moorings - probably in an isolated, busy or less well known mooring. Oh, and nsw suggests using other lights at deck level in Sydney harbour as a masthead may not be seen.
Just off to trim my wick!
Bristle
So who displays an anchor ball during the day? What about inverted cone when motor sailing?
Where mine is moored it is a fair way from the marina entrance so I don't bother to have a light on it at night
On my last boat with a dark green hull I had a solar powered garden light on it that would last all night in summer but wouldn't last in winter so I would look out at night from the house and worry that it had broken away from the mooring or sunk but out it was just that the battery had died
On the current one the white hull it is more visible
Regards Don
Select to expand quoteFreeRadical said..
So who displays an anchor ball during the day? What about inverted cone when motor sailing?
I don't do either
Regards Don
My boat has LED strip lights under the glomex antenna dome, only switched off when underway. The 500W of solar panels and 300Ah batteries are well and truly able to power them 24/7. Plenty of people use solar garden lights, whilst they don't always make it all the way through the night they are usually on the inspectors are out and about.
FreeRadical! Well said, l often wonder about those obscure signs. Never once seen either of them on Port Jackson, never.
I got them in the V berth gathering dust!
About the anchor lights on courtesy moorings. I have seen people using their anchor lights quite often. I see it as a courtesy towards other boats wanting to moor, "do not bother", like a "busy" sign which can be seen from a distance.
When l am sailing in Qld. I never see moored boats displaying anchor lights. Ever.
Neither l've seen them in NSW.
Commercial shipping is under different regulation alltogether. Someone read something one did not know nothing about and we are suffering for it?
Sir g qld is a big place! Plenty of anchor lights on around Cairns at moorings or anchor. Some boats even have coloured flashing lights fore and aft. Sounds good but freaking annoying sitting up late having a flashing light in your field of view.
I am moored near a boat ramp and have trailer boats coming and going so i have a bow and stern solar garden light with upgraded batteries they last nearly all night 
Don't get confused between a courtesy / public mooring V your private mooring.
No lights required at a private mooring. Obviously.
I cannot see a difference between a boat on a courtesy mooring and a boat anchored next to it. If the anchored boat needs a light, so should the one on the mooring. However the regs in NSW don't say anything about courtesy moorings.
I like Sir G comment "About the anchor lights on courtesy moorings. I have seen people using their anchor lights quite often. I see it as a courtesy towards other boats wanting to moor, "do not bother", like a "busy" sign which can be seen from a distance."
Someone told me the logic is that moorings are charted therefore boats on those moorings dont need to display lights because approaching boats should be aware of the moorings, whereas a boat at anchor isnt on a chart and should display lights. Im with Donk on this one. Ultimately we dont want anyone to prang into our boat especially while sleeping. I leave our deck lights on while anchored as well as the anchor light.
Select to expand quotesirgallivant said..
When l am sailing in Qld. I never see moored boats displaying anchor lights. Ever.
Neither l've seen them in NSW.
Commercial shipping is under different regulation alltogether. Someone read something one did not know nothing about and we are suffering for it?
The boating patrol and water police enforce it on anchor and moorings here in Bundy, having my light on has prevented at least two fines in the last two years 
.
Regardless of the regs ...if you are attached to a public courtesy buoy or anchored in an area where commercial vessels operate at night not such a bad idea to have some form of illumination.....issue i deal with almost every day /night.. made a bit more complex by virtue of the fact the town lights are facing straight down the last leg of the river adjacent to the courtesy buoys ...near on impossible to spot a vessel without light.....(ie the fisherman in tinnies who don't want to scare the fish ....) or even large sailing vessels .....just throwing it out there ....!... don't get me started on the night kayak fishers/paddlers without lights !!!
Lake Macquarie maritime says a definite yes to anchor lights on a courtesy mooring.
Select to expand quoteBJRobinson said..
Lake Macquarie maritime says a definite yes to anchor lights on a courtesy mooring.
Who is Lake Macquarie maritime? Is that the RMS Boating Service Officer?
Common sense tells you to put a light ' on ' ,but our government doesn't believe in common sense, there has to be a procedure and law and when something goes wrong there has to be someone else to blame for not telling you what to do, because common sense no longer exists.
The maritime officer that took me out to choose my mooring last December gave me his card. He said to contact him if i had any questions. I texted him today asking the question. He came back with the answer of yes.
In the meantime I called RMS on 13 12 56 and they put me through to a few people. The final bloke I spoke to, who understood what i was talking about, told me you needed an anchor light while on a courtesy mooring. I don't know what his position was.
So 2 officials said yes you need the light.
Select to expand quoteBJRobinson said..
The maritime officer that took me out to choose my mooring last December gave me his card. He said to contact him if i had any questions. I texted him today asking the question. He came back with the answer of yes.
In the meantime I called RMS on 13 12 56 and they put me through to a few people. The final bloke I spoke to, who understood what i was talking about, told me you needed an anchor light while on a courtesy mooring. I don't know what his position was.
So 2 officials said yes you need the light.
Hi BJ
Did you ask them if the rule is different for private moorings because this is what the NSW Boating Handbook says
MOORING AREAS On many waterways in NSW, areas are set aside for the mooring of vessels. These vessels are not required to be lit at night and the masters of other vessels must be aware of the location of such moorings. Check local maps or charts, or contact your local Roads and Maritime centre for details of mooring areas.
Regards Don
Select to expand quoteDonk107 said..BJRobinson said..
The maritime officer that took me out to choose my mooring last December gave me his card. He said to contact him if i had any questions. I texted him today asking the question. He came back with the answer of yes.
In the meantime I called RMS on 13 12 56 and they put me through to a few people. The final bloke I spoke to, who understood what i was talking about, told me you needed an anchor light while on a courtesy mooring. I don't know what his position was.
So 2 officials said yes you need the light.
Hi BJ
Did you ask them if the rule is different for private moorings because this is what the NSW Boating Handbook says
MOORING AREAS On many waterways in NSW, areas are set aside for the mooring of vessels. These vessels are not required to be lit at night and the masters of other vessels must be aware of the location of such moorings. Check local maps or charts, or contact your local Roads and Maritime centre for details of mooring areas.
Regards Don
That is my interpretation. I wouldn't have a light on when moored, EXCEPT, if I thought the position I was moored presented a danger that a light would help with.
Consistent application of the rules is important to avoid confusion and misinterpretation of the situation. Only go outside the rules after careful consideration of what and why you are doing so.
An anchor light when actually anchored makes sense. So you can give suffice space so as not to foul the anchor line, which dependent on conditions could be considerable
A courtesy mooring is different,requiring a lessor clearance, but as courtesy moorings tend only to be in popular, high traffic areas, a requirement to be lit up in a noticeable manner should be common sense.
