I'd be interested to hear how others have their stern lights set up when there is an outboard hanging off the back of the transom and obscuring it.

I have a Red Witch (6 m fixed keel trailer sailer) and was looking through the regulations for something else entirely when I realised our current light setup is acceptable only for powered craft.

We have a white all-round masthead light and sidelights, but no stern light. In working out how to add a stern light visible over the 135 degrees, I am not sure where I can put it due to the outboard (which is attached to a bracket on the transom) obscuring the light. In order to go on the transom or even the pushpit rail it needs to be extremely off centre - in fact off the boat entirely if my maths is right.

I think my best bet is to get a battery powered all-round light, rail mount it above the height of the outboard and mask it off to 135 degrees with gaffer tape or something, but I'm just wondering how other people have solved this?

Having looked at the other boats of the same make nearby they either are obscured by the rudder/outboard or have no lights at all.

No need to mask off an ARWhite light, spend $40 for a LED light at the correct angle: www.whitworths.com.au/search?q=led+stern+light#/filter:final_price:20:60
Like with the rail-mounted boards for dinghy outboard motors on bigger yachts, you can attach a plywood piece to the stern rail or nearby and then mount the LED on that.
But why bother? Your all-round white masthead light covers you for motor sailing and anchoring. For sailing without the motor, yes, you'd be illegal, but you'd be seen better, and how many hours per year will that be? That's for a bigger yacht. For yachts under 20 feet or so, (check your West Aust regulations) a boat under 6 metres need only use a white all round light and ignore the rest. That's my recollection of Victorian law, but check your laws. Or a $40 LED light mounted off-centre on the top of the transom or rail.

^ I agree.

i overcame the problem by mounting it on my solar panel trailing edge which is mounted on/above the push pit. A Bimini with a battery removable light would work the same. Safe from moonshine too!

Yeh,
Agree
Why would you need two stern lights?

Thanks all. For various uninteresting reasons having complaint lights is better; I think we would be fine with the single top-mounted lamp but someone in a group I sail with is keen for us all to have sidelights due to a nighttime collision some years ago.

FabulousPhill I haven't really seen anything mounted on rails on bigger boats, if anyone has any photos I would be keen to see.

Will keep thinking about it as having a hardwired LED as described above is probably preferred.

Select to expand quote

Woylie said.....I haven't really seen anything mounted on rails on bigger boats, if anyone has any photos I would be keen to see.

OK, it took a bit of searching in this computer, but here are some solutions:










The first one is my yacht, and I took the outboard and cut a huge hole in the yacht to make a well. The stern lamp has a welded plate on the stern rail, but there is plywood there because the holes don't line up/ too hard to drill, etc. That's why the white lamp is lower than the steel plate.

The 2nd photo is much neater. If you can't get a small plate of stainless steel welded to the rail, just use plywood like the white big square plate used to mount the dinghy outboard motor.

The 3rd photo shows things much clearer, and it depends where your OB is mounted. Hard to steer from that position though.
And the 4th photo is a timber bracket you could make, perhaps you could mount it off-centre too.

To mount a small outboard motor, or a timber bracket like above, you can use rail clamps or tube clamps to the timber or plywood:
www.whitworths.com.au/rail-clamp-small







I hope this helps.

Very helpful - thanks a lot!