Why Do Motor Yachts Have Large Forward Masts?

Hi,

On most it is to position the Forward Navigational and Anchor Lights, some have it combined with a crane for the foredeck and some use it as a design feature.

It should be born in mind that the watchkeepers have to look past these objects so large or shiny ones can produce problems for the watchkeepers.

Is it not a must have for 50m+ Vessels? I read about it some years ago, but I can be wrong.

Navigation Rules/ Colregs require:
(a) A power driven vessel underway shall exhibit:

(i) a masthead light forward;

(ii) a second masthead light abaft of and higher than the forward one; except that a vessel of less than 50 meters in length shall not be obliged to exhibit such a light but may do so;

The height of the mast allows the light to be above the watch standers field of vision and prevents illumination of the bulwarks. The higher and lower masthead lights enable another vessel to identify the vessels heading, as range lights.

As said, any boat can have the two lights, but above 50 m it is a must. However, many yachts, especially those just above 50 meters have a folding mast that they can remove in port or if they know they are just "daycruising".

Yes,,, then that stupid worthless folding telescopic mast can and more than likely will leak in heavy seas sending fwd bilge alarms at like 2 am to make the engineers lives more fun and exciting for the navigational safety of an extra light bulb on the boat!

On a 65m yacht I sailed around the world on, we had a telescopic foremast with lights on. It was such a hassle to erect it only got used twice in 4 years. These new designs are so much better and make a feature of the bow, the first part of a yacht anyone looks at.

One reason to have folding masts is that the fore deck can be used for helicopter landing or as an emergency pickup area.

On the Triple Bling design I made a sculptural mast to free up the space...

Hi,

I suppose you made more than 2 passages after dark during that time.

It was recently suggested I made PD a friend on FB I might start by asking him about that sort of behaviour.

Coming to the entrance of Singapore with all the decklights on, you'ed have thought the 9 other tankers may have seen us. Nope.

The other tankers obviously needed a bigger one.

Tankers vs private yacht? I'm guessing they saw you, but didn't care.

Call me crazy; but I'm not too crazy about the forward radar location.

forward radar position

well, i cannot specifically comment for this design; but most of the very large commercial cruise ships or container carriers have a radar in the forward position. this is due to the fact that they want to be able to see the immediate vicinity in front of the bow..

On a 140 m (460 feet) yacht like this, you sometimes would like to have a close range radar in addition to the two main radars (working on different bands). The beam is not affecting any people behind the radar.

One of our local ferries, you know it as the black one in the James Bond movie, wished he had a foremast radar as he ran down a fishing vessel in St. Malo.
Turn your AIS on for heavens sake, it important.

Understand your point; but would raising the unit put the yacht on the fugly list?



Also, would one of these be of help, mounted below the radar unit?

http://www.nightboating.com/index.php/atlas-detail-comm

Hello, mca don't wonth telescopic mast......is a true information?
Best regards

Andrea

Hi,

Not in my experience, there are a lot of yachts with them out there floating around happily.

is a new rule but in a mca web site there isn't any information.
Probably for a new constructions.