Tri Colour & Allround white top of mast.

[Sitesurfer]

Bav 36 2002/3 - as far as I am aware completely standard.
Just having rigging changed out and mast completely refurbished, a great time to replace the masthead lighting.

Is it normal for this model to only have an anchoring light? I have no tricolour at the masthead, not even sure if there's a switch on the panel now.
Rigger removed single white light, am aiming to replace with a NASA dual version (LED) as used one on the last boat, just need to sort the wiring.

Any reasons why Bavaria didnt fit a tricolour that anyone might know?

[Yngmar]

Our tricolour looks like a factory option too (obvious sticker on the DC panel, but matching the Bavaria labels). Unlike the deck level navigation lights, the tricolour is not a SOLAS requirement, merely an optional alternative that may make some sense in large waves and originally saved power in the pre-LED days. The ~2000 era Aqua Signal Series 40 are available in all three varieties, anchor light, tricolour and both stacked on top of each other. You'll have to check the cable and connector block at the masthead to see if there is a wire for the tricolour.

If there is no spare wire, you'll have to add one, or get one of the lights that come with a wireless remote or modes that can be selected by flipping the switch in certain sequences.

[Symphony]

 Save money! As Yngmar says it is not a legal requirement and it is quite common not to fit a tricolour as standard, although many were dealer fitted from new using a separate switch.

Good opportunity to replace  the light and wiring while the mast is down as the additional cost of the light over just a white is relatively small

[Bavaria 34]

What I know for sure:

I have 5 cables coming through deck glands into the boat:

VHF, TV, Anemometer, Radar power (it's wireless), mast lights.

The light cable somehow manages to power the masthead anchor light, the steaming light and the deck light.

The switches on the panel are reasonably logically ordered:

1 is anchor (3A)
2 is steaming (3A)
3 is deck level nav (7A)
4 is deck light (7A)

I can see why that has been done, to keep nav together, but I would have preferred a cascade approach, anchor, steaming, deck, deck level nav. No big deal.

(Number 10 powers the radar, radio and VHF)

What I DON'T understand is how anchor, steaming and deck light, all coming off different switches can be powered by what appears to be one cable.

What I have thought of doing is:

Take the steaming light off 2 and connecting it at the panel to 3. Ideal as when motoring I now have the three necessary lights AND a spare switch for a tricolour.

This would (presumably) mean running a cable from switch 2 to the top of the mast for the tricolour but the NASA I was considering https://www.nasamarine.com/product/supernova-combi-tri-and-anchor-l-e-d-mastlight/ relies on a Heath Robinson 3-way switch that needs mounting somewhere to chose between anchor or nav.

Not sure how to overcome that.

The reason that I like a tricolour is that I find when sailing there is sufficient bounce back of light onto the genoa to cause visibility problems. My forward nav light is mounted well inside the pulpit and reflects onto the stainless steel and then onto the sail.

I'll be interested to see what the OP decides.

[sy_Anniina]

I have been thinking about a tricolour led replacement inside white anchor light fixture like this one https://www.svb24.com/en/tricombo-led-bulb-for-position-lights-bay15s.html.

The benefit is that I could cope with just one cable (+/- pair). When you first switch it on, it will light up in all-white configuration. A short off-on-cycle will switch the light to tricolour configuration.

BR,

Tommi
s/y Anniina

[Bavaria 34]

That’s very very cool 

[Joe]

I‘m also planning to upgrade my anchor light to a tricolour this winter and in Lack of an additional cable/switch the above is exactly my choice.

Joe

[Salty]

Bavaria 34 - “ What I DON'T understand is how anchor, steaming and deck light, all coming off different switches can be powered by what appears to be one cable. ”

Answer - They use a multi core cable carrying an individually switched positive current to each separate light, and a common negative shared by all lights. In your case the cable would have four cores, three of which would be individually switched and carry positive current, and one core would be the negative return from all three lights and is probably not switched at all.

[Bavaria 34]

Thanks Salty, that makes sense.

[Sitesurfer]

So after some deliberation, I will fit the NASA tricolour and parking light (oooh that's going to raise some hackles) and have a rotary switch somewhere to switch between them, seems sensible.
The mast is off now and work has commenced on the complete overhaul.