# Navagation lights



## rcgreat (Jun 27, 2009)

I have decided that it is to hot to fish during the day right now, so I need to add lights to my boat. I wanted to a 12 volt mounted bow and achor light, but I am leaning towards the battery powered clamp on type, because of transportabilty. Does anyone have experience with these? Are they bright enough? Now long do the batteries last?


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## phased (Jun 27, 2009)

I have not used the type of light you are talking about but if I were to I think I would go for LED type. LED uses up to 90% less electricity. Link below is from a quick google of LED navigation lights. There are many more listed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NJA7P6/ref=asc_df_B000NJA7P6838023?smid=AEQTEQOXCITS&tag=dealt155992-20&linkCode=asn


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## CarlF (Jun 27, 2009)

I wired mine in. Here's a diagram. Definately go with the new LED, a lot more weather proof and use little juice.


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## Captain Ahab (Jun 27, 2009)

Carl - that is a great wiring plan - thanks for posting it


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## rcgreat (Jun 28, 2009)

Thanks for the replys guys. Im probaly going to do LED but not sure if I want a permanant mount or something that can be removed to be put on my next boat. 

Carl, Thanks for the digram, Looks good.


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## Ranchero50 (Jun 28, 2009)

Be aware, the stern lignt needs to be lit always at dusk and darker and the bow nav lights are only lit when moving. Anchored with nav lights on is a no no.

Jamie


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## thudpucker (Jun 28, 2009)

I want to share this with you guys about the LED stern lights and fishing at night.

Occasionally I fish on a large lake. At the edges where I fish, I dont even need lights and rarely use them unless some other boat approaches and they are usually fishing, slow moving.

But...when its tiime to head for the Ramp, you need all the lights you can get.
The reason is simple.
If you look at the beach your headed for, you see the city lights, parking lot lights, house lights, Marina lightes etc..etc. It looks like a maze of lights out ahead of you.

Now, imagine your little boat with the 360 light on. The light is much lower than the lights at the waters edge, and right in that maze of lights reflecting onto the water. Now here comes a Bass boat heading toward the ramp going 50 Mph.

I had my incandesent 12v light on. Toodling along about 10 Mph, and nearly got run over. 
He turned just at the last minute and nearly capsized me. His boat was so quiet and fast I never even knew he was coming till he turned right at my shoulder and the noise of the water splashing got to me. I was running along with my hand on the tiller of my 9.5, it was roaring in my ears and I had looked around occasionally but I must have missed his bow lights in that plethora of lights behind me.

Lesson learned. I now have a Two-bulb light showing in each direction for a 360 light.
I have my LED Head light on and I look around once in awhile. Its your only defence. Those guys just cannot see you in that maze of lights.

My next effort will be some Blue LED lights hanging overside. Those Blue lights show up very differently than anything out front of them.
The LED lights seem to have a better glow. Even though they dont cast light as far.

LOTS OF LIGHTS when your underway out on the big water.


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## Captain Ahab (Jun 29, 2009)

Thud - what you are suggesting I know makes sense in your situation, but is illegal and p[possibly dangerous.

We use a standard set of navigation and running lights for a reason - red to port, green to starboard and white to stern. If you know your rules of navigation those lights are very important. Of course, there are lots of other lights use to signify type of vessel and mobility (IE three whites up top means tow vessel underway) 

I suggest you get a spotlight as this is the proper tool to use when signaling another vessel. Blue lights are a no no

https://saltfishing.about.com/od/safety/a/aa061113a.htm


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## thudpucker (Jun 29, 2009)

I must have phrsed it wrong.
I have a very bright white light at the stern. Its made up of two Dual bulb lights fastend back to back so they shine 360 and they are mounted on a pole about two feet above my head. when I sit in the boat.

I have the normal Red/Green light on the bow. 

The Headlight (on my head) is the LED light. It has about five LED's in there and puts out a white light with a bluish tint.
That Head light has alerted more than one oncoming boater because its moving about.

When I'm fishing right next to the bank, in the shallows, where nobody in his right mind would be speeding, I turn the light off.
Its much easier to fish in the dark.
When another boat approaches I turn them on again.

On those really dark black nights, I leave the Bow lights on. Boy does that put an eerie cast on the brush at the shoreline. The Kids can see all kinds of monsters in those spooky lit trees n brush. :wink:


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## Loggerhead Mike (Jun 29, 2009)

I just baught the cheap-o clamp on lights from walli world just because i dont plan on keeping my little jon long enough to hardwire everything, and they're nice and simple. They're just as bright as the regular permanent lights, but dont reflect as much light i think because of the plastic houseing instead of glass

anyhoo, for under 30 bucks you cant complain. i had mine on for about 4hrs this weekend and the batterys still seem like new. hope this helps ya in your decision


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## thudpucker (Jun 29, 2009)

Actually I think its cheaper to put the Real thing on your boat.
That Bow light is less than $15. The White 360 is more expensive, but I thought my adaption was better anyway. It was $3 for the two dual bulb lights, and I mounted it on a piece of Conduit.
Ran the wires down to a Plug which came from something I scrapped.
A roll of RED wire and BLACK wire is only $4.
A switch and some plastic to make a Switch box was all from things I scrapped.
During the Day I lay the White light down in the stern, out of the way of clumsy feet and flying lures.
At night I pick it up, Plug it in. The switch will work all the lights at the same time as it should.

My interior lights are on a different circuit.
I'd be willing to bet I have less money tied up in the permanant mounts than you do in the temp's and my lights work off the 12v battery.


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## Zum (Jun 29, 2009)

Captain Ahab said:


> Thud - what you are suggesting I know makes sense in your situation, but is illegal and p[possibly dangerous.
> 
> We use a standard set of navigation and running lights for a reason - red to port, green to starboard and white to stern. If you know your rules of navigation those lights are very important. Of course, there are lots of other lights use to signify type of vessel and mobility (IE three whites up top means tow vessel underway)
> 
> ...


A good(simple)read for alot of people.


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## rcgreat (Jun 29, 2009)

Thud, Do you have pictures of what you have made? I was thinking of making something but not sure how to go about it.

Loggerhead, Thanks for posting, thats the answer I was looking for.


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## thudpucker (Jun 29, 2009)

I'll take some pictures and get back this evening.


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## Captain Ahab (Jun 29, 2009)

I understand what you are doing Thud - not really much of a concern on a lake or pond. Just a word to the wise if anyone here goes out into navigable waterways (Big rivers, salt or Great Lakes)


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## thudpucker (Jun 29, 2009)

Ahab when I talked about my head light haveing a bluish tint, its a White Light meant for seeing what your doing. Standard thing. Not Blue lights like the Cops use.
Those little blue lights I was going to hang overside could never be mistaken for the Cops. But you can see them for some distance, even with all the lights in the background.
Navigable waterways or not, you need to be seen.

I've been boating since we arrived in the Pacific Northwest in 46. 
That problem of returning to the beach, facing that maze of lights, which obscure your vision of what might be in the water between you and those lights is the most common problem boaters ignore as something they just have to put up with.

One night (some time in the 50's) returning from Salmon fishing in Puget Sound around Alki point, I was returning to a boat house at the end of Harbor island. 
Ship yards, etc with those big work lights, lit up the horizon.
Some light reflected on the water in front of me.
The Salmon were in and I've got an eye out for a leaping fish.
I saw something in the water. I thought it was a Log. I adjusted course to go around it and as I passed it I saw a movment. 
I had to make a big circle as I was moving about 15 Mph.
I looked back but it was dark and I couldnt see the Log.
As I went around and tried to find it again, finally I saw a movment again and this time I recognized it as an arm.
Some Dingus was out there swimming in the dark, about 500 yards or so from the nearest point of rest. #-o 
jeez, of all the dumbest things you never ever thought you'd see.
He was in that cold water, swimming, in the dark, nothing on him reflected light....obviously he'd never faced the back ground lights like a boater had.
I offered him a ride, he refused...? :| 
I dont know what might have happend to the guy or if he had a buddy with him. To heck with guys like that. 

Can you imagine this: You hit a bump at night coming in. Oh well.
Next day, you come home from work and see the white prop on the outboard has a dark outer edges on it.
A couple days later in the papers, you hear about a guy who was cut up by a boat while swimming. His body was recoverd from under a pier near Downtown Seattle.
Holy cow! That bump and the stain on the white prop come to your mind immediatly.
You begin to shake. Do you get up and go look?

LIGHTS! Gentlemen, dont let anybody talk you out of lights! Not for any reason.


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## bandgeek1263 (Jul 2, 2009)

thudpucker said:


> LIGHTS! Gentlemen, dont let anybody talk you out of lights! Not for any reason.



amen.


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## thudpucker (Jul 5, 2009)

More on Blue lights.
Thursday evening in the dark I was slowly motoring along the shoreline and nearly ran into somebodys dock. It was 150 feet out into the water on a long straight stretch.
Way ahead of my I saw a blue light moving slowly.
After reading on this thread where somebody told me the LEO's use Blue lights, I escaped the dock and went on over to the blue light.
"Are you a Cop?" I asked him.
"no! why do you ask?" he says. Gruff voiced individual.
"I saw your blue light. I thought the Cops used the Blue lights." I said.
"It aint blue, he says, Its White!" In a mind your own business tone.

Not much you can say to a guy who has a White LED light that puts out a bright Blue light, when he call's it a White light.

I'll get those photos of my 'Cost Reduced' lighting in tonite sometime.


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## thudpucker (Jul 6, 2009)

OK, Here's my 'Cost Reduced' permanant light mounting. Its a photo show so just click on the photo and see all the shots with names, go by.

I used two Side marker lights from a Truck for the 360 light. It came with 3 watt bulbs (two in each) and I upped that to 6 or 7 watts each. You can see that light from a long way off.
I WANT to be seen.

When ever I'm on the water at night, moving or not, I have that light on.
The rest are the way I connected the lights. You can see it's not expensive, but its permanant and works very well. The switches are easy to reach as well.
That Lawn mower battery will last for several late night trips.


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## rcgreat (Jul 6, 2009)

excellent Thud, Thanks for the pics. The wheels are turning in my head.


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## VBTravisD (Nov 12, 2009)

So how long would a bow light and stern light run on a lawn mower battery?


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## thudpucker (Nov 12, 2009)

That's what I use. I turn them on when it's dark enough.
I fish till midnight or so, drop my hooks and come back at 05:00 and the lights stay on till its light enough.
Then I put the charger on it.
So it does ok for at least 10 hours. That includes the lights inside for baiting etc.


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## VBTravisD (Nov 13, 2009)

Cool, sounds good to me! I am going to start fishing for speckled trout and people are killing it right at sundown... I will only be running the nav lights on the little battery and my TM off off my deep cycle. So all I need is for that lawn mower battery to run my lights for a few hours and I'm good. I'll give it a go and report back...


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## danmyersmn (Nov 13, 2009)

I have a 12v hand held spotlight that plugs into a 12v accessory plug. I also have the standard red/green front, white up high rear transom lights for the boat. The 12v spotlight works great for getting back to the launch and you can also light up around you as an indicator you are a moving object not a reflected shore light on the water. I know exactly what you are referring too with our smaller slower boats not giving off good indication that its a moving object.


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