Pearson Boats - Common Systems > Electrical Systems & Electronics

Mast Lights

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Captain Bri:
Looking at pulling the stick in the new year for rigging projects but I am not inclined to replace or add light fixtures if I don't have to.  I found the suggestions for replacing cabin lights with LED - good info!  Has anyone replaced their anchor light (or steaming light for that matter) with an LED bulb?  Any tips to share?

Dolce_Vita:
Because Coast Guard certification of lights requires certification of the bulb AND the fixture, it is logistically impossible for LED bulb manufacturers to get their bulbs certified with every possible fixture.  As a result, the only certified LED lights are the ones that are a sealed assembly. 

CG approval of lights can become an issue if you have to make an insurance claim.  Insurance companies will look for any excuse to deny a claim.

That having been said, I used the following LED fixtures for my steaming and anchor lights when I rebuilt my mast 5 years ago:

    Anchor Light: http://store.marinebeam.com/led-all-around-anchor-light/

    Steaming Light: http://store.marinebeam.com/led-masthead-steaming-light/

I have been completely happy with these two products.  Bright, low power, and reliable.  And no more trips up the mast to replace burned out bulbs or clean corroded contacts!

The only thing I might do differently if I were doing it today is to get the anchor light with a photocell to automatically turn it off at dawn. (that model wasn't available back then)
http://store.marinebeam.com/led-anchor-light-with-photocell-sensor/

If you're really dead-set against replacing your existing fixtures, Marinebeam has a wide selection of constant-current LED replacement bulbs:
http://store.marinebeam.com/replacement-bulbs/

Captain Bri:
Great advise thanks!  Looks like a reasonably priced upgrade for an anchor light that draws only 0.09 Amps.

I am hoping they ran an extra wire for spreader lights - I think there is a circuit breaker labeled as such on my main panel. If so I see that Marinebeam also carries a combination light for the deck.

Dolce_Vita:
I went hog wild with the deck lighting and used two of these LED spreader lights:

http://store.marinebeam.com/15w-led-spreader-deck-light-for-boats/

They light up the deck like runway landing lights, and are way better than the 10W halogen bulbs that were there!  Those were about as effective as dim moonlight!

At 15W apiece, they're a bit more power draw, but I figure I don't use them for long periods at a time, and felt the improved brightness was more important.

The only drawback was that I had to get a local welder to fabricate custom SS spreader mounting brackets, using the existing ones and some SS plate.
 

Alma:
I installed ebay warm white LED festoon bulbs in the PERKO spreader lights I had installed 20 years ago-

The perko lights have survived because I drilled a tiny hole in the plastic lens to create a drain hole.

Believe me they were not $80.00 EACH when I bought them...

I used a piece of rough sandpaper with a rag under it against the contour of the spreader to mill down teak blocks as adapters to match the spreader contour.

If you have lights the festoon bulbs are less than $3.00

They are not real bright but just about perfect for offshore.

Some folks have problems with the single down light at mast fouling lines and busting up the light.

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