Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-11-2016, 10:25 AM   #1
Member
 
Yankee1's Avatar
 
City: Stratford
Vessel Name: Yankee
Vessel Model: Duffy 35
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 18
Underwater Lights

Our boat came with these stern mounted underwater green spot lights.
One burned out over the summer. The company that made them is long gone now. I didn’t want to deal with extra holes drilled in the hull 10 inches under the water line so I am rebuilding them. I found Green leds on amazon.com some two part west system epoxy. So far so good. The lens has two O-rings that sandwich the glass lens. A long tube in the back of housing is filled with sealer to prevent the boat from taking on water if the lens breaks, A good Thing.
Attached Thumbnails
downsized_0311160651 (3).jpg   Underwater Lights.jpg  
Yankee1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2016, 10:30 AM   #2
Member
 
Yankee1's Avatar
 
City: Stratford
Vessel Name: Yankee
Vessel Model: Duffy 35
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 18
Let me know if anyone else has similar lights on their boat?
Yankee1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2016, 10:49 AM   #3
Guru
 
Capt.Bill11's Avatar
 
City: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,438
Those are odd looking ones. What brand are they?
Capt.Bill11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2016, 02:47 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
City: Dayton, OH
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 206
A friend and I used to gig stingrays for shark bait in Panama City. He had a 12 volt light fixture and a clear bulb on a bracket that would hang over the bow of our skiff to spot them at night. The bulbs were pretty expensive.
This gave me the idea (long ago) for a commercial product. It would be a set of two underwater LED lights, mounted on SS tubing hangars to be hung from the rail and down into the water.
When you're done seeing the sights, into the lazarette they go.

Does this sound like something lots of boaters would buy?
Or did I blow it by mentioning it here..?
Bluto is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2016, 06:11 PM   #5
Guru
 
CaptTom's Avatar
 
City: Southern Maine
Vessel Model: Prairie 36 Coastal Cruiser
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,717
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluto View Post
Does this sound like something lots of boaters would buy?
Or did I blow it by mentioning it here..?
I just submitted the patent...

Seriously, I've been thinking of buying something like this:


Mostly just to pass the time at anchor by attracting fish to watch.
CaptTom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2016, 06:44 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
City: Dayton, OH
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 206
You know, Tom, that's all you really need.
My 'light on a stick' wouldn't be much of an invention..

Consider the Go-Pro, on Zerohedge they call it "camera on a stick".
Those guys are making money hand over fist.

edit: With that light underwater we saw so many cool fish and mollusks, the little squid would come to it in groups of 2 to 4, they were bright pink.
We also managed to gig a few fairly large flounders, the sharks never got those I can tell you.
A light under the water is really entertaining.
Bluto is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2016, 10:19 PM   #7
Guru
 
Steve's Avatar
 
City: Thibodaux, Louisiana
Vessel Name: Gumbo
Vessel Model: 2003 Monk 36
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,882
I have 2, 300w "shop lights", run off of the generator, that I can fasten to the underside of my handrails with hanger bolts and wingnuts, they shine down into the water and attract bait for night fishing, usually for Speckled Trout here in South Louisiana, works great.
I'd never make a hole in the hull for a light, but, I'd like to see someone "invent" and market one that would attach to each side of the underside of the swim platform and shine down into the water from there.
__________________
Steve W.
https://mvgumbo.blogspot.com/
Steve is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2016, 10:57 PM   #8
Master and Commander
 
markpierce's Avatar
 
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
My waters are too "rich" to see beyond a few inches, thus saving the urge to install large holes for lights in the hull. Wondering ... what use are such lights without underwater cameras, and more holes?
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
markpierce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2016, 05:22 AM   #9
Guru
 
AusCan's Avatar
 
City: Adelaide
Vessel Name: Kokanee
Vessel Model: Cuddles 30 Pilot House Motor Sailer
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,218
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluto View Post
This gave me the idea (long ago) for a commercial product. It would be a set of two underwater LED lights, mounted on SS tubing hangars to be hung from the rail and down into the water.
When you're done seeing the sights, into the lazarette they go.

Does this sound like something lots of boaters would buy?
Or did I blow it by mentioning it here..?
It sounds like something worth making.
Great idea. I'm thinking that a couple lights on my fold down swim platform ladder would work well. Thanks Bluto.
AusCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2016, 06:10 AM   #10
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,149
Can't say for sure, but my observations have been the shine down lights aren't nearly as effective as the underwater lights. Surface flection possibly?

They do make surface mount underwater lights that the tiny wire is all that penetrates the hull above the waterline at a comfortable height.
psneeld is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2016, 06:28 AM   #11
Guru
 
Capt.Bill11's Avatar
 
City: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,438
The extra hole for the lights are a total nonissue as far as leaks and any increased likelyhood of sinking goes.

Baring total incompetence at time of install of course.
Capt.Bill11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2016, 06:35 AM   #12
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,149
True...but look at some of the fearful posts on TF and what drives them.

I was just pointing out there are alternatives and if you wanted to change one out in the water, it is less scary than doing a thru hull light (which also can be done in the water).
psneeld is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2016, 08:37 AM   #13
Guru
 
Capt.Bill11's Avatar
 
City: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,438
My comment wasn't directed towards you. It was a general one.
Capt.Bill11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2016, 10:59 AM   #14
Guru
 
City: Seattle
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,312
I have a similar LED light but it needs a DMX controller, which I don't have. Has anyone every successfully directly wired one to a power source easily enough?
Mako is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-13-2016, 02:29 PM   #15
Guru
 
ssobol's Avatar
 
City: Southwest MI
Vessel Name: Sobelle
Vessel Model: C-Dory 22 Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,229
There are companies that make underwater LED lights that use the hull drain hole as a mount. If you have a drain plug already you are not making any new holes in the hull. Your access to the interior area of the drain plug may or may not make this a viable alternative.

Google it.
ssobol is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
leds

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:20 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012