Light Question

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by Larmex

Guys, i am not going to be under sail (this is the power boat forum,right?)and unless you are travelling in moon light you can't see anything crossing the gulf, which is loaded with logs and assorted debris. There are even occassional submerged containers. I would not ever consider crossing it without some type of forward vision. The commercial fishermen that I know use their operating lights, but maybe others choose not to......can't say for sure. BTW, there are no crab pots, no SeaTow, no ports and no Coast Guard arrivals in 10 minutes. I wasn't asking your opinion about forward vision, just light options. HID stands for high intensity discharge and hopefully you know what flir is. Thanks for the advice.

Have you ever been on a vessel that successfully lit the oceans surface well enough to avoid objects on anything but a perfectly calm night? I've been going to sea or flying over it for 50 years and I've never seen it done successfully and yes I've been in many a fishing fleet...

[Larmex]

You have more experience than I have so I defer to you on this. I have crossed the gulf of Alaska with low level light from 2 recessed docking lights and could see objects ahead......sometimes, as they bobbed in the sea. Perfect, no, but it was way better than sitting in the dark waiting to hear a bump in the night. There is a good reason there are few recreational boats crossing that body of water. I guess the answer is to cross in late June when there are 20 hrs of light. Never gets really black then.

[Norskip]

I have been looking for the same thing. Sometimes, when making the overnight lap between Seward and PWS, It is necessary to light up the water to see what's rolling your way. Even crossing in the summer, there are some hours where it can be difficult to see approaching waves as they build to something larger than everything else.

I'm thinking of using multiple LED spot lights like these...

On sale!! Bridgelux 120-130lm 100 watt led flood light (CE&RoSH) products, buy On sale!! Bridgelux 120-130lm 100 watt led flood light (CE&RoSH) products from alibaba.com

A 100W light, through a 120VAC inverter will need less than 1 amp. An inverter should run several with no problem.

Best pricing seems to be through Hong Kong. Comparable lights in the US can cost twice as much, and they come from the same manufacturers. The Alibaba site lists quite a few companies.

Good luck...fair seas.

[DRS]

Contact your local fire truck dealer. There are all kinds of 12V and 120V (white) "scene" lights available. They are built tough and can be very bright. If you talk with the dealers parts department they may be able to help you out. PM me if you need a name up there.