bow navigation lights knackered.......

[Matata]

I put a new bow bicolour navigation light on our 10m yacht 18/12 ago with lots of silicone sealant in every nook and cranny. I did my best. just had a look at it and its full of sea water. Anyone got any "bright" suggestions? Can I put it on the mast just under my steaming light, out of the way? Or is a better one available which is a sealed unit? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Nik

 

[VicS]

You can fit it to the mast provided the steaming light is at least 1m above it

It will be obscured by the headsail though so wont be much use when sailing!

You dont say what light ( make & model) you fitted so not possible to comment.

My lights all have small drain holes so cannot fill with water. ( unless actually submerged)

 

[Matata]

Thanks Vic, I thought I could put it on the mast, just wasn,t sure. If I was sailing i'd have my tricolour on and not my nav lights so that wouldn't be a problem. It looks very Aqua signal type to me. You know the type, a single long 6ba bolt that holds the lid on with a festoon (?) bulb inside. Does a bicolour led exist? ta Nik

 

[ostell]

With all the silicone sealant you probably sealed up the drain holes but didn't quite seal as well as you thought at the top! So water got in there and couldn't get out again.

 

[VicS]

Thanks Vic, I thought I could put it on the mast, just wasn,t sure. If I was sailing i'd have my tricolour on and not my nav lights so that wouldn't be a problem. It looks very Aqua signal type to me. You know the type, a single long 6ba bolt that holds the lid on with a festoon (?) bulb inside. Does a bicolour led exist? ta Nik

Could well be a Aquasignal or a clone or something similar

My Aquasignal series 25 had two long thin screws holding the lenses on ( so do the clones replacing them) but there is also a later type with only one screw. ( they have different names.. one is called "classic" I forget what they call the other

Yes you can get LEDs to replace the festoon bulbs. Boatlamps and others will have them. Or you can buy complete LED lights if you have that much cash to splash.

You need a warm white in a bicolour ( cool white in the steaming light or stern light)

I'd hesitate to mount a bicolour where it could not be used when sailing. I have full set of decklevel lights + steaming light as well as a tricolour.

I can use the deck level lights if the tricolour fails or when the tricolour would not be visible from the bridge of a ship against a background shore lights.

Make sure your lamp is assembled correctly with the unobstructed drain hole at the bottom. The little gasket between the back and the lens assembly should prevent water entering. The drain will allow any that might get in to escape

 

[wotayottie]

With all the silicone sealant you probably sealed up the drain holes but didn't quite seal as well as you thought at the top! So water got in there and couldn't get out again.

Exactly. Dont seal it. Make sure it has plenty of drainage from the bottom and spray the internal components with some sort of anti rust spray, even Waxoyl if you have it.

I have no problems with the lights on my boat except for vibration damage to the filiaments, and they have a rubber gasket covering maybe 270 degrees of the circumference and lots of downward drainage in the rest. Been like that from new.

 

[sailorman]

I put a new bow bicolour navigation light on our 10m yacht 18/12 ago with lots of silicone sealant in every nook and cranny. I did my best. just had a look at it and its full of sea water. Anyone got any "bright" suggestions? Can I put it on the mast just under my steaming light, out of the way? Or is a better one available which is a sealed unit? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Nik

DONT seal it

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

These are completely waterproof.

http://www.foxsonline.com/acatalog/Lopolight-LED-Navigation-Light-Combined-Horizontal-100-003.html

 

[Boo2]

These are completely waterproof.

Yes but they are very expensive and are reported to be rather unreliable.

Boo2

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Yes but they are very expensive and are reported to be rather unreliable.

Boo2

They are excellently made, completely waterproof, guaranteed for life.

There were a few problems a while back due to a bad batch but they were all warranty replaced.

Worth the money IMHO. We have Lopos front, back and on top.

 

[onesea]

DONT seal it

+1 Just make sure the drain holes are bigger than any on the top...

 

[Matata]

Thanks guys, it just doesnt seem right to be immersing a light in water but I "bow" to your experience. We only do one night crossing a year and its so easy to put on that i think i'll just put it on for that trip. Regards NiK

 

[Fantasie 19]

Thanks guys, it just doesnt seem right to be immersing a light in water but I "bow" to your experience. We only do one night crossing a year and its so easy to put on that i think i'll just put it on for that trip. Regards NiK

Cheaper to get these then???

9 hour battery light from one standard D battery - only £15 for all three - keep 'em down below when not using them....

 

[Boo2]

They are excellently made, completely waterproof, guaranteed for life.

That's what I have heard. But none of those things make up for a lack of reliability.

There were a few problems a while back due to a bad batch but they were all warranty replaced.

It remains to be seen whether the latest output from Lopolight is any more reliable, long term, than early ones and I for one will be holding off until I know the outcome.

But, obviously, I am glad you are happy with your lights and have nothing against Lopolights per se.

Boo2