Cabin lighting.

[Allan]

My main cabin has 5 spotlights and a striplight over the sink. When I turn all these on, not only am I using a lot of power but the cabin is still quite dark. I am thinking of adding some extra lights and wonder if anyone has ant suggestions of what to buy?
Allan

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

My main cabin has 5 spotlights and a striplight over the sink. When I turn all these on, not only am I using a lot of power but the cabin is still quite dark. I am thinking of adding some extra lights and wonder if anyone has ant suggestions of what to buy?
Allan

Modern 20w spots with dichroic bulbs seem to give quite a reasonable light if reflected from a white or pale surface. In the places where mine reflect from a teak of mahogany surface the light around the cabin is approximatley halved I reckon.
The light from LED's can be very bright and have a fraction of the drain on the battery charge.....however, IMHO the light is akin to a fluorescent.... in that it can give you BSS 'building sickness syndrome' or in our case 'boat SS'
best of luck,
I too would like more light so it will be interesting to see advice given on this.
S.

 

[aquaplane]

I use a storm lantern. If I need lots of light I use a Tilley, but the mantles are fragile and only last a couple of lightings (or 3). Neither draw much from the battery.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I use a storm lantern. If I need lots of light I use a Tilley, but the mantles are fragile and only last a couple of lightings (or 3). Neither draw much from the battery.

yep been there and done that.A far better light to relax to.
Not too much of a problem in a tent, but in a boat the build-up of fumes and the eventual soot that deposits over time, is possibly another good reason why mankind is living a bit longer these days. ;-)

 

[Fergus]

I added a small fluorescent as it was impossible to read even with all the (led) cabin lights on - very frugal..

 

[seamaster30]

I added a small fluorescent as it was impossible to read even with all the (led) cabin lights on - very frugal..

Then, with respect, you have the wrong LED's.
I use 2.6w warm white, and they are very bright, and perfect to read by.
What wattage are the ones you are using? - and also of importance, are the LED bulbs all pointing in the right direction if there is not a suitably reflective surface around the bulb?

 

[Leighb]

If I need lots of light I use a Tilley, but the mantles are fragile and only last a couple of lightings (or 3).

Light from a Tilley is very bright in a small space, also they are pretty noisy. Friend always used one in his caravan, and it was far from relaxing.

I also have a childhood memory of staying with a schoolfriend on a remote farm in Dorset with no electric. Tilley lamps and candles were all they had. One evening his dad was lighting the Tilley and had a HUGE flare up. Soot all over the - fairly high - ceiling.

I am not sure I would want that in a yacht cabin.

 

[Fergus]

Then, with respect, you have the wrong LED's.
I use 2.6w warm white, and they are very bright, and perfect to read by.
What wattage are the ones you are using? - and also of importance, are the LED bulbs all pointing in the right direction if there is not a suitably reflective surface around the bulb?

They are pretty much as bright as the festoon bulbs they replaced and yes they are all pointing correctly! You can read by them but not at the saloon table

 

[pappaecho]

I think that the major problem is the fact that you have 5 spotlights. In any setting spotlights provide concentrated light and do not disperse the light in a wide area. You need a light oflights which are low consumption but which provide dispersed light, and the fluorescent light is the obvious candiate. I actually made up a 60 led array of different temperature (colour) white leds and which were arranged so they gave a dispersed light, and which went into an existing brass overhead assembly, and which works well and uses about 2 watts, but this is not available commercially yet

 

[seamaster30]

They are pretty much as bright as the festoon bulbs they replaced and yes they are all pointing correctly! You can read by them but not at the saloon table

Sorry I didn't mean that you had put them in back to front, rather that some designs have the LED bulbs all around a central 'spike' so some are inevitably pointing upwards, or even that they all point sideways.
I have LED's that are on a flat surface, all pointing down, in spotlight fittings, and the 2.6W LED's give the same light as a 25W filament bulb.
My old festoon bulbs (where still fitted) are 10W and much dimmer.

 

[CaptainBob]

I have to dive in here and defend the paraffin lamp suggestions!

I've lived aboard since Feb, and for the year and a half before that spent about 50% of my time aboard. During that time I've used a Vapalux M320 (like a Tilley, but a LOT better), and within the last 6 months a smallish hurricane lamp and a Fastnet gimbaled oil lamp.

We also have 3 12v filament bulb lights in the main cabin.

Combination of all of them is a serious amount of light and enough heat to keep us warm on the coldest of days. Care with ventilation has meant we've gone the whole time without more than a few drops of condensation on the metal frames of our windows.

As I've cruised about I've seen a lot of people settling down for the evening. We sit outside using the Vapalux as a garden heater stylee until late in the eve and see the bright blue-ish white lights eminating from near everyone elses cabins where they've retreated to keep warm.

Fluoros and LEDs (even the warm light ones) just can't compete with the ambience created by our 12v cabin lights - let alone that created by our oil lamps.

And the noise of the "Tilley" - it's magical!! It's a fantastic hiss - I love it! No way too loud. We watch movies often on the laptop (thanks to love film and freeview) and i've never felt I couldn't hear what I was watching.

And flare ups... I've never had one with my Vapalux. I think they're possible if you don't do enough pre-heating - but it's not hard to get it right.

And mantels... sometimes they will only go a few burns, but on the whole I find they last for at least a couple of months - burning most nights. We actually had the lamp fall off its shelf at sea once onto a hard floor and the mantel was fine. Trick is, when you put them on, use gloves or a pair of pliers - avoid touching the mantel as it's the oils from your skin that makes them break down quicker.

 

[Manuel]

My main cabin has 5 spotlights and a striplight over the sink. When I turn all these on, not only am I using a lot of power but the cabin is still quite dark. I am thinking of adding some extra lights and wonder if anyone has ant suggestions of what to buy?
Allan

We have 12V Halogen down lighters recessed into the ceilings and the light, while adequate, is not good for reading. When not on shore power I leave the inverter running all the time so we run two clip-on 230V bedside lights (plastic, with a plastic clip) fitted with these new low power fluorescents. One we leave over the main cooking work surface, the other where we tend to sit and read. Works well. I leave one of those on 24/7 when not on board or from dusk to dawn, for security. Whether at anchor or in a marina, I feel sure that a light must discourage criminals. The power drain is not excessive if you are set up for cruising.

 

[maxi77]

We used to use parafin pressure lanterns, both tilley and bialadin in our holiday cottage which had no mains anything. They were good, did what they said on the tin and also helped with the heating. The mantles used to last for months with no real special hanling or care, so perhaps the modern ones are not of the same quality. Flare ups were very very infrequent once the skill had been masteres, and equally with experience could always be contained to avoid problems. The only real problem for use in boats I can see is that they really need to be well above head level, not so easy in most boat saloons.

 

[Refueler]

I got fed up with lighting and the power required ... and then a friend sent me a couple of clip-on "Guitar Lights" .... musicians use them to clip onto music stands, fret boards etc. read scores / see what they are doing. I now have these clipped to curtain rods above bunks .. flexible stems like map readers ... you can read a book in bed .. LED's powered by button cells inside the head - mine are still on original cells months after getting them.

Just a thought.

I also have in strategic locations - the LED downlighters you buy in packs of 3 .. press the light and it comes on ... not very bright, but run on AA's and give enough light to get around cabin without blinding watchkeeper / others etc.

For bright general lighting - then it's caravan shop ... the range and styles far outdo any chandler .. and usually at good price too.