Nav Lights - Poof

[Chuteman]

Sailing aka motoring in Med........and noticed that Compass light was off
thought it was because of dimming Chartplotter but remember they are
connected to Navigation Light switch - then looked = ALL Nav Lights were
out.........reset breaker & it popped...swapped breaker & that one popped.

Coincidence ? - there is a small panel / screen that monitors fuel & water tanks
(levels) and Battery charge condition - it is also out........humm???

Did not want to mess around last night underway & when I got in today - it was nap time........
I was going to start in am by taking apart each light (bow has taken plenty of salt water the last few months) + it's very damp/wet at night here in Spain after blazing sun.........inspect, check bulbs, connections, etc

Other Thoughts?

 

[Ludd]

I had ad a total " light out" ,caused by a wire chafed and shorting where it passed through the deck and into pushpit tubing.Twas a bugger to get at!

I now have separate inline fuses on everything. Paranoid?


















2

 

[Chuteman]

Paranoia - sounds good

Ludd - thanks I'll look for that too.........

Been banged around a bunch too the other day/night (3 nights ag0) ....when it all goes dark at once it certainly gets your attention & NO I do not have emergency nav lights.........luckily the moon was very bright, only a few boats
so I threw on deck & anchor lights - at least they would stay away from anyone that crazy

 

[uxb]

Are you still allowed to say 'poof' ?

 

[Chuteman]

Good & not all good

uxb - don't understand the reference........poof is an electrical technical term
when in the middle of the night - everything goes dark......

Mystery solved somewhat.....Ludd was the winner
It was not visible upon inspection but there was a telltale odor - so I removed the Port side light from the plate that holds it to the pulpit.....voila, when I pulled the light away - the wires were burned not exiting the pulpit but as it passed thru the hole in the retaining plate & light insulator (did not do it's job well)...........wires were really burned....kinda scary. Even more so when I went to attach new wires I made up for light side........the ground wire especially is damaged much further back.........

It was getting dark - I'm tired - and I have 2 of 3 lights now working......
In the am I'll trace back to where the circuit splits as there are two separate
sets of wires coming through the anchor locker

Monitoring Panel might be related or not....will fix one problem first.

Ludd - Thanks for hints & the right call........now I join your paranoid club
because looking at the wires is pretty scary....don't understand why the breaker did not pop sooner

Thanks again