Boat project

[Sparky_911]

Did an install using materials I had around my shop. This is on my 16ft jon boat that I use for play and if needed water rescue.  I used lighting from Feniex and Strobesnmore for navigation/marker lighting and search lights.  Here goes....

My original idea for night lighting was 2 SNM eflood 7560s on the front and 2 eflood 7200 down the sides and add a PVC rack to the rear with 360 deg Feniex Titan modules.



After getting the 7560s in and modifying them (see my 7560 review thread), it is MORE than enough for my use.



For the flood/spot lights I used 2inch PVC pipe clamped to the deck wall to hold the light towers (made of 1.5 inch PVC conduit) and some hitch pins to raise/lower the towers.  Covered the whole thing in Rust-o-leum sprayon bed liner.



For wiring I used 14ga G/B/W/Y trailer wiring, took a stick of 3/4inch PVC conduit, ripped it lengthwise, and cut it into short sections to secure the wiring along the gunwale.   I used a piece of 3inch pvc for a switch box and used 1/2inch ag sprayer hose to run wires thru the end cap.



For nav lights I used 2 Feniex T3s set on the "dim mode" pattern and mounted them using 1inch aluminum angle iron/square tubing.  For the rear white I used a 12 dollar pontoon light and mounted it on a 1inch stick of PVC 3ft tall.



And I keep a blue LED throw beacon onboard for use during rescue calls.

 

[lwfpd chief]

What are the specs on your pvc light bar in the back. I am doing a similar project

 

[Sparky_911]

The headache rack idea is on hold for now. I was going to use 1.5inch pvc and have the height be 36 inches from the top of the gunwale, 12 inches between the front and rear cross members, and the flat part across the center 40 inches wide. 

I'm using cardboard tubes to work on a mock up right now. 

 

[acala91]

I like how you did the flood lights, my only concern is that the angle iron that are mounted to looks like it could be a pretty serious hazard if someone tripped and fell into it or even brushed up against it. 

 

[Sparky_911]

I rounded the corners with a bench grinder and put the left over ag hose on the edges to help with that. 

 

[acala91]

I rounded the corners with a bench grinder and put the left over ag hose on the edges to help with that. 

:2thumbs:

 

[RL1]

Looks good!

 

[NERT11]

Looks like one heck of a project! Something I noticed when I came to the fire department side of things from the Coast Guard is that police departments and fire departments like using class 1 LED's for the blue warning lights. If you are ever on a search/rescue at night and have a class 1 beacon, just turn it off. I remember being on a search in the Detroit river back in 2012 and between the Detroit police, Windsor Police, Lasalle Fire dept. Amherstburg police, USCG Auxillary, ext... all flashing their 47" blue liberty's and whelen beacons, we might as well all have just gone home and left the kids we were looking for for dead. Everybody looked real cool and all, but I know my eyes certainly couldn't adjust to the dark.

Just a note on the running lights. From dead ahead on the centerline of the boat, your red and green need to be visible for 112.5 degrees in their respectable direction but not cross over in the front (If you are standing 5 degrees to the port side, you shouldn't be able to see the green) and they should leave a 135 degree arc in the back where you can't see the green or red. Hope it helps, be safe out there!

 

[dmathieu]

This would be a great use for cruise lights. Identification, but no blinding flash.

 

[Sparky_911]

Yeah that beacon has a steady burn but its full power.  I highly doubt I'd ever use it at night anyway given the spot lights.  Some knucklehead can't see the spots they shouldn't be boating....

 

[vonirkinshtine]

I've been with a couple of FDs here in North Carolina that have water rescue equipment and what I find interesting is that the boats all retain red "emergency lights".  The USGS regulations explicitly permit the use of blue lights to denote a vessel performing emergency functions, but not red.  I assume it's to prevent confusion between navigation lighting and "emergency lighting"?  However, I see fire boats with red flashing lights everywhere.  I guess there's not really any enforcement when it comes to emergency vessel lighting?

 

[NERT11]

USCGA and Salvage/Tow boats use amber/red combo. There is also a Canadian clown that's followed suit

 

[firemedic10584]

Our rescue boat here in central FL also has an all red mini Liberty on it. Never really thought about it being a different color than the regular navigation lights. 

 

[Sparky_911]

Looks like one heck of a project! Something I noticed when I came to the fire department side of things from the Coast Guard is that police departments and fire departments like using class 1 LED's for the blue warning lights. If you are ever on a search/rescue at night and have a class 1 beacon, just turn it off. I remember being on a search in the Detroit river back in 2012 and between the Detroit police, Windsor Police, Lasalle Fire dept. Amherstburg police, USCG Auxillary, ext... all flashing their 47" blue liberty's and whelen beacons, we might as well all have just gone home and left the kids we were looking for for dead. Everybody looked real cool and all, but I know my eyes certainly couldn't adjust to the dark.

Just a note on the running lights. From dead ahead on the centerline of the boat, your red and green need to be visible for 112.5 degrees in their respectable direction but not cross over in the front (If you are standing 5 degrees to the port side, you shouldn't be able to see the green) and they should leave a 135 degree arc in the back where you can't see the green or red. Hope it helps, be safe out there!

Yeah I think I got the angle pretty close.  I was just going to do the single off the shelf R/G up front but was worried about it getting broken off if someone was diving/working off the nose.  I doubt I will ever use it on waterways other than private ponds, local lake, local river area.  If I sell it the front navs will be coming off...

I've been with a couple of FDs here in North Carolina that have water rescue equipment and what I find interesting is that the boats all retain red "emergency lights".  The USGS regulations explicitly permit the use of blue lights to denote a vessel performing emergency functions, but not red.  I assume it's to prevent confusion between navigation lighting and "emergency lighting"?  However, I see fire boats with red flashing lights everywhere.  I guess there's not really any enforcement when it comes to emergency vessel lighting?

Only our dive pontoon that is housed at the lake is the only one with warning on it.  R/B cheapo LED heads on each side.  The local lake patrol uses blue strobe beacons, FD uses red rotator beacons, PD uses R/B strobe/LED bars.  They all only run the local lake and nowhere else.  Like you said, no one to really enforce the rules except USCG, and I doubt they are really worried about the small non-commercial waterways that are in my area.