Navigation light placement

TinBoats.net

Help Support TinBoats.net:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Deadmeat

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
440
Reaction score
0
Location
Knoxville, TN
I'm trying to figure out how to put navigation lights on my G3-1544. On my old boat there was a large corner piece between the transom and the starboard side where I was able to mount the stern light base. On the G3, however, the corner piece isn't big enough to mount the base and for the life of me I can't figure out anywhere else to mount it. On the bow of my old boat I was able to mount the light base through the deck but on the G3 the flotation goes all the way to the front of the bow. Also, the lip of the bow is curled under so I can't mount it there either. I really want these to be permanent and don't want to have to use the battery-powered lights. I don't want to have to weld in a piece in the corner of the stern or tack it down to a piece of wood. Here are a few pics of the bow and stern so if anyone has any suggestions on how to mount the navigation lights they would be greatly appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • DSC_0588.jpg
    DSC_0588.jpg
    53.5 KB · Views: 1,167
  • DSC_0589.jpg
    DSC_0589.jpg
    60.6 KB · Views: 1,167
  • DSC_0590.jpg
    DSC_0590.jpg
    62.9 KB · Views: 1,167
I found this Attwood socket on ebay.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5594.JPG
    IMG_5594.JPG
    355.7 KB · Views: 1,123
I was going to suggest a vertical mount for the transom.

As for up front you could try to fish wire through the foam with a coat hanger. The hanger is rigid enough to bust through the foam, then attach your wire to the trailing end and pull it through.
 
The vertical mount for the transom will work perfectly but I'm still stuck on the bow mount. I forgot to say that there's a vertical metal plate under the deck that prevents access to the foam so I think this would be out. I've looked the Coast Guard regs over and don't see anything about requirements for placement of the bow light except that it needs to be along the centerline of the boat. Although it would be best on the point of the bow, this looks unlikely but if I could move it back to the middle of the deck about 3' from the point of the bow it would be an easy fix. At that location I could crawl up under my extended deck and run the wiring down the gunwhale. I could easily mount the base and install a raised sidelight that would meet the regs for visibility. Any thoughts here?
 
You'll be fine 3's back or even further.
Heres how mine came from the factory,has to be around 8's back.
TM plate.jpg
EDIT:I don't know what the regs are but on big lobster boats,theres not a single post(for lights) but a red and a green on there respected sides.There normally on the cud and a good 6-10 foot from the stem post(bow).I'm not sure if you can get away with a permenant red and green just on the sides of a jon boat,may be a hight issue(they have to be seen)...I think I've seen it though...something to think about but a single post would be easier.
 
You could always go with the shark eye style with one light on each side like you see on a lot of fiberglass skiffs. They are definitely out of the way.

Also, a lot of guys down here mount the anchor light on top of the motor. It puts it up high enough that it's visible 360. I'm not sure how they wire and switch it.
 
Thanks for the help, guys. Since the Coast Guard regulations only specify that the sidelight be along the centerline of the boat I'm going to put on the extended part of the deck where I can get to it easily. Problem solved.
 

Latest posts

Top