Anchor lights & canvas

[hd12121]

Hi all!
Two questions for you all.
1. I have a Perko navigation/anchor light up on the radar arch - two 31mm festoon bulbs. Has anyone replaced those bulbs with LED's yet? Its very tight and needs a wide pattern. I saw one person selling the bulbs on ebay for $25 each but for $50 I'd also consider replacing with an "all around" LED anchor light as we do anchor out from time to time and find the low LED current draw desireable.
2. This is more of a complaint than a question. I have factory "Great Lakes Canvas" cockpit cover with the slant back from the radar arch to the stern. Why why why did they put that velcro all over it. It is a giant pain in the butt and I have never been benefitted by its being there.
Thanks!

 

[rcknecht]

I like having two bulbs, and would also like to replace them with LEDs, and agree with you that $50 is too much. I just make sure my batteries are good, and leave the current set up. If you replace it with an all around light you will have to remove the bulb in the your stern running lights.

My Great Lakes cockpit cover has velcro to wrap around my foward Bimini rods. It is the only way to easily do attach the cover with out have to remove the bimini attaching pins. I suppose you could replace the velcro with zippers, but that would be a hassle IMO...

 

[hd12121]

Hi:
I should have said that my canvas has BOTH velcro & zippers. When you put the covers up its hard to zip if the velcro "caught" in the wrong place. When you go to take the canvas off, the zipper "handle" binds where the velcro has gripped and you have to reach around the zipper to loosen the velcro to continue to unzip it. And the worse part is that I see no useful purpose for the velcro in the first place.
So, mathematically speaking:
useful purposes = 0
detrimental effects = many
result = why the heck is it there?

 

[rcknecht]

Hi:
I should have said that my canvas has BOTH velcro & zippers. When you put the covers up its hard to zip if the velcro "caught" in the wrong place. When you go to take the canvas off, the zipper "handle" binds where the velcro has gripped and you have to reach around the zipper to loosen the velcro to continue to unzip it. And the worse part is that I see no useful purpose for the velcro in the first place.
So, mathematically speaking:
useful purposes = 0
detrimental effects = many
result = why the heck is it there?

My Great Lakes Cockpit canvas has not zippers, and only one piece of velcro on each side... Are you sure you have a Great Lakes cockpit cover???