Bowrider light bar/spot light

S

Sean195

Member
Jun 29, 2019
59
Boat Info
1995 Sea Ray 195 Sport
Engines
4.3L
Anybody have an LED bar or spot light mounted on their bowrider? I am considering installing one for the occasional night ride and was looking for mounting/light ideas.
 
Actually, it's illegal to run the boat with the spotlight on. It can blind other boaters and it also confuses them. When I see a certain combination of red/green/white, I know the general size of the boat and also in which direction it is moving. Add a spotlight into the mix and I now have no idea what I'm looking at - so it's a safety factor from that point, too.

Around a dock - coming onto the trailer - trying to spot rocks/ledges while at idle - sure, that's fine. But that said, a simple hand-held spotlight is light years ahead of a fixed mount in terms of real-world usability.
 
I have a private waterway that I sometimes boat in at night. I understand it’s illegal to run white light, but like you mentioned, it’s nice to have light when coming back to the dock, etc. I’ve used a spotlight for a while now, but the boredom that has set In with the COVID quarantine has me considering a fixed light or spotlight in order to free up a hand
 
The "mounted" spotlight sounds like a good idea, but in reality (and from plenty of experience with this kind of thing!) they're kind of annoying. They're slow to move (compared to one in your hand) and any little bouncing of the bow (which is going to be more pronounced in a small boat) throws the light somewhere else than where you want it.

You'd be better off installing a motion-activated floodlight (solar powered?) on the dock. Or maybe some type of floodlight that you can control with a wireless remote control - just thinking outloud there - but now you have some things to google! :)
 
Sounds good! Maybe I should just be happy with my spotlight !
 
Sean, I agree with Dennis 100%. I have two mounted spotlights on my boat and use a hand held, rechargeable spot light. It's easier to use than the mounted lights, it's faster and I can point it where I'm looking in an instant. Also, I don't have to look down at the light control to use it so I'm not taking my eyes off where I'm going.
 
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