Swim Platform Lights

First Born

First Born

New Member
PLATINUM Sponsor
Oct 3, 2006
3,900
Charlotte, N.C.
Boat Info
2006 185 Sport
Engines
4.3 L 190 HP
Has anyone done this modification to their swim platform. I would like to but not really finding any products that I can use. I noticed in our links section that Hurley offers them but they attach to your trim tabs which I do not have. It would be nice to have a lights under the swim platform. Here is the trim tabs option for those that have them. Looks like a pretty easy project.

http://www.hurleymarine.com/Tab_Lights.html

Wesley
 
Brian,

I sure like that setup. Yes it does look like a much easier setup plus I like the cost a whole lot better :thumbsup: . I was thinking about doing something like it also Wesley on MS Judy. This sure looks like the way to go. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks Brian, that looks like it will work. Now I just need to get it done. :thumbsup:

Wesley
 
where do the ones from overtons mount? Do they mount underneath the swim platform horizontally? The reason I ask is that the other lights are underwater but these sound like they aren't. I guess I would be a little worried about the lights if out of the water would attrach bugs.
 
wish2fish, They are mounted under the platform. Not under water. Never thought about the bugs...oh well, they came with the boat. Besides we don't have bugs in New Jersey :grin: only jellyfish...lots and lots of jellyfish.
 
I've been wanting to do this also. I see Hurley's has 4 lights with 75 watt bulbs. It looks very neat but the price.... not so much..How much light does one need?? The Overtons is a 50 watt and perhaps more of a 'flood' design so maybe one on each side of the platform. hmmm...maybe fabricate a mount to utilize the Overton's on the tabs..... :smt017

might check this out for some ideas....

http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=93428
 
be carefull mounting those lights under the platform, the core of those platforms was not meant to have screws coming into it, be sure to use good sealant to make sure you dont lose your lights and or end up with water in the platform core.

Thru-bolting it would be the better but uglier option.
 
Thanks Larry or Leisa :smt017 :lol: for the link. One thing you mention the Hurley not sure if you noticed it but Todd Hurley is running a special for CSR members $100.00 off. Looks like the way to go except I do not have the trim tabs so will not work in my case. Either way good luck with your search.

Wesley
 
Thanks Wes..the first link had some interesting ideas with the changeable light colors, and a lot of detail as to type of lights and how they would last, etc... If I find anything more I will post the links. And yes I had seen the Hurley discount. Thanks!
 
We installed a set of LED 12V rope lights around the underneath of the swim platform. It has several advantages, first the whole 14' of rope light draws less amps than a single mini halogen bulb, so you can leave it on all night and not worry about the drain.

Second, its waterproof, can be cut to any length, and is easy to mount. I just backed out the screws on the underneath of the rub rail and put some cable ties in them and screwed it back in. It holds very tight.

Plus it was less than $60. Looks great. Not quite as bright as underwater lights, but gives a really cool glow from under the platform, and lights up the water well too.

I got them here:

http://www.seasonalfireflies.com/Products2.asp?cat=12V LED Solid Colors

-Dave
'04 320DA T350 Mag V-drives
 
That's cool. Do you have any pictures of your installation? Did you wire it through a switch? I think the red is good because they say it repels bugs.
 
No pics yet. I probably should have got some while the boat was hauled out. And of course now the water is 55 degrees so hell if I'm getting in there to take pics! You can only see it from the underside.

Next time we're out on it at night I'll take pics of it lit up, but we tend to do more daytime boating during the winter. In the summer, however, sometimes we stay on the water all weekend.

Its all wired up through a switch. Right now its temporarily hooked to one underneath the helm access panel. One of my winter projects is to figure out how to wire it to one of the unused ACC1 or ACC2 buttons on the dash switchpanels. Anyone got detailed instructions for that? There were some on SRO but of course I didn't print them out since I figured they'd always be there! DOH!

-Dave
'04 320DA
 
Come-on I'm freezing up here and need a winter project :grin:
I'd like to do it for the swim platform. Help me here but I'm thinking the led string is like a narrow rope and you fastened zip ties around it at 1 foot intervals or so. You then loosened the rub rail screws and then pushed the loose end of the tie into the bottom of the rub rail gap and tightened it down to hold it in place? My rubrail is around the rear outer perimeter of the platform, would it get hit getting in or out when swimming or docking???
 
Its on the underneath side. I guess rub rail is the wrong term. More like edge guard. The 320 has a bolt on swim platform, and the white edge guard rail runs along the bottom edge of the platform, so you can get to it from underneath. So the rope light is completely hidden underneath the swim platform until you turn it on.

Its not held by ordinary zip ties per say, but actually coax cable clamps with a screw eyelet, sorta like zip ties but for a fixed width cable. Very sturdy stuff. I did it about every 6 inches or so, same interval as the back side screws that anchore the edge guard. I dabbed a bit of silicone on each screw too. I also put a small bead of 5200 in between each screw and taped the rope lighting down until it cured.

-Dave
 
Thanks for the clarification. I think with your platform that is a great idea. Mine is a molded-in platform with a rubrail that joins the upper and lower halves. The underside is smooth molded fiberglass so I don't think it will work, but I'll take a look at it and see. That's a beautiful boat you have, I bet you can't wait till spring. Thanks again.
 
delliott00 said:
I also put a small bead of 5200 in between each screw and taped the rope lighting down until it cured.
-Dave
Click to expand...

I'm glad you said this. I have the same situation as Widowmaker. I was wondering if you could exclusively use adhesive using duct tape to hold till dry?

I've never used 5200. Will it last a long time?
 
wish2fish said:
I'm glad you said this. I have the same situation as Widowmaker. I was wondering if you could exclusively use adhesive using duct tape to hold till dry?

I've never used 5200. Will it last a long time?
Click to expand...

Probably last longer than the boat its attached to.

5200 will hold just about anything, but I'm not certain you can get enough surface adhesion on the rounded rope light to really mount it without some mechanical attachment. However, the rope lights come with little clips that could proabably be 5200'd to a smooth surface, then the rope light can attach to the clips.

-Dave
 
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