Thinking about underwater lights - AM I CRAZY ? boat is in the water all year long....

Maybe A Dancer

Maybe A Dancer

Became a Dancer 12/23/21
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Aug 20, 2021
1,312
Florida West Coast
Boat Info
Started out as MAYBE A DANCER
Became a Dancer - 12/23/21
Engines
450 DA Sundancer running CAT 3126
I LOVED the Lumitech lights I had on my last boat.

That boat was lift kept, behind the house.

One failed after 5 years from water intrusion.

My 450DA comes out of the water next month for a bottom job & etc.

I WILL NOT COMPROMISE THE CORED TRANSOM - NO NON-FACTORY BELOW THE WATERLINE HOLES IN THIS BOAT !

Wondering . . . .

Any reason why I cannot mount 2 pairs of the Zambezi Z2 surface mount lights onto a piece of starboard, then mount the starboard to the trim tabs, secure the wires to the swim platform, then up through the transom ABOVE the water line?

www.lumiteclighting.com

Zambezi X2 Surface Mount Underwater Light

The Zambezi product line gets a new addition, the Zambezi X2. Three times the output of the Zambezi Quattro, with more features, the Zambezi X2 outputs over 6,000 lumens and is compatible with our award winning Poco Digital Lighting Control system, providing advance color control via a...
www.lumiteclighting.com www.lumiteclighting.com

This way when/if a Lumitech fails, it can easily be replaced, and I don't hole my transom.

Too much Rube Goldberg?

I'm in SW Florida and in the water all year long. Diver services the bottom monthly.

WHAT SAY YOU ?

BEST !

RWS
 
Overall seems a bit too piecemeal to me. I assume the lights will face straight up? You're adding weight and resistance to the trim tabs and exposed wiring under water and outside of the boat.

I get the all-caps regarding holes through the transom, but, done correctly, the tiny holes necessary for these lights can be sealed far better than many of the fittings Sea Ray put in. I had 4 Sea Blaze X lights mounted on my 420 for almost 10 years. Never an issue. I did literally stand next to the tech at the marina while they were mounting them to ensure they did a thorough job.
 
Yesh, I do have concerns regarding water turbulence and those wires.

I can't in good conscience however, put a new hole in that transom. Just cannot do it.

On the Trojan I mounted them on the rudder covers and on the Diver's Dream zinc. Solid transom below the water line and no holes.

We really did enjoy the underwater lights on the 10 Meter, however given my hole-drilling negativity perhaps it's not a worthy addition in this case.

Thats why I'm seeking advice here.

BEST !

RWS
 
Just gonna preface by saying... I'm probably not giving you the answer you're looking for... but maybe a different way of looking at this ;)

Done properly, there's absolutely no reason a hole can't be drilled and be as "proper" as factory... and, quite honestly, it can be done better if you prefer.

Wherever you'll have a screw penetrate the transom, oversize the hole so it's larger in diameter than the screw threads by about 50% and a bit longer than the screw. Chamfer the edge of the hole. Fill this hole with poly or epoxy resin - it will penetrate INTO the wood, fully sealing off the wood from water. Then come back and drill your pilot hole (and again, chamfer) and install with sealant. IF water should somehow enter into that cavity that you filled with poly or epoxy, it will not go any further since you 100% insulated your transom core from water. Actually, you could do everything short of installing the screw and leave it as is - meaning, leave the hole - and the transom will be just fine.

This is 100% a rock solid way to do this and it will never leak.
 
Follow-up on my first email. Will these lights mount to the trim tabs facing directly up? Can't imagine they'd be on the running surface facing down. If this is the case, the light pattern wouldn't look anything like regularly mounted underwater lights that project rearward.

Or am I missing something obvious?
 
The starboard would be a flat panel, big enough to accommodate two lights each, mounted horizontally.

The starboard would be bolted to the 90 degree angled portion of the trim tab, with the flat surface parallel to the transom.

The lights would be underwater 100% of the time and they would face aft.

I'd give the wiring enough flex for the movement, and possibly ty wrap an anchor split loom into it for ADDED STRENGTH.

Secure the wires to the swim platform brackets to minimize unsupported wiring as best possible and run the wires through the transom with a watertight fitting ABOVE THE WATER LINE, utilizing the techniques detailed above.

Your comments are appreciated.

BEST !

RWS
 
Maybe A Dancer said:
The starboard would be a flat panel, big enough to accommodate two lights each, mounted horizontally.

The starboard would be bolted to the 90 degree angled portion of the trim tab, with the flat surface parallel to the transom.

The lights would be underwater 100% of the time and they would face aft.
Click to expand...
The way I'm reading this would be very sketchy. I doubt that what you have in mind is "actually" sketchy - it may just be the way you worded it. Can you re-explain? Or draw a quick picture and post that?
 
If you want underwater lights go all in or skip them.

I I have 6 underwater lights...2 lumitech and 4 custom thru hulls. I love the thru hulls as the are made of marine bronze, bright as hell and serviceable from inside the boat. They are bonded to the rest of the underwater gear. Not cheap. But I don't worry about them ever.

Lumitech make the Typhoon version of these and I would go with them in a heartbeat if I ever have to replace.

Go big or go home:)
 
Always go to the experts.



Arminius said:
Drilling holes in the hull beneath the water line is a very bad idea. Protrusions are an issue on the trailer or while docking. These pros just want you to screw your boat up as they have theirs. Very similar to back surgery as your boat will be mauled for life.
Click to expand...
 
This guy wasn't skeered....

1702496803524.png


Man up and drill the damn holes.
 
Personally if I had a wooden transom I wouldn't install them. I held off for years until I verified that I didn't have wood in my transom. I just didnt' want to invite trouble in. Then I saw a video on how they installed the stern thruster on my boat then I said what the hell lights are the least of my worries at that point. They cut a 5" hole to fit that sucker in...lol
 
Three Lumitec SeaBlaze X2’s going on my boats transom this winter. After drilling a bunch of holes for the tunnel tabs, I got over it.

Drill away and enjoy your lights. If you’re really worried about it, check them when you pull the boat for a bottom job each time and re-seal them.

If installed correctly, I wouldn’t put much worry on this. I see more water intrusion from factory installed trim tabs than underwater lights!
 
Thanks for the picture to clarify. Keep in mind that this is my opinion and what "I" would do...

So, actually the picture is exactly what you described in the previous post - I was hoping it was going to be different. Personally, I would not entertain doing that. It only serves to increase your exposure to damage (whether from backing down or getting tangled with a line) to the tabs and even their mounting screws.
Plus, going larger adds to the leverage the stbd will have on the mounting location and the force that the water will exert on the tabs and stbd mounting bolts. It's conceivable that hard backing down could extend the tabs - although that's not a huge deal, unless it's done forecefully.

I promise I won't harp on this, but I really feel the best solution is to put them right on the transom. It's a VERY normal thing to do. I understand you "feel" it's not good - but if professionals do it this way, maybe you can get past the feeling and trust what others, with much more experience (I don't mean that in a negative way) would do. 'Nuff said - if you can't get past your feeling, then all this would do is cause you to be thinking about it all time, which isn't good.
 
I was always in the camp that my boat didn't need unnecessary holes under the water until I bought one that already had them. We replaced four OceanLED's with Seablaze X2's and I have no concerns. The new lights only require a 1/4" or 3/8" hole for the wire not like the old days where it was a 4" hole for the housing. Do it correctly like Dennis described and you'll enjoy them for years.

Also, I highly recommend using lightspeed anti-fouling coating on them.
 
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