anchor light on cowling?

General Boats and Motors
1

edit: success!

anyone have pictures or tips for wiring my anchor light on top of the cowling?

i wanna put this light on top of my outboard:

i’m thinking of using this plug as a quick disconnect so i can remove the cowling:

2

I have seen those myself, often wondered how they set them up like that. Pros and cons?

3

I would think if you have the clearance inside the cowling you could mount a flush mount light socket and hook it to the 12v power with a clip so you can remove the cowling for maintenance. Then insert a stern light pole when needed.

Haven’t thought of this before and definately have not done it but it doesn’t seem that difficult if you have the room between the engine and cowling. This gets me thinking and really appeals to me because the stern light mount on my boat is now in the splashwell and is in the way of trimming the motor up while the light is in.

hmmmmm

quote:
Originally posted by Bolbie

…the harbor was slick as an eel pecker.

4

Yes - I put the anchor light on the Magnum 40 on my McKee years go - love it. Always works and always out of the way …

Used white jacketed 14-2 tinned copper Ancor wire and good Ancor crimp connections for a permanent install with LED light (shorted the aluminum shaft as short as possible). Ran wires along with other wiring inside cowling - leave 18"-36" of loose wire so you can move the cowling around when you take it off for service.

On our Sea-Pro, the light is on top of our T-Topless at the rear, so there is NO glare inside the boat - just a dark boat - great for night cruising.

Thanks, Captain Ross
http://T-Topless.com folding, stainless steel T-Top fits most center console boats
http://ShadowTop.com entry level (Do-It-Yourself) T-Topless kit
http://Montauk-T-Topless.com for Boston Whaler Montauk, Dauntless or Outrage
http://Flats-Top.com Shade for Flats Boats
http://RNR-Marine.com/Canvas.shtml Factory Original-Equipment (OEM) replacement Sunbrella canvas for Sea Pro, McKee Craft, Sea Hunt, Boston Whaler, Key West, Cobia, Sea Fox, Grady White, Sea Ray, Pioneer, Tidewater, Mariah, Baha Cruisers, Sea Boss, Palmetto Custom & more…</font id=“size1”>

Drop your top and go T-Topless! T-Topless@RNR-Marine.com

5

I think the light according to law has to be visible 360 degrees. Depending on your actual setup you may want to take that into consideration.

6

Rule 21 sec. (c) “Sternlight” means a white light placed as nearly as practicable at the stern showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 135 degrees and so fixed as to show the light 67.5 degrees from right aft on each side of the vessel.

Rule 21 sec. (e) All-round light means a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 360 degrees.

An all around light is to be displayed while anchored at night.

7
quote:
Originally posted by TheIslander

Rule 21 sec. (c) “Sternlight” means a white light placed as nearly as practicable at the stern showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 135 degrees and so fixed as to show the light 67.5 degrees from right aft on each side of the vessel.

Rule 21 sec. (e) All-round light means a light showing an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 360 degrees.

An all around light is to be displayed while anchored at night.

Bingo - that’s why I put some metallic tape over the front of my light - so it doesn’t glare directly into the boat. It still has over 330degrees of visibility, but doesn’t blind me in the boat.

Thanks, Captain Ross
http://T-Topless.com folding, stainless steel T-Top fits most center console boats
http://ShadowTop.com entry level (Do-It-Yourself) T-Topless kit
http://Montauk-T-Topless.com for Boston Whaler Montauk, Dauntless or Outrage
http://Flats-Top.com Shade for Flats Boats
http://RNR-Marine.com/Canvas.shtml Factory Original-Equipment (OEM) replacement Sunbrella canvas for Sea Pro, McKee Craft, Sea Hunt, Boston Whaler, Key West, Cobia, Sea Fox, Grady White, Sea Ray, Pioneer, Tidewater, Mariah, Baha Cruisers, Sea Boss, Palmetto Custom & more…</font id=“size1”>

Drop your top and go T-Topless! T-Topless@RNR-Marine.com

8

Have had mine mounted on cowling for years, just leave wires long enough to remove cowling and a simple disconnect on wire to light and you are set.

9
quote:
Originally posted by high life

I think the light according to law has to be visible 360 degrees. Depending on your actual setup you may want to take that into consideration.

good point, my longshaft outboard is jacked up almost 6" on my shortshaft transom, so, if i mount the light as i intend to, it will be just barely above my head while underway when i'm seated.

the purpose of doing this is to not have a pole/socket style anchor light that i have to stow or that i will break. i want the light pictured in the original post thru-bolted to my cowling & hard wired so it’s always there & always works, unlike those finicky pole/socket style ones

10
quote:
Originally posted by DFreedom

I have seen those myself, often wondered how they set them up like that. Pros and cons?

Pros:

  1. no light pole to lose
  2. no goofy looking light pole
  3. no light pole to snag your lines on
  4. no light pole to have to stow away or lose
  5. no light pole socket to corrode & work intermittently
  6. looks better
  7. doesn’t snag
  8. nothing to stow, or lose
  9. harder to break because it’s out of the way

cons:

  1. more difficult to install
  2. can be considered illegal if not high enough to be visible 360 degrees, most game wardens care less & even have this setup on their own boats, coast guard will be the one to ticket you if anyone cares
    3)vibration can kill incandescent light bulb, but LED (though costly) will be impervious to vibration :wink:
11

Mine came that way from the factory. Clip release with enough slack for removal for removal of the cowling. Shallow Sport 21MV

Capt. Tim Deckard

Daily Charters -> http://BeaufortCastawayCharter.com

12

i did it! i wanted it on top of the cowling, but i don’t have hydraulic trim, so it would be in the way of my handle to lift the motor, or it would be off center which would look stupid. although, some folks probably think my mount looks stupid, haha

i ran the wires down the back of the cowling for 2 reasons, it was closest to where i mounted the light & it is away from the starter gear & flywheel (moving parts). i didn’t get a pic of the quick disconnect, but it’s identical to the one in my 1st post, the wires inside the cowling are long (like 2 feet). this way i can pop off the cowling & lay it in the boat without even unplugging anything if i need to get in there for any reason while out on the water. if i want to though, i can unplug my quick disconnect & lay the cowling wherever i like. i routed the wires through existing wire loops that have enough space to allow the wires to be pulled through them. so, when i open the cowling it opens right up, when i close the cowling, I pull the wires from the front, & then tuck inside & snap cowling closed. i played with my wire routing for about 20 minutes making sure there were no snags or anything when i pull on them. in the pictures i took, the ground is on the cowling, but that made the light very dim, it was not a good enough ground. so i have since replaced that ground with a wire all the way to my battery’s negative post & now the light is bright as hell.

here’s a couple pictures of the way I mounted it & how i routed my wires:

13

For future reference the motor block is grounded.

14
quote:
Originally posted by TheIslander

For future reference the motor block is grounded.

If its electric start and is connected to the battery. If its pull start only, then its not.

'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki

15

You are correct sir! I failed to consider that. Thanks.

16
quote:
Originally posted by high life

I think the light according to law has to be visible 360 degrees. Depending on your actual setup you may want to take that into consideration.

Yes it does. The outboard cowling may not be high enough if there’s a console or anything else mounted on the boat.

Also, unless this is an LED light fixture, I suspect the vibration from the motor would significantly reduce the life of the lamp. You wouldn’t even have to turn it on for the filament to break.

As far as the legality of this setup, the point in having an anchor light is not so much to meet the legal requirements, but to make your boat visible to other boaters so they don’t hit your boat (and you) in the dark. Personally, this is more important to me than the law. My lights would be as high and as bright as practical.

Ron
2000 Camano Troll
North Charleston, SC