Underwater Lights Which Ones?

SunRaye · 12-07-2006, 08:18 AM

I am planning on installing underwater lighting on my 40 foot motor yacht. Can anyone share with me any thoughts on brands, or the type of lighting, or the quantity of lights I should have installed.

K1W1 · 12-07-2006, 08:53 AM

Hi,

These are the best or very close to it in my opinion

http://www.underwaterlights.com/shop/

SunRaye · 12-07-2006, 09:59 PM

In your estimation, how much time should it take to install the lights. I am going to have a yard do the work. One quote I received is about 16 to 20 hours.

K1W1 · 12-08-2006, 03:02 AM

Hi,

The amout of time required will vary upon how many you are going to install, how you are going to connect them to power and control them.

You are not going to need many on a 40 footer and the connection/controls could be kept very simple.

What is the yard actually proposing to do in 16 to 20 hrs?

SunRaye · 12-08-2006, 05:34 PM

They are quoting 20 hours. Do you think 2 35 watt Xenon lights should be sufficient? Have you heard any good or bad things about Aqualights? Their pricing seems to be a little better.

BeJammin · 02-12-2007, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunRaye

I am planning on installing underwater lighting on my 40 foot motor yacht. Can anyone share with me any thoughts on brands, or the type of lighting, or the quantity of lights I should have installed.

I purchased some (3) 35W Xenon HID units from IMTRA for my 35' boat and I have been very impressed with the light output. The installation was easy and the low profile trim ring won't snag my fishing lines.

They show them on their website www.imtra.com

YachtNews · 02-12-2007, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeJammin

I purchased some (3) 35W Xenon HID units from IMTRA for my 35' boat and I have been very impressed with the light output. The installation was easy and the low profile trim ring won't snag my fishing lines.

They show them on their website www.imtra.com

Yep, for a 40' boat you will not need many lights at all. I have seen some nice boats of that size with 3 stern mounted lights looking aft and some with 3 looking aft and 2 looking to the side (one on Port and starboard) and it indeed looks very good.

Personally i think it would look worse if you had your whole underwater hull swamped in these lights. That looks better on 150'+ vessels.. Just my thought..

SunRaye · 02-17-2007, 10:39 AM

I am thinking three across the stern. 50 watts each. I have been giving some thought to one each on the port and starboard at what ever the prescribed distance from the stern, but I agree, anything more than that is overkill.

MaxResolution · 02-17-2007, 03:00 PM

I checked out IMTRA and find their lighting selection quite useful for a variety of in-ceiling products. They probably aren't the best for underwater parts. Where I see a price of $80. to $110. for a 3" fixture, (with or without the bulb) I can't help but think somebody has it for $42.50-direct. At least they are nice enough to state the Mfg. and these are quality products.

"Lumiron" is an American Mfg. that builds everything right there in Miami. I can't wait to visit them, based on their strip-lighting approach. With their propriatary technology, you can gang a whole bunch of their 45cm aluminum strips off one p.s. They have a selectable color temperature model with fader-control that enables 'millions of colors,' as per NTSC.

This is where it gets interesting for yachtsmen, especially those who haven't a clue what color temp means in interior design. Overall, I'm guessing that 'cool-white' is best for your docking needs above. (Blue should carry further in murky water, no?)

You've got to have a reasonably bright 'daylight' cabin condition, so it is logical to select 'cool white- floods,' on a dimmer, positioned in rows down the length of the galley. (Most designers would use the warm ones, but I'll get to that.) IMTRA shows both 90-degree and 60-deg. recessed fixtures. A second circuit (dimable) should serve your 'task-lighting' needs, here I would use adjustable eye-balls, and try both the a narrow, (10-15-deg.) and the standard, 25-30-degree -beam bulbs, which would reduce 'hot-spots' off electronics with limited 'throw-distance.' These could be 'warm whites,' since you may use them exclusively at night. But, on any yacht larger than say 56', you may as well have two or more lamp strings per scene, plus the obligatory chart light and running light string(s).

Next, you come to 'effect lighting,' and this includes table lamps, sconces, and most of the splashy up/down-lighting around your deckhouse. These would logically be 'warm whites.' (Note Lars' use of the blue courtesy lamps on the stair treads!)

Finally, here's where this new 'multi-color' technology pays off, (and I don't mean some frivolous running rainbow crap.) By using recessed strip lighting, much as they might do on an airplane, you can illuminate the space gently, without need for pulling the drapes at night. You can 'bathe' the interior in a mysterious moonlight blue, causing the 'skin-tones' on your Television to be much more inviting. Crew faces still require the warm side-lighting from the sconces, sufficient to provide a 'sparkle' in their adoring eyes.

These conditions must be met affordably, in terms of dollars per watt, AND per watt hrs.

YachtNews · 02-17-2007, 11:29 PM

Hey Sun Raye: Maybe you should take a look on this thread of Yacht Forums.. in the same Technical Discussions. It talks about blue courstesy lights but there are one or two pics of an Azimut with underwater lighting.. thought you would be interested...http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/te...html#post38728

SunRaye · 02-21-2007, 08:57 AM

Thanks. I am about through with the research and will do the install in the next couple of weeks.

It's time to haul the boat out of the water as I noticed a vibration a couple of weeks ago and need to have it checked.

I think I will go with 3 Xenon lights across the stern. Most likely from Aqua Lights.