Underwater lights - are they worth it?

Price out new RIBs lately?

The last one I bought (for a client) was a pre-owned 13' with a 50hp for $10,000. J gave a price of $12K for 4 lights.

I also don't like the wedges option, and as I said I think lights would work well also pointing diagonally downwards.
But having said that, at planing speed obviously there would be no drag at all.
And even if I don't think, as Capt J suggested, that the angled transom above would be out of the water at anything above idle (more like up to 10/12 knots, if I should guess), the drag of some small wedges, just large as much as the lights, would be negligible.

Good point, 12 K for 4 lights, he did say that. get out the hole saw, the boat is already hauled, let’s get some goop and get ‘er done for way less!

If like me you've got scuba rechargeable flashlights onboard anyway, that's a zero cost alternative.
And it works as well on the tender as on the mothership!

Try $30k for a Walker bay 15 with 75 Honda 4 years ago ...

Even figuring only 2 lights for half the price that's expensive bling. 20% added to the price of boat and motor for 2 lights.

On a tender you can put some small lights, for $200-400 a piece. Someone even make a light that fits in the plug hole.

That sounds more reasonable.

Dear Pascal.

I really like your idea. I would like to install the lights but dont want to put holes in transom. My only concern is the wiring on how to guide them above waterline and then penetrate inside. any ideas?

you can use a strip of 3/4 Coosa about 1” wide with a groove for the wire to be recessed in.

Thanks a lot for your kind help Pascal. Will use the Coosa board . Yes better . What about the wire?. I was thinking to install them just under the line of the waterline in order for wire not to be exposed a lot underwater. Contacted Lumitech and they said it is not recommended as the area where the wires pass out of the housing should not be constantly exposed to the water. The idea of drilling the new hull though is not in my plan.

You just run the wire thru the Coosa as if it was the hull and then in a groove behind all full of sealant

Thanks a lot and again Pascal for your kind help and ideas. Just one last question if i may ask. As the coosa panel will be constantly underwater ( Saltwater) do you think I need to glass it or?

It doesn’t absorb water but I always roll a couple of coats of epoxy whether above or below wl

Thanks a lot Pascal. Ordered some panels of the bluewater 26. Would attach to transom with polyester resin or epoxy resin? once attached to transom would do some coats of resin at front. then install lights.

I always use epoxy. West System with 404 high strength filler in this case

Can't believe I didn't see this till now. I know I'm way late to the game, but OP, I had a Mikelson 43 and had the yard install fairings to convert the 45 degree angle of the transom to 90 degree during one of my haul-outs. I can't recall how many lights I had; 2 or 3. Total labor cost (I supplied the lights) was $1125 (materials were minor), but that was in 2020.