question about lights

[earlby]

I am thinking of putting a remote controlled light on my Sailfish 218wa boat for some night time nav for fishing. Which one makes more sense? GO-lite makes a flood - 60' x 80' or a spot - 850' Both are 6,500,000 candle power.
Also the web site says could be an issue with interference with the radio and the wireless
control. The wireless uses 433mhz.....do you think that should be a issue with the radio?


Anyone have any experience with these lights.

All opinions and suggestions are appreciated

thanks
earl

[ocnslr]

Using a spotlight for night navigation is not the best practice.

- It can easily ruin the night vision of someone on another boat when you inadvertently illuminate them.

- Back scatter from your light can degrade your own night vision.

- Showing lights other than navigation lights is prohibited.

- It's lubberly.



Brian

[gary49]

On the other hand, if you are coming into an upper branch of a river or a creek, and there are no lighted nav aids, and you are lucky to have even a day marker, it is mighty nice to flip a switch and find that daymarker you are pretty sure is out there. Ocnslr makes a good point about blinding other boaters, I never cast my light toward another boat, unless he doesn't have nav lights or anchor lights on, but if that is the case, he gets what he deserves. Back scatter isn't a problem with a spot mounted on the bow. I have been mighty glad to have mine a time or two on moonless nights, finding that daymarker or for that matter just seeing the dock. Of course, you can follow a track back on your GPS, but I like to flip it on the spot briefly for locating crab pots. Good radar is better if you have it and know how to use it (I don't have it), but I find my spot to be useful. Can't answer the question about VHF interference, mine has a wired in control at the helm. I think you want a spot, not a flood, as you want to use it to pick out specific things, not as a headlight. You do want to guard your night vision, that is the most important thing about boating at night IMHO, I don't understand why boats don't come with dimmers for the instruments, and a lot of the white all around lights cast way more light down than you want.

[earlby]

Gary

You are right on about how I intend to use a light. Some of the places where I want to go at night are a literal minefield of crab pots. Some of the commercial crabbers tend to put pots in the channel. I also do not have radar and lean a lot on GPS. But GPS only shows the marked things and not the countless other obstacles that exist. I also go in some of the rivers where there tends to be floating logs after heavy rains. Most of the time there are no other boats there to blind.

I have a hardtop and was thinking of mounting it on the front edge of the top. Do you think that is too close and would cause issues?


thanks for your insight.

Earl

[Darren]

The Go Lights do well and I have not had any trouble with interferrence. I did fry a remote from getting it wet. If you mount it on the bow you will beat the guts out of it in no time. Mount it on your hard top a foot or so back from the front edge and you won't have any glare problems.

[gary49]

Darren is right about the light getting beat up on the bow, TS Ernesto damaged mine when my brother got on the boat and put her bow into the wind, and then couldn't do anything with the lines due to the wind. The line wasn't in the chock, he had to get inside the boat and wait it out. The base of the light is cracked, but I'm still using it. I haven't tried one off the hardtop, but I had to put a shield on my all-around white because it put too much light on the foredeck. I guess if the spot is focused tight enough, the reflection wouldn't be a problem. You might try taping the light in place and trying it in both spots before you decide.

[boats]

I keep a spot handy to pick out channel markers, even if I see them on the GPS double check as they get close. However as has been said excessive use of the spot is not good pratice and aganst the rules. Watch big tug and barge outfits on the ICW they pick out marks with brief flashes only. Main thing is to protect your night vision, I cover my instrument lights with a towel even the GPS keep covered and look biefly. Worse thing you can do is give the spot to someone else who flashes it all arround, I want to control the thing myself only using it when it's needed. Hand held is much better than mounted in my opinion, some boats may be different.

Crab pots, if you stay in the marked channels chance of hitting one is much less, they are not suposed to be there. If they are and I have time will move them myself. You have to hit one pretty dead on to get the line wraped arround your wheel anyway.

On fishing lights, using a Florecent light now, it works great draws less current and gives even light over the working area.

Boats

[Dangerous]

Mounted on my hard top, three inches back, the spot is real nice! Mounting forward is necessary to get the down angle for the pots... but glare off the bow does happen. Mine is hard wired and the joy stick is real easy to use. My hand held is still on board as a back-up but this set up is great in driving rain/ no visibility!

[Darren]

Gorgeous boat there Dangerous.

[gary49]

Yes, indeed, a real beauty. Would you tell us about her?