Need ideas for improving cockpit lighting

peterkvs

peterkvs

Active Member
Nov 11, 2012
511
Guntersville, Alabama
Boat Info
400 Sundancer 1999
Engines
3116 Cats, 1000 hours
I have a complete camper canvas on the back of my 400 DA and we use the boat year round. Often we have friends over and sit out back for drinks but in the winter it's quite dark and dreary in the back under the camper canvas even with the cockpit lights on. Has anyone installed additional lighting, preferably 12V LED, to the rear of the cockpit area that helps illuminate the table and seating area? I would love to see some pictures and ideas.

Thanks,

Pete
 
http://www.lumiteclighting.com/prod...nterior-lights/flush-mount-down-lights/shadow

Replace the existing cockpit lights and arch lights. They have different models. I got the white dimming with red and blue. Uses existing wiring, no new wires to run. The white are dimming so you can make them low as you want or as bright as daylight and anyplace in between. I installed them a month ago and everyone who sees them wants a set.
 
Pete,

I took an easy and simplistic approach to this, but the result was even better than I imagined. Our boat came with 2 standard 10W Perko lights in the underside of the arch and it was just plain dark in the boat at night. I bought some Cantilupi stainless 20W halogen fixtures and mounted a 3rd one in the inspection cover in the middle of the arch. The fixtures are easily mounted since they are held in place by springs but they were expensive @ about $65 ea, 10 years ago. The change was dramatic.......but we did triple the light output. The 20W halogen fixtures didn't require any change in wiring which made this a 30 minute installation, including cutting the inspection plate hole. We can now see people in the cockpit with us and even read comfortably at night.


top2.jpg
 
LED lights I got from Lowes 12V stick on strips

a9e8u4a3.jpg
unuzyhab.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hey computerman, do you have any pics of the installed lights? Will they fit into the existing holes? Also you mentioned they dim. Do you have to install a dimmer or is it on a remote? I hate my cockpit and overhead lighting. Its either too dim or too bright, so this might be great!
 
I do not have photos yet. I just installed them a couple of weeks ago. I will post something once I start going back to the boat regularly.

These lights fit in the same holes, but, you do have to drill some new screw holes. No new wiring. Only the white one dims on the set I got. You flick the on/off switch to stop the ramp up of the white light. Flick on/off again and you go to red. Flick the on/off a 3rd time and you get blue. Another flick gets you back to white again.

If you let the white ones ramp all the way up, it is like daylight in the cockpit.
 
What did those run you Rick?
 
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