Docking lights

[Intense]

Hey all,

This is the first year I'll be parking my boat at a slip and suspect I'll be coming in after dark quite often. As I have an older 'Bu, what are my options for adding docking lights?

I've seen the ones on the Bakes site. The newer 08-09 LED lights look MUCH easier to install since I wouldn't need to cut out of the hull for the recess. But I have a hard time justifying $300 for a pair of lights.

So, my question is, has anyone research other options for docking lights besides the OEM Malibu ones? If so, how much and where did you get them?

thanks!

mike

[Bill_AirJunky]

http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=794

Save your money. Their not terribly bright & you can only see a few feet in front of you.

I'd get a rechargable spotlight like this:

And a pair of solar LED dock or yard lights for your slip.

Nice setup

[MalibuNation]

They sure look nice on your boat ... but if you have a tower you are going to get much more light from tower lights than the docking lights.

[Todd34]

I don't have docking lights on the hull but do have tower lights and they work pretty well.

Todd

[Intense]

http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=794

Save your money. Their not terribly bright & you can only see a few feet in front of you.

I'd get a rechargable spotlight like this:

And a pair of solar LED dock or yard lights for your slip.

Nice setup

Those are the ones I was talking about. $300 for the pair seems excessive....esp on a 10 year old boat. Adding lights to the dosk is a great idea, but....the dock isn't 'mine'. I'm just leasing the slip. I doubt they'd let me make permanent modifications such as that.

They sure look nice on your boat ... but if you have a tower you are going to get much more light from tower lights than the docking lights.

I had wanted to avoid adding tower lights as I'm not quit sure how you run the wires down through the tower. Figure I'll have to drill a couple holes in the tower, somewhere....

[Bill_AirJunky]

I've been keeping my boat in various slips that belong to an HOA or I rented from a waterfront homeowner for about a dozen years. I've added dock boxes, lighting, cleats, &/or dock ties to all of them. In each case I asked before I did it. And explained that I thought it would make the dock safer & more convenient to use. And I try to use hooks or as few screws/bolts as possible to leave as little a mark in the dock as I can..... and I tell them that. No one has ever said no.

If your dock has cleats already, pull one up, install the light & the cleat on a piece of nice looking wood, then remount using the same cleat holes in the dock. Now you have a lighted cleat.

Or mount the lights to a base, then mount the base using stainless bolts that slip thru the cracks, with wing nuts underneath.

The dock I use now is off a sandy beach. We have to walk about 60' across the soft sand to get to the dock. So this year I'm thinking I'm going to add a floor mat to the dock so people can brush off their feet &/or shoes before they jump in.

Edited April 22, 2009 by Bill_AirJunky

[TxSurfer]

I have docking lights and the bullet style lights on the tower. I don't get much more than a couple of feet from the docking lights but can light up the world with my tower lights. Only draw back is power consumtion with tower lights, and stereo at the same time. Good luck