[C320-list] LED lighting

[Monte B.]

If the parts situation in the boating industry becomes as onerous as that of
the aviation industry, you will meet a lot of former boaters. Pleasure boats
are not coast guard approved but must meet current certification standards
and any other industry standards they choose to and thus parts do not
require a technical standard order to be installed on a newly manufactured
boat or by you the owner. The only time this subject would come into play is
after the fire and from an insurance company that likes to collect premiums
but doesn't care for paying for losses. If one buys quality parts, adheres
to a reasonable maintenance schedule, and deals with reputable insurance
companies they can sleep soundly on the boat without the phone number of a
marine attorney in their blackberry.

Monte
Laima #620

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Ragtime
Magnuson's
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 4:06 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] LED lighting

On Time A Weigh ( #205) I replaced my Aqua Signal bulbs with LED bulbs (
Stern, Anchor, with their white light and the Bicolor bow light with the
recommended yellow bulb) from Mastlight.com.  I also replaced the lights in
the forward cabin and the aft cabin all with the bayonet based bulbs. These
have 18 lamps / bulbs.  the light output is great for reading and general
lighting.  In the main saloon, I ordered their Festoon based replacement and
found them very difficult to install because of the ragged manufactured
edges.  Some time with a fine file allowed for an easier insertion. they are
satisfactory for general lighting over the table, and over the galley. The
perimeter lighting was not enough to make the first mate happy when reading.
I left the incandescent bulbs in place on the starboard side until I reorder
the yellow color bulbs to see if they improve the light comfort. The
fixtures run so much cooler, but it does take a little to adapt to the light
color. 

Another question for those with some legal savvy..... A seemingly
knowledgeable source expressed concern that the conversion of an existing
Aqua Signal fixture to an LED bulb, now makes the assembly not Coast Guard
approved.   It would only be a problem in an accident situation where
liability became an issue, but it does raise a question.

Gary
Time A Weigh # 205