Now that sunset is creeping earlier I have been thinking about my cockpit and deck lighting setup. On the Hallberg-Rassy I have the standard red courtesy lights below and a masthead tricolour, but the cockpit itself is essentially dark once the sun drops. Last Friday I was coming back into Port de Pollença around 19:30 and fumbling around with the mainsheet in near darkness, which is not ideal.
I am looking at a couple of options. LED strip lights under the sprayhood with a red filter so they do not kill your night vision, or one of those flexible gooseneck chart lights mounted near the companionway. Has anyone fitted either?
Also while I am on the subject — my old lifejacket lights are the manual type where you have to pull a tab. Thinking of upgrading to the automatic water-activated ones. Seems like a no-brainer for single-handing at dusk but I have heard mixed reviews about false activations from spray. Any experience?
James, I fitted LED strips under the sprayhood two years ago and it was one of the best small upgrades I have done. I used warm white with a dimmer, not red — I know red is better for night vision but honestly the warm white on the lowest setting is fine and it makes the cockpit feel more comfortable for guests. Cost me about forty euros from a chandlery in Portixol.
On the lifejacket lights — I switched to the Spinlock Lume-On ones. They clip onto any standard lifejacket and activate on contact with water. Never had a false trigger from spray, though I suppose if you were taking solid green water over the bow it might be different. For the kind of sailing we do here they are excellent.
Following this with interest. I borrowed a friend’s boat last weekend and came back after sunset for the first time — honestly had no idea how dark it gets in the cockpit once the sun is gone. Ended up using my phone torch which is obviously terrible for night vision and probably looked ridiculous from shore. The LED strip idea sounds perfect.
This is something I had not even thought about yet! On our course last week we finished right at sunset and motoring back into the harbour I realised I could barely see anything on deck. My instructor handled it all but I remember thinking — how would I manage this alone?
The LED strip idea sounds like something even a non-boat-owner should know about. Sophie, I am glad I am not the only one who has reached for the phone torch… my instructor gave me such a look when I did that.
Just wanted to follow up on this — I asked my instructor about cockpit lighting this week and he said something I thought was interesting. He said for beginners the most important thing is not fancy LED strips but learning to move around the boat in the dark by feel. He had us practise going forward to the mast and back with our eyes closed during our last session.
Still going to buy a headlamp with a red light mode though. Carlos, which brand is the one you use on the Bavaria?
Anna, your instructor is absolutely right about learning to move by feel. That is something many experienced sailors still do not practise enough.
The headlamp I use is a Petzl Tikka — nothing fancy, about 25 euros. It has white and red modes and runs forever on AAA batteries. I keep one clipped to the companionway grab rail so it is always within reach. Honestly I have spent ten times more on boat gadgets that I use ten times less.
Carlos is right about the Petzl Tikka — I have had one aboard for years and it just works. The red light mode is genuinely useful, not a gimmick.
One thing I would add from experience: if you are going to install any permanent lighting in the cockpit, put it on a separate switch from your nav lights. I made the mistake early on of wiring my cockpit LEDs into the same circuit and discovered the hard way that when your cockpit is lit up you cannot see a thing beyond the lifelines. Now I have a dedicated dimmer switch and keep them as low as possible when underway at night.
Also worth mentioning — those cheap solar deck lights from the chandlery in Portals are surprisingly good for marking the companionway steps. I stuck two on mine three years ago and they are still going.