Spot Light

[Capt Geo]

I just acquired a 2007 C-Dory 25 Cruiser and would like to install a spot/search light and am looking for advice. Which is more effective; a roof mounted hand operated or bow mount remote operated one?

[bridma]

In 6 years of owning a C-Dory I only turned on my spot light once. That was when the wind picked up during the night while at anchor. I had a roof mounted light. Nice that it was out the way but limits what you can do if you are putting a dink on the roof. Bow mounted light does not look good IMO and spoils the view forward. If I had to have a light, I would look for a hand one that you can clip on somewhere if you need both hands free.

Martin
22' C-Dory 2011 to 2017
Camano Troll 2017 to present.

"Once a brat, always a brat"

[ssobol]

Depends on how much operating you do at night. Even then the utility is somewhat limited (IMO). I have used my roof mounted GoLight about 3 times. Once when I first got the boat just to see what it did. Once I anchored out in a river and used it so see if my anchor was dragging, and once to pick up a mooring in the dark. That's it in 5 years. However, we really don't spend much time cruising in the dark.

If my boat didn't already have the light I would not be looking to install one.

FWIW, I've lost the rock cover for the Go Light twice while trailering. About $15 ea. time to replace it.

A hand held light is probably more useful. Not only can you point it at pretty much anything (unlike a roof light which has limited elevation and traverse), the slew rate to what you want to illuminate is much faster. A held held is also easier to keep on target. So far I have not seen any remote mount boat spotlights with any sort of target hold feature.

[smckean (Tosca)]

Read this thread:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=26264

[localboy]

I just have one like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Brinkmann-800-2301-0-Q-Beam-Million-Spotlight/dp/B00266EF5C/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1525202584&sr=8-5&keywords=12v+spotlight

I've only needed it once. That was leaving the bay @ Upright Channel (Shaw Island) to return to Fisherman's Bay (Lopez Island) after visiting someone; we got a late start. I needed it to spot crab pot floats in the bay. My brother was the spotter.

[starcrafttom]

Loved my bow mounted one. very use full and very easy to operate.It was all ways ready to go. no looking for it or having to wonder if its charged or trying to plug it in will the shit is hitting the fan. install it once and its always there to use.

[starcrafttom]

Of the two choices you asked about I would get the bow mounted one. Far better position then mounted on the roof. Roof mounts and hand helds all suffer from reflection off the front rail and deck, which does not sound like much but will pretty much blind you.

I miss having one on the 27 and I am thinking of adding one back on.

[beermanPDX]

I had a remote control GoLight mounted on the roof of my 25. Roof or bow rail mounted, both have drawbacks. Do you want some glare or do you want the body of the light in your line of sight day and night? As I mentioned I opted for roof mount. Was there glare? Yes. Was it blinding? No.

I ran my boat a lot of nights on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. During the winter there is a lot of debris in the water. Spotting that debris was the prime purpose of the spotlight and it worked well.

In my opinion, the ideal location is near the anchor roller, low and out of the line of sight. I just couldn't figure out how to make it work.

[jbdba01]

My GB 2670 has a spotlight on the bow.

When I bought the boat I asked the guy why he painted the bow rail black.

"So when turn on the spot light it doesn't shine back."

Given my druthers I would like the light on the roof.

Below I removed the paint but will be replacing it with plastic-dip.

[DavidHarding]

Mine is also the same as that of yours Localboy.

[colbysmith]

Mine is mounted right on top of the tip of the bow rail. A flat triangular plate of stainless is riveted to the bow rail. The light works great when I need it, and there is no reflection back into the cockpit. I have used it coming into buoyed coves at night or other such times. My current boat's light has motorized movement, which only works with the light turned on. I preferred an earlier boats light that I could turn/aim first before turning it on. For me that is the ideal setup, as I trailer with the light pointing back at the cabin, (to protect the lens) and if I forget to spin it around manually prior to using, the need to turn it on first floods the cabin in light.

[CaptMac]

I mounted the Go Light on top of the radome of my other boat, the Flounder Barge.
Having it up high keeps the glare from the aluminum rails to a minimum and it works really well.

[Swee Pea]

You would think after all these years as a Brat I would know how to post a picture from my Brats Album to a reply. I can create a link.

I used a simple bracket attached to my antenna to secure a hand held spotlight that can be directed out the window just outside the captains chair. Works great and is inexpensive. Can be removed and used with any 12v plug in socket.

John
Swee Pea

http://www.c-brats.com/albums/SweePea/PICT0472_1_edited.sized.jpg

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?full=1&set_albumName=SweePea&id=PICT0473_1_edited&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

[Swee Pea]

Figured out how to show a picture in a reply/topic.



John
Swee Pea

[Marco Flamingo]