Cabin lighting ideas

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pcg

Member
What is your concept for ideal cabin lighting for a 22' Cruiser? I'm starting from scratch since I've stripped my project boat down to nothing but fiberglass. All I know is that I like things well-lit for using the galley and reading at the table, but I want appropriate night lighting (red?) for the helm.
I have no experience with a boat like this so your ideas are much appreciated! Thank you!
 
In our most recent 25 we had 3 light fixtures on each side. Each light had a bank of white LED and Red LED. Each color had a low and a high.

I had a further just red in the font and back of the cabin--accessed from the port side of the V Berth.

I also put LED lights in each cabinet. These were fabricated from a 1/2", half of that hack sawed down the center, and 3 holes drilled--straight down and from the aftt and forward ends. I inserted bare LED bulbs thru the holes and put a dab of epoxy to hold them in place. A switch turned on aisle and into the cabinet lights.
 
Bob, definately LED is the way to go. During the time you had Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021, I enjoyed following all of the additions and improvements you put into that vessel. At one time, I found myself considering selling what I have and buying yours because of the improvements but our boat was too new. Great choice of lighting you made in that 25. :)
 
I replaced the incandescent bulbs in the existing Perko fixtures with LED arrays (available as replacements for various bulb types). I added an extra fixture under the shelf at the front of the cabin to like the forward shelf area. I added LED sign modules to light the interiors of the main cabin cabinets and the storage areas under the berth.

The red light protecting night vision may be a myth. It is more about the intensity of the light than the color. Also, red illumination can make red/magenta markings on charts disappear. Considering that these markings on charts typically mark important or dangerous areas, not being able to see them could be a problem.
 
ssobol":20b3q5ln said:
I added LED sign modules to light the interiors of the main cabin cabinets and the storage areas under the berth.
Click to expand...
What are LED "sign modules"?
ssobol":20b3q5ln said:
The red light protecting night vision may be a myth. It is more about the intensity of the light than the color. Also, red illumination can make red/magenta markings on charts disappear. Considering that these markings on charts typically mark important or dangerous areas, not being able to see them could be a problem.
Click to expand...
Interesting, good point. Thanks.
 
ssobol":1jmzsdma said:
The red light protecting night vision may be a myth. It is more about the intensity of the light than the color. Also, red illumination can make red/magenta markings on charts disappear. Considering that these markings on charts typically mark important or dangerous areas, not being able to see them could be a problem.
Click to expand...

Myth?

Like tens of thousands of other soldiers I used red lights (regular white-light bulbs lights with red filters) extensively during night ops in the Army. The interior of armored vehicles were bathed in red light (so were aircraft cockpits). Maps had warnings about certain colors being less visible in red light, but they were visible, just the shade was off. Somehow we avoided wandering into impact and other no-go areas.

There are several interesting articles on this way beyond my expertise or interest, but we learned that red lens lights were harder to spot from a distance (tactical consideration) and also allowed our eyes to preserve most night vision adaptation. This was often tested as it was bad form to use a light to find your way through the woods at night. Many ops required mandatory silent time after full nightfall to let the senses get accommodated to the ambient light and sound (See any 80s-vintage Ranger handbook).

I've tried green lights while flying at night and couldn't tell the difference (especially since paper maps just aren't a thing anymore).

The other sad night vision fact is that we lose it as we age. I used to traipse around a backcountry campsite in the dark like a raccoon, but these days a little penlight is needed to avoid the inevitable stumble-fall-exclaim-break routine.
 
pcg":1ysgcb50 said:
ssobol":1ysgcb50 said:
I added LED sign modules to light the interiors of the main cabin cabinets and the storage areas under the berth.
Click to expand...
What are LED "sign modules"?
ssobol":1ysgcb50 said:
The red light protecting night vision may be a myth. It is more about the intensity of the light than the color. Also, red illumination can make red/magenta markings on charts disappear. Considering that these markings on charts typically mark important or dangerous areas, not being able to see them could be a problem.
Click to expand...
Interesting, good point. Thanks.
Click to expand...

This is technically correct. However, trying to keep a small boat a 1 CP is difficult. I use a flashlight every night, at 1 CP--red or white--one button takes it t0 30, 60, 300 and 900 as you wish. When I am checking pills, I use 1 CP white, for walking and seeing my way, 1 CP red.

The eye does adapt to the low 1cp white better than 1 cp red. Note that many us Navy ships still use red (some aircraft use red, some blue and some white.

The reason I use red, is that it is easier to get the low light LED (measured with Sikonic meter that I use for photography) in red than in white. I always had a very low intensity flashlight at the navigation station when cruising before LED. We did also use red bulbs or filters at that time. (Yes one can say that certain light meters respond differently to red spectrum vs white spectrum).

I do what works for me, and no accident turning on the white light vs red low level lights.

The question I ask is why so many US Navy and Merchant ship night collusions in the last few years? Just should not happen with Radar, AIS, and good night vision scopes etc.

Also having been surrounded by a US Navy Carrier fleet running totally dark, except carrier landing lights occasionally seen , about 200 miles off shore, is a most disturbing. The navy ("This is the captain of the USNS Coral Sea") responded after I expressed concern to CG sector San Diego via Marine SSB HF,

Perhaps even worse, is a US Coast Guard cutter coming up form behind at over 20 knots running totally dark in mid Caribbean, and not responding to VHF on 16. (I called sector Miami on Marine HF frequencies and explained I was about ready to break out arms and prepare to fire--a warning I had already given on VHF,16.)--after the Call to Miami about 2 minutes later CG cutter came on VHF and turned on lights--by that time they are only about 400 yards away.
 
thataway":1408x5xx said:
The question I ask is why so many US Navy and Merchant ship night collusions in the last few years? Just should not happen with Radar, AIS, and good night vision scopes etc.
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The same reason pilots and captains run out of fuel or fly miles off course — too much dependence on electronics and not enough on Mark 1 Eyeballs, 2 Each.
 
I replaced several of my lights with new fixtures that allowed me to switch to either red or white. The other light fixtures I left in, I switched the incandescent bulbs to LED's. The red/white fixtures are:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004X ... th=1&psc=1

I would have to look up the LED bulb replacements for the incandescent, but you can probably just google LED replacements for the incandescent bulb spec you are replacing. Colby
 
daninPA":30xwpumk said:
ssobol":30xwpumk said:
The red light protecting night vision may be a myth. It is more about the intensity of the light than the color. Also, red illumination can make red/magenta markings on charts disappear. Considering that these markings on charts typically mark important or dangerous areas, not being able to see them could be a problem.
Click to expand...

Myth?

Like tens of thousands of other soldiers I used red lights (regular white-light bulbs lights with red filters) extensively during night ops in the Army. The interior of armored vehicles were bathed in red light (so were aircraft cockpits).

...
Click to expand...

Airliners and business jets built in the last 50 years don't have red cockpit lighting. All of them can operate at night. The one aircraft I dealt with that was older than that had 1 red bulb that lit up some of the circuit breaker panels. All the other lights were normal colors.

LED sign modules are used to light up signs. They are usually sealed and come in many colors. You can get them online for less than a buck a module. They are available in many configurations and different voltages. Get a string of them, cut them apart, and stick them wherever you need to.

For example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2750164879...ziMF7e3e1SEoBuhS5SB8uWOaYe5L|tkp:BFBMwP7Tv7th

or:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1553198301...lMyD8xoZp1Kx9iHfi+K3ZT360=|tkp:Bk9SR8L-07-7YQ
 
ssobol":1ehig7p4 said:
Airliners and business jets built in the last 50 years don't have red cockpit lighting. All of them can operate at night. The one aircraft I dealt with that was older than that had 1 red bulb that lit up some of the circuit breaker panels. All the other lights were normal colors.
Click to expand...

The statement was made that red lights for night vision were a "myth."

I've spent enough nights in the field with only red and green-filtered light. When I had night vision they preserved *some* vision should the lights go out. So I'd say it's not a "myth." Anyone that's certain it is a myth should go tell the SF bubbas.

Good night vision requires at least 45 minutes in darkness. No moon, overcast, rainy nights were going to stay dark no matter how long you adapted. But Human night vision can collect more of whatever light is available once adapted.

But it usually took me a couple of days to make that work. We moderns have too much bright light for too many hours. It's a shame, really, because it's a fantastic experience to glide along under starlight as if it's daytime.

:|
 
Check in my photo album under "Modifications - Cabin Lights." I used little LED strips on top of the aluminum window frame and used stick-on conduit to make the wires disappear. The original wimpy Perko lights were removed.

A couple things to be aware of. LED lights can use really thin wire. I used phone wire (22-24 gauge??). But you need to make sure that all connections are perfect and limit the number of strips wired in serial. LED lights sold on Ebay as automotive 12V sometimes have a 13-15V range, because when your car is running, that's the available voltage. Installed on a boat sitting at anchor, it is possible for your battery to drop below the LED strip's optimum current, or voltage drop over a longish wire. A couple individual LEDs might dim or wink out. Kind of annoying.
 
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