Front head light - 21SE T-Top

[Westerly Fluke Guy]

i currently have one of these (see picture)under the t-top mounted forward of the windshield on the tab provided with the wiring which came prewired on my 21SE.
It lights up about 150ft. and will catch reflectors a little further out.
I would like to increase the reach and have more of a spot beam rather than this floodlight.
There is a ton of stuff on Amazon but nothing that looks like it will really hold up.
What are you folks using and how are you mounting them. I think it would be better to mount it at the front of my canvas T-Top so I don't get light plash back at me and diminishing night vision.
Thanks for your relies.

 

[warthog5]

Have a Tower shop cut that Lil tab off and install a larger tab to fit a remote control spotlight. I'm parcial to GoLight..... Buy the light first..... Hand it to the fabricator to make the mount. Look at 4X4 shops to buy the light... Cheaper and same light as sold in a boat store.

 

[captmatt]

That looks like a spreader light and it is really meant to shine down and illuminate the deck.

You have probably heard this, but boats do not have headlights like a car does. This is for several reasons - to keep from blinding those at the helm of other boats, to protect your night vision while at the helm, and to cut down on light pollution that makes vessel and nav aid lights hard to see and understand. Please take this seriously and do use forward illumination except for brief moments to spot nav aids.

Please consider a radar or a spot light instead.

 

[Westerly Fluke Guy]

That looks like a spreader light and it is really meant to shine down and illuminate the deck.

You have probably heard this, but boats do not have headlights like a car does. This is for several reasons - to keep from blinding those at the helm of other boats, to protect your night vision while at the helm, and to cut down on light pollution that makes vessel and nav aid lights hard to see and understand. Please take this seriously and do use forward illumination except for brief moments to spot nav aids.

Please consider a radar or a spot light instead.

I do use forward illumination only for a few seconds at a time while navigating in an area where other boats are present.
I make return trips to the dock sometimes at 3 or 4AM. there are no other craft out then.
I have radar.
I have a hand held spot.
I also have 48 years on the water.
I asked a simple question.
I got an answer for a different question.
Thank you.

 

[pelagic2530]

I do use forward illumination only for a few seconds at a time while navigating in an area where other boats are present.
I make return trips to the dock sometimes at 3 or 4AM. there are no other craft out then.
I have radar.
I also have 48 years on the water.
I asked a simple question.
I got an answer for a different question.
Thank you.

I don’t think you’re going to find a direct replacement for what you have, that does what you want. The light patterns are different- products designed to mount where your current spreader light is installed, tend to have the same properties: wide, low intensity “spread” of light.

You’re looking for a spotlight, which will likely require a different mounting pattern. Aside from just mounting an EXTRAORDINARILY bright light/lightbar there, which will likely defeat the intention of seeing things at longer distances by reflecting a ton of light back at you from your white bow, I think you’ll be disappointed with the performance of available products.

A suggested alternative, especially given that you’re running a CC: leave the spreader light where it is and doing what it does, and buy a good, handheld, battery powered or 12v plug-in spotlight. In my experience, these are far handier than fiddling around with a joystick for a permanently mounted one. With a CC, you can easily lean out to the side and hit a buoy with a handheld spotlight, or have your buddy do it from the bow to avoid reflected light.

Just my thoughts. I don’t think you’re going to solve your problem pursuing the course of action you’re proposing.

 

[Westerly Fluke Guy]

Have a Tower shop cut that Lil tab off and install a larger tab to fit a remote control spotlight. I'm parcial to GoLight..... Buy the light first..... Hand it to the fabricator to make the mount. Look at 4X4 shops to buy the light... Cheaper and same light as sold in a boat store.

Great idea.
The wireless remote models are pretty cool.
I think we addressed the whole "tower shop" thing back with the radar, Lol!. Down where you are the boat industry is 24/7/365 and huge. Up here its nowhere near as big. Marine fabricators are few and literally far between. There are some very good people up here but their reputations keep the shops backlogged.
There isn't anything that can't be fabricated right here in the Monster Garage.

 

[tideridesc]

Black Oak LED makes some good stuff.

 

[offduty5]

On my 1800 CC works amazing. Also have to singles on port/starboard side and two rear aft on t top.

 

[Capt. Bob]

I have a 2019 23 SE. I bought an ACR RCL-85 wireless remote search light (pricey) and made a custom mount to go around the tee top tubing out of starboard. The light is a very bright spot light. I only us it to verify things I see on the radar and in areas I know there are pot floats. I also use it light up piers and such when in harbor. Just need a power wire, the remote pairs to the light.

 

[reellucky18]

This is what I installed on my 1801. I replaced the standard Nav Light with side mounted taco lights and to avoid drilling additional holes, I built a mounting platform out of 1/2" starboard & leveraged the existing holes from the standard nav light. Because my trolling motor is there, I had to use 2 pieces of starboard to push it a touch forward of the trolling motor side plate. When I change out that MotorGuide Trolling Motor over the winter I may need to make some adjustments, but for now, it does what I need it to do.

 

[Westerly Fluke Guy]

View attachment 38784 View attachment 38785 View attachment 38786
This is what I installed on my 1801. I replaced the standard Nav Light with side mounted taco lights and to avoid drilling additional holes, I built a mounting platform out of 1/2" starboard & leveraged the existing holes from the standard nav light. Because my trolling motor is there, I had to use 2 pieces of starboard to push it a touch forward of the trolling motor side plate. When I change out that MotorGuide Trolling Motor over the winter I may need to make some adjustments, but for now, it does what I need it to do.

Where are the nav. lights?

 

[Westerly Fluke Guy]

I’m going with a Black Oak flood.
Same light basically as the Amazon unit but four times (4000 lumens) brighter. Four times the price too LOL. I’m going to put a deflector under it I think to limit the amount of light down onto the deck just a bit. May move it more forward as well as now it’s way under the canopy.

 

[reellucky18]

Where are the nav. lights?

I circled the nav light in this picture.