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Author Topic:   Stern light replacement?

ChocLabWhaler posted 07-07-2002 12:19 PM ET (US)
Since my "shake-down" cruise turned into a "shake-apart" cruise, i'm now assessing and repairing the damage. One of the casualties was the stern light. What are you using? Plug in and remove when not in use? OR, Unscrew and lower? How have you installed it? Boat - 1967 17' Nauset.
Thanks for the insight.
CLW
ChocLabWhaler posted 07-08-2002 05:35 PM ET (US)
Help! Anyone? Don't make me go to West Marine and do it 2-3 times before I get the light to work right. Anybody got any pictures that I can view and guess how to do it?
Thanks,
CLW
Tom W Clark posted 07-08-2002 05:48 PM ET (US)
ChocLabWhaler,
I'm not realy sure what you are asking.
I'm not sure about the Nausets from the 1960's but the Montauks from the 1970's and 1980's use a Perko built stern light mounted in Whaler's own cast bronze, chrome plated fittings.
The fittings attach with a total of four #10 oval head sheet metal screws and are pretty bullet proof.
The stern light itself suffers from garage doors that are a bit low. I know, I've broken them off more than once. This is the price of just leaving the light in place all the time as I usually did.
Note: If you break of your stern light it will usually crimp right above the top fitting and you can then just cut it down with a tubing cutter and reinsert the plastic bushing. Your light will be a few inches shorter, but....
I think that if you take the light out then you have to store it somewhere and that is more treacherous than leaving it in place. I have seen many, many stepped on stern lights in Whalers.
I guess it depends on how you use your boat. If kids use it to water ski then the stern light will probably get snapped off a few times. If you are in the habit of bringing lots of gear on board and taking many people out with you then having it stored flat somewhere will invite an accident by being stepped on. You decide.
ChocLabWhaler posted 07-08-2002 06:15 PM ET (US)
Thanks. Good thoughts. The old light worked but had been cut down to be too short. Then we broke it. The base was too corroded to fix. I would like a light like the Perko/Attwood that comes out of the base (waterskiing and flyfishing). The base is the problem. I should have been more specific in the question.
Do I mount a wood block and drill out a hole for the base? Other ideas?
Thanks,
CLW
DanT posted 07-08-2002 06:42 PM ET (US)
I use an Attwood light and the original fittings to hold it. I removed the base from the light and attached longer leads with ring connectors on the end. Now I slide the light into the holder and attach the leads to the terminal block. I keep my boat covered when not in use so I remove the light frequently. I think if the aluminum light pole is left in the original fittings for a long period of time corrosion will be a problem.
Tom W Clark posted 07-08-2002 06:45 PM ET (US)
No, don't drill a big ol' hole in your hull. Buy any light you want and then use the brackets I described above. They are available from CMI and sometimes available used here in the Marketplace section of the FORUM and on Ebay.
Any light using a 3/4" diameter staff will work with these fittings. They will be much stronger than those crappy socket things and match the original Whaler detail.
ChocLabWhaler posted 07-08-2002 10:14 PM ET (US)
No hole in the hull....
what I meant was... should I screw in a wood block and then drill hole for Perko base?
CLW
chad posted 07-09-2002 12:00 AM ET (US)
CLW,
I just broke down and bought the top mounting bracket and stern light from our local whaler dealer. My old light had been reduced to a 2' section frozen in place after being left in the brackets. I will remove the light and stow with clips verticaly by my rod holders.
ChocLabWhaler posted 07-09-2002 06:33 AM ET (US)
I've got to get a rectal-craniotomy. DUH! Talk to a Whaler dealer. Didn't dawn on me. Maybe because the closest dealer is more than an hour away. I'm used to being able to ride down to one on my bike. Sure do miss being 10 years old....
CLW
larimore posted 07-09-2002 07:14 AM ET (US)
I dumped my pole mounted stern light for an engine cover light. I mounted a 270 degree stainless light to the top of the engine cover. No problems with light storage, mounting, dismounting, and outlet plug problems. I chose the 270 over the 180 because I wanted to be more visible(and less legal).

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Author	Topic: Stern light replacement?
ChocLabWhaler	posted 07-07-2002 12:19 PM ET (US) Since my "shake-down" cruise turned into a "shake-apart" cruise, i'm now assessing and repairing the damage. One of the casualties was the stern light. What are you using? Plug in and remove when not in use? OR, Unscrew and lower? How have you installed it? Boat - 1967 17' Nauset. Thanks for the insight. CLW
ChocLabWhaler	posted 07-08-2002 05:35 PM ET (US) Help! Anyone? Don't make me go to West Marine and do it 2-3 times before I get the light to work right. Anybody got any pictures that I can view and guess how to do it? Thanks, CLW
Tom W Clark	posted 07-08-2002 05:48 PM ET (US) ChocLabWhaler, I'm not realy sure what you are asking. I'm not sure about the Nausets from the 1960's but the Montauks from the 1970's and 1980's use a Perko built stern light mounted in Whaler's own cast bronze, chrome plated fittings. The fittings attach with a total of four #10 oval head sheet metal screws and are pretty bullet proof. The stern light itself suffers from garage doors that are a bit low. I know, I've broken them off more than once. This is the price of just leaving the light in place all the time as I usually did. Note: If you break of your stern light it will usually crimp right above the top fitting and you can then just cut it down with a tubing cutter and reinsert the plastic bushing. Your light will be a few inches shorter, but.... I think that if you take the light out then you have to store it somewhere and that is more treacherous than leaving it in place. I have seen many, many stepped on stern lights in Whalers. I guess it depends on how you use your boat. If kids use it to water ski then the stern light will probably get snapped off a few times. If you are in the habit of bringing lots of gear on board and taking many people out with you then having it stored flat somewhere will invite an accident by being stepped on. You decide.
ChocLabWhaler	posted 07-08-2002 06:15 PM ET (US) Thanks. Good thoughts. The old light worked but had been cut down to be too short. Then we broke it. The base was too corroded to fix. I would like a light like the Perko/Attwood that comes out of the base (waterskiing and flyfishing). The base is the problem. I should have been more specific in the question. Do I mount a wood block and drill out a hole for the base? Other ideas? Thanks, CLW
DanT	posted 07-08-2002 06:42 PM ET (US) I use an Attwood light and the original fittings to hold it. I removed the base from the light and attached longer leads with ring connectors on the end. Now I slide the light into the holder and attach the leads to the terminal block. I keep my boat covered when not in use so I remove the light frequently. I think if the aluminum light pole is left in the original fittings for a long period of time corrosion will be a problem.
Tom W Clark	posted 07-08-2002 06:45 PM ET (US) No, don't drill a big ol' hole in your hull. Buy any light you want and then use the brackets I described above. They are available from CMI and sometimes available used here in the Marketplace section of the FORUM and on Ebay. Any light using a 3/4" diameter staff will work with these fittings. They will be much stronger than those crappy socket things and match the original Whaler detail.
ChocLabWhaler	posted 07-08-2002 10:14 PM ET (US) No hole in the hull.... what I meant was... should I screw in a wood block and then drill hole for Perko base? CLW
chad	posted 07-09-2002 12:00 AM ET (US) CLW, I just broke down and bought the top mounting bracket and stern light from our local whaler dealer. My old light had been reduced to a 2' section frozen in place after being left in the brackets. I will remove the light and stow with clips verticaly by my rod holders.
ChocLabWhaler	posted 07-09-2002 06:33 AM ET (US) I've got to get a rectal-craniotomy. DUH! Talk to a Whaler dealer. Didn't dawn on me. Maybe because the closest dealer is more than an hour away. I'm used to being able to ride down to one on my bike. Sure do miss being 10 years old.... CLW
larimore	posted 07-09-2002 07:14 AM ET (US) I dumped my pole mounted stern light for an engine cover light. I mounted a 270 degree stainless light to the top of the engine cover. No problems with light storage, mounting, dismounting, and outlet plug problems. I chose the 270 over the 180 because I wanted to be more visible(and less legal).