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Author Topic:   Spotlight for Outrage 20

bkoelbel posted 04-15-2006 08:55 AM ET (US)
Happy Spring To All,
This summer I will finally master the art of nighttime navigation, come hell or highwater!
The majority of my trips will be solo. I cruise along the NH/ME coastline in vaious conditions, but my return to the dock is along a twisting, yet well marked river, 3+ miles.
I have an '86 20' Outrage with the Super Console and associated grab rails.

Can anyone recommend a removable spotlight that has worked well on a similar boat?
Welcome suggestions, thanks!
jimh posted 04-15-2006 02:08 PM ET (US)
I favor a good MAGLITE flashlight.
davej14 posted 04-15-2006 02:25 PM ET (US)
I've been doing some looking at RAM mounts for another application but they seem to have a mount for just about anything. Some are designed for rails and they would allow for easy removal and aiming of the beam.
JOHN W MAYO posted 04-15-2006 09:32 PM ET (US)
I 2nd the Ram mount. I have them for everything else, and have been looking at a Ram mount and light. They make good mounts that are easy to use and good quality.
http://65.102.174.119/rammount/search.aspx?searchTerm=spot+light&Submit.x=24&Submit.y=10
newt posted 04-17-2006 11:07 AM ET (US)
Brian,
I did quite a bit of night boating last year and found that a mag light with 3 or 4 D-Cell batteries does a nice job, but you just can't beat one of those gazzillion candle-power spot lights for picking up nav aids at long range. I use a cheapo $15 rechargable that I picked up online somewhere. The only downfall to the cheapo unit I have is the light leakage that falls on the foredeck and ruins night vision. This year I think I will fabricate some sort of simple shroud around the spot light to block short range light. I could do it with something as simple as black construction paper wrapped around and taped onto the spot light, but of course it would not hold up for long.
I don't know how people use a mount (Ram mount of otherwise) for a portable spot light since you need to constantly move the light to pick up your target. Having another person on board is great so they can sweep the water ahead of you and occasionally pick up the nav aids while you run up on a plane.
Buckda posted 04-17-2006 05:15 PM ET (US)
I use a 1 million candlepower cheap brinkman spotlight that I picked up for about $15 somewhere..nothing fancy, but this is great for picking up the buoys/nav aids long-range. Once in the channel, and navigating by GPS, I use a 3 D-Cell Brinkman flashlihg (similar to a MAG-Lite) and I set the beam to a focused beam setting.
These are easier for you or a first-mate to hold, and are totally portable so they can be used up front or at the helm.
You're going to love boating at night. It is something that many more people ought to do, but I'm glad that they don't...to have the water all to yourself with the moon and the stars shining bright...and perhaps the Northern Lights....excellent.
Dave
Lars Simonsen posted 04-17-2006 08:18 PM ET (US)
I also use a 1 million candlelight power spotlight for night boating. I don't find a mag light adequate where I boat, but it's primarily because there are lots of pound nets (and thus pound net stakes) here, as well as stumps.
I thoroughly enjoy night boating. This past Friday night, two friends and I went out into the Chowan River at night to try to catch some stripers and/or catfish. The herring are running, and the river is full of them, and the stripers that eat them. We anchored along the edge of a cypress swamp and fished with herring heads, and listened to all of the herring splashing around in the shallows. It was quite beautiful, even though we only caught one catfish.
The boat landing I use on the Chowan River requires you to weave through the cypress trees to get to it from the river. There's a reflector on one of the trees at the edge of open water so that you can find it in the dark, but you need a strong light to find it.
Sam Collins posted 04-18-2006 07:50 AM ET (US)
http://www.havis.com/LightingProducts/CollinsDynamics/CollinsDynamics.html

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Author	Topic: Spotlight for Outrage 20
bkoelbel	posted 04-15-2006 08:55 AM ET (US) Happy Spring To All, This summer I will finally master the art of nighttime navigation, come hell or highwater! The majority of my trips will be solo. I cruise along the NH/ME coastline in vaious conditions, but my return to the dock is along a twisting, yet well marked river, 3+ miles. I have an '86 20' Outrage with the Super Console and associated grab rails. Can anyone recommend a removable spotlight that has worked well on a similar boat? Welcome suggestions, thanks!
jimh	posted 04-15-2006 02:08 PM ET (US) I favor a good MAGLITE flashlight.
davej14	posted 04-15-2006 02:25 PM ET (US) I've been doing some looking at RAM mounts for another application but they seem to have a mount for just about anything. Some are designed for rails and they would allow for easy removal and aiming of the beam.
JOHN W MAYO	posted 04-15-2006 09:32 PM ET (US) I 2nd the Ram mount. I have them for everything else, and have been looking at a Ram mount and light. They make good mounts that are easy to use and good quality. http://65.102.174.119/rammount/search.aspx?searchTerm=spot+light&Submit.x=24&Submit.y=10
newt	posted 04-17-2006 11:07 AM ET (US) Brian, I did quite a bit of night boating last year and found that a mag light with 3 or 4 D-Cell batteries does a nice job, but you just can't beat one of those gazzillion candle-power spot lights for picking up nav aids at long range. I use a cheapo $15 rechargable that I picked up online somewhere. The only downfall to the cheapo unit I have is the light leakage that falls on the foredeck and ruins night vision. This year I think I will fabricate some sort of simple shroud around the spot light to block short range light. I could do it with something as simple as black construction paper wrapped around and taped onto the spot light, but of course it would not hold up for long. I don't know how people use a mount (Ram mount of otherwise) for a portable spot light since you need to constantly move the light to pick up your target. Having another person on board is great so they can sweep the water ahead of you and occasionally pick up the nav aids while you run up on a plane.
Buckda	posted 04-17-2006 05:15 PM ET (US) I use a 1 million candlepower cheap brinkman spotlight that I picked up for about $15 somewhere..nothing fancy, but this is great for picking up the buoys/nav aids long-range. Once in the channel, and navigating by GPS, I use a 3 D-Cell Brinkman flashlihg (similar to a MAG-Lite) and I set the beam to a focused beam setting. These are easier for you or a first-mate to hold, and are totally portable so they can be used up front or at the helm. You're going to love boating at night. It is something that many more people ought to do, but I'm glad that they don't...to have the water all to yourself with the moon and the stars shining bright...and perhaps the Northern Lights....excellent. Dave
Lars Simonsen	posted 04-17-2006 08:18 PM ET (US) I also use a 1 million candlelight power spotlight for night boating. I don't find a mag light adequate where I boat, but it's primarily because there are lots of pound nets (and thus pound net stakes) here, as well as stumps. I thoroughly enjoy night boating. This past Friday night, two friends and I went out into the Chowan River at night to try to catch some stripers and/or catfish. The herring are running, and the river is full of them, and the stripers that eat them. We anchored along the edge of a cypress swamp and fished with herring heads, and listened to all of the herring splashing around in the shallows. It was quite beautiful, even though we only caught one catfish. The boat landing I use on the Chowan River requires you to weave through the cypress trees to get to it from the river. There's a reflector on one of the trees at the edge of open water so that you can find it in the dark, but you need a strong light to find it.
Sam Collins	posted 04-18-2006 07:50 AM ET (US) http://www.havis.com/LightingProducts/CollinsDynamics/CollinsDynamics.html