Cockpit Pleasant Light ....

[smuggler]

In the same vane as a hurricane lamp, we have the Weems & Plath Yacht lamps.. windproof, waterproof (from rain & spray.. brass - no corrosion..

Bit on the expensive side though..

[Dockhead]

I use a $5 "AA" battery powered, El Cheapo brand, Chinese LED lantern, shaped like a miniature Coleman lamp. Works great, and I find the light to be reasonably pleasant (the single LED is reflected in a conical reflector, and I find that reflected LED light is much more pleasant than direct LED light, for some reason). I just hang it from the boom, or from a cockpit enclosure hoop if that's up, or set it on the cockpit table. One set of batts lasted the entire season last year, and is still going strong.

I don't think I could be bothered to wire up anything permanent. Maybe if I were in the tropics where it gets dark early, so sitting in the cockpit a lot after dark. In the latitudes where I sail these days, it's light until very late in the summer.

If I wanted really especially pleasant light, I would probably go with one of the hurricane lamps people have mentioned, if I could be bothered keeping the fuel for one. I do have some big candles which I bring out from time to time, which are also nice.

[4fish]

I have several leds, and.......I think a Hurricane Lamp or the beauty above don´t have competitor on the "pleasant light category". But may be are not practical or they don´t have enough power for dinning.....
Are the hurricanes Lamps dificult to store ? ....

[smuggler]

The yacht lamps we have are "lifetime" pieces - solid beyond belief !!.. absolutely "bulletproof" and provide a great light for "intimate" dinning - we place 1 each end of the cockpit table.. so, yup, expensive, but will last out our lives !! just have to keep some spare wicks & lamp oil - easy to buy....

[mbianka]

I also vote for the Bebi Beka light. It has white Led lights around the perimeter and warm Led's facing downward. I use it in the cockpit and main cabin as needed and also serves as a backup anchor light:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: WHAT WORKS: THE BEBI LED BEKA LIGHT

[zeehag]

my oil lamps, including my weems and plath i have stateroom and my ÿacht lamps"i have in main saloon all cost me around 100 usd each. they are well worth the money invested as they do not decrease in value nor do they diminish in beauty. they are well made and last forever. beautiful light comes from these beauties. enough to eat, yet also keep the warm ambiance inside the teak wood interior.
i used to have a trawler lamp but i gave it away when the works died a long horrible death...anyone gong to yayas cafe in la cruz de huanacaxtle will see it on display in her restaurant.

[4fish]

What about if the oil lamps felts down while is working, is there a risk of fire ?

[teneicm]

We just upgraded the cockpit lighting. Bought a 5 meter reel of waterproof LEDs (warm white) and cut it in half. Mounted the two strips on the bottom side of the hardtop with industrial Velcro and put a dimmer switch in at the panel that's remotely controlled by a key fob. At the brightest, you could perform surgery, but the dimmer allows you to infinitely adjust the brightness to suit your needs. The strips provide a very warm and dispersed light, so you don't get harsh shadows associated with single point light sources.

Here's what we bought:

Waterproof 300 High Power LED Flexible Light Strip Reel - WFLS-X3 | Top Emitting | Flexible LED Light Strips | LED Light Strips & Bars | Super Bright LEDs

LDRF-8A 12~24 Volt DC LED Dimmer w/RF Remote | Switches | Installation Supplies | Installation/Power Supplies/Misc | Super Bright LEDs

[Target9000]

Originally Posted by 4fish

What about if the oil lamps felts down while is working, is there a risk of fire ?

Ummm... Yes. That is a no brainer. Even if the lamp is supposedly protected any time flame and fuel are near there exists a danger. Oil lamps are also a pain because you have to lug fuel for them around and if you use them below they are hot in the summer time and also sooty if the wicks aren't trimmed just right.

We also use a Bebi light in the cockpit. Uses almost no power, makes the boat visible, and is very pleasing to the eye.

[Caracal]

Originally Posted by 4fish

What about if the oil lamps felts down while is working, is there a risk of fire ?

Yes, it's burning oil, so there is a risk.

Solution: Don't let it fall down. And don't have something with a fluid container made from glass that can crack by banging into it.

[4fish]

Finally I decided for the ....
Beka Kaukaua , doubting from all warm white , or pure white for anchor and warm white, any advice.....I am assuming that they can be turned on or off independently , also I like the light sensor for anchoring..

[Zanshin]

I built an LED strip light with a dimmer for my cockpit, see the attached link for a youtube video of it working. This was just the port side, I now have the starboard side as well and never use it at full strength since it is just too bright.

Zanshin LED installation time-lapse - YouTube

[Caracal]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

I built an LED strip light with a dimmer for my cockpit, see the attached link for a youtube video of it working. This was just the port side, I now have the starboard side as well and never use it at full strength since it is just too bright.

That looks good, I must say!

[4fish]

All these strips with leds, regulations....look gorgeous.

But I don´t have a permanent spot to place them....the only place will be the boom, or the bimini which is very restricted to the stern....
So the Beka Kaukaua looks very easy to use and install (no installation).....
THanks.