š”š¤© Let there be (nav) light!
One of the wrinkles of Tranquilo that needed ironing out was her nav lights. I was pretty sure when I took ownership that we saw the lights working... but on my first few times out I couldn't figure out what the deal was. It took a few trips back and forth to find some replacement bulbs, but the real discovery happened when I used a multimeter to determine that the 12v 65ah SLA battery the boat came with... was dead as a doornail!
I swapped in my 12v 50ah LiFePo battery that I used on my kayak and things started... working! First exciting thing was the cabin lights. Being able to have lighting without sticking rechargeables all over the cabin was so nice! The next thing I attacked was the running lights, which apparently take some kind of tiny and old bulbs. I was able to get one LED replacement at West Marine, but I could only get two extras that were Halogen based. After all was said and done I have one extra bulb left, and red / green bow lights as well as a white stern light!
The real cherry on top though, are the set of Biolite String Lights I purchased. I wrapped them around the lifeline of my yacht and I cannot say enough about how AMAZING they look! Not only do they provide great cockpit lighting, they add a layer of safety for me as someone who likes to park out in the middle of the bay and float around. The only negative to them is you need to turn the string off when you are navigating, it totally ruins your night vision.
All in all the nav lights are 90% done. The last remaining issue is the white light that is halfway up the mast. Because I didn't fix this while the boat was still at the yard, now I have to figure out how to climb the mast to replace a bulb. FUN! No really though, this project and this boat have taught me to enjoy a challenge and not fear the uncertainty of setbacks as much anymore.
Mat