Article by Capt. Steve Katz
A Bright Idea
LED’s or (light emitting diodes) light sources have become commonplace all around us. This type of energy efficient lighting certainly has found its place on most every modern boat.
Why use LED lighting on a boat as compared to traditional incandescent, fluorescent, high intensity discharge and other time proven light sources? The number one reason I often hear is the reduced energy consumption for an equivalent light output. While many boaters also indicate that heat reduction is a primary reason to upgrade along with reliability, ruggedness, color choices and extended life are also popular reasons to upgrade to LED lights – which are all good reasons.
Traditional light sources (and LED’s too) produce heat as a byproduct of the amount of energy used to create light, while there are some boating uses for this heat by-product, like using a lightbulb to keep an area warm in cold weather, for the most part, boaters do not want to create any more heat than needed –a LED light that uses less electricity also produces less heat for the same light output level.
As an example, Recently I was upgrading standard incandescent light bulbs in a handful of marine courtesy light fixtures with LED bulbs. These marine fixtures had been in use on and off for over 20 years, both interior and exterior. Not surprising, many of the housings and plastic lenses showed signs of excessive heat and some even had burn marks and melted plastic pieces. Upgrading to LED “bulbs” instantly reduced the electricity consumption and at the same time reduced the heat in the fixture significantly.
Before we get into a review of “fun” LED lighting, like light bars, speakers, rope light, underwater light and other cosmetic LED offerings, let's start off with a serious topic – Navigation lights.
On a boat, the most crucial lighting is the “worldwide” standardized navigational lights. An LED upgrade of the navigation lighting must be carefully reviewed – not just any bulb or fixture can or should be used. Many boaters swap in LED bulbs just because they fit into the existing navigation fixture and figure they are good to head out at night – but they have now modified an approved navigation light.
Navigation lights on Recreational vessels and uninspected commercial vessels must meet American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) standard A-16, in accordance with specifications within 33 CFR183.810 and 46 CFR 25.10-3, respectively. Commercial inspected vessels must be outfitted with navigation lights that meet or exceed Under-writers Laboratories standard UL 1104, as stated in the specifications of 46 CFR 111.75 -17.
Replacing the incandescent navigation light bulb with a run-of-the-mill LED may change the color output (chromaticity) and or the Photometric (luminous intensity) output of the once approved Navigation light. For this reason alone, it is not recommended for boaters to install unapproved LED bulbs into an approved navigation light fixture- they are likely rendering it non-compliant with USCG requirements.
The best approach is to replace the entire fixture with a new LED style fixture that meets the requirements set forward by the USCG and other governing bodies. These lights are tested to be sure the fixture meets the requirements and is then marked appropriately. There is one company I am familiar with (Dr. LED) that has gone through the rigorous USCG testing procedure to certify which of their replacement LED bulbs are certified to work as a replacement in specific existing incandescent fixtures and will still meet the USCG and other standards. The USCG indicates that the use of lights that do not provide the proper chromaticity, luminous intensity, or cut-off angles could result in the issuance of a notice of violation or potentially cause an accident.
What certifications should my lights have?
All U.S. registered vessels are subject to either the ’72 COLREGS or the U.S. inland rules. Effective 11/1/03, navigation lights must meet one of 3 types of certifications depending on the size of the vessel and the date it was manufactured.
Large boats over 20 meters or 65.6 FT - The U.S. Coast Guard is accepting lights that have passed the UL tests (A.B.Y.C. A-1104) as meeting the ’72 COLREGS and the U.S. Inland Rules for vessels over 20 meters or 65.6 ft.
For boats under 20 meter or 65.6 feet – the U.S. requirements for these vessels differ depending on when the boat was built:
For boats built after 11/1/03 - The only recognized means of certification of lights fixtures for these boats is the USCG approval system. This system uses independent, 3rd party USCG approved labs to conduct some of the tests required for the A-16 certification of a light fixture. On all USCG approved lights, the permanent marking USCG 1nm, USCG 2nm or USCG 3nm (depending on whether the light is a 1-mile, 2-mile or 3-mile light) must be visible on the fixture when the light is installed.
For boats built before 11/1/03 - Lights for these boats must be manufactured in accordance with the American Boat and Yacht Council (A.B.Y.C.) Standard A-16. The primary means of certification recognized in the United States for light fixtures used on these boats is through the National Marine Manufacturers’ Association (NMMA) certification procedure. USCG approved lights, as described above are also approved for applications on boats built after 11/1/03. All light fixtures certified under this procedure are required to permanently carry the mark "A-16" visibly displayed when the light is installed.
If you thought the USCG was tough on recreational boaters, they are just as tough on navigation light manufacturers, they require all navigation light manufacturers to print the following information the fixture or the retail package: USCG Approval 33 CFR 183.810, MEETS ABYC A-16 or equivalent, TESTED BY (an approved laboratory), Name of the light manufacturer, Number of Model, Visibility of the light in nautical miles, Date on which the light was type-tested, Identification and specification of the bulb used in the compliance test.
While getting your boat ready for fishing this season, take the time to review the condition and operation of your navigation lights and be sure they meet the standards for your size and type of boat. The USCG website, www.navcen.uscg.gov can be a helpful resource.
In future articles we will review navigation light placement and finally get into the fun with LED lights!
Until next time, stay grounded!
