Nav lights not in rub rail?

[NY29T]

Has anyone just stuck the blue water lights onto the top cap above the rub rail? I don’t want to cut out the rub rail. Since it’s bran new and figure I can use the 3m tape and drill a small hole for the power. Not sure the 3m tape is strong enough.

Thanks for any insight guys

[Fishysam]

It will work

[CastingCall]

Assuming it's a fiberglass boat, wipe the mounting area carefully with acetone and a lint-free cloth to remove any wax/dirt, and the 3M adhesive tape will stick tenaciously!

[Bassnailer]

I'm a little confused about your post, are you saying you don't want to cut the replaceable rub rail because its a new boat, but don't mind drilling a hole in the fiberglass above the rub rail for power? Personally, I try to avoid drilling holes in the fiberglass of my boat, so I guess I'm not following your logic. My rub rail is the common two piece design, where there is basically a u-channel for screws, then rubber tubing is pressed into the rub rail to cover the screw heads. For my navigation light installation, I simply cut a section of the rubber tube where I wanted my lights at, then installed the lights in a piece of clear tubing the same size as the black tubing, then put the lights right in the rub rail. I used heat shrink tubing to make a nice transition from the black tubing, to the lights, then back the the black tubing. For power, I slightly enlarged one of the existing screw holes, and ran the power through it. No holes that weren't there to begin with, and the installation looks very slick. I'd be afraid lights just stuck on with tape above the rub rail would look shabby, then when you got tired of looking at the eye sore, you have a hole left where the power wire was.

[NY29T]

Ya I get the shabby look thing. I just replaced my rub rail and insert and don’t want to mess with it but may have too.

[LTZ25]

I’m surprised boat builders are not doing the built running lights .

[riverrat29]

It may be one of those things that may not be 100% legal in some states.

[crank68]

I’ve had several customers request Bluewaters installed under the rubrail. I’ve done it with no issues.

[coachallen]

it will work but the will also be very bright when fisshing on the front deck at night.

[grout-scout]

It may be one of those things that may not be 100% legal in some states.

Yep, it’s not legal in Texas unless the lights are COAST GUARD approved. Now I will get 400 responses about blah blah and blah, but people have received tickets from game wardens while using them. Again, it’s the coast guard approval of the lights, not the location that’s the issue.

Some have also received tickets from the blue and also white lights.

[Ckfishin]

I’m surprised boat builders are not doing the built running lights .

Ranger and BCB already do... Just not in the rail.

[Aries 181]

Yep, it’s not legal in Texas unless the lights are COAST GUARD approved. Now I will get 400 responses about blah blah and blah, but people have received tickets from game wardens while using them. Again, it’s the coast guard approval of the lights, not the location that’s the issue.

Some have also received tickets from the blue and also white lights.

The same law applies to Tennessee as well. There is a certain degree of sight coverage to be coast guard approved and most do it yourselfers don't install the lights correctly. I believe the law states 125 degrees of sight coverage from the center line of the bow.

Bill

[21XDC]

I’ve had several customers request Bluewaters installed under the rubrail. I’ve done it with no issues.

Under would be better than over I think... I have them in my rub rail.

[BassCatBrad]

I had them over the rub rail on my Skeeter. They stuck fine.

[rakkc]

I also stuck mine just above the rub rail, and for runnning the wires, here is what I did. pulled out the center piece of the rub rail, then drilled a tiny hole through the top portion of the rub rail and then another tiny hole through the center of the rub rail. Snake the wires through the top hole and then into the center hole going into the boat, push the rub rail back into place and splice the wires into the existing bow light wiring, I did seal both the tiny holes in the rub rail with some black RTV silicone. If the blue waters ever go bad I can just peel them off and there is no visible evidence of them ever being on the boat.

[mactlman]

i bought a set to do it but never did as hiding the wires would be an issue also--also read they weren't legal in Ohio I think?

[CastingCall]

I cut my LEDs into the rubrail years ago, but used cheap fleabay LEDs that only lasted a year. Replaced them with Bluewater LEDs and have had no performance issues since.
However, I am now paranoid of hurting them, since the lights are almost exactly where I naturally need to place my hands to push on the bow to maneuver the boat into the garage.
And, on more than one occasion, I've had to struggle with docking (sharp approach angles, windy landings) to avoid bumping that area of the rubrail on a dock/post. Even though mine are slightly recessed into the rubrail, I'm still really paranoid about pushing on the LEDs! It was a pain to replace them years ago... I don't want to do it again anytime soon.

So yeah, I would likely install them above or below the rubrail if I had to do it over.

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=310131

[howkitz]

strip lights are against coast guard regulations and should be against the law for humanity.
they look skuzzier than a methhead.

[riverrat29]

Yep, it’s not legal in Texas unless the lights are COAST GUARD approved. Now I will get 400 responses about blah blah and blah, but people have received tickets from game wardens while using them. Again, it’s the coast guard approval of the lights, not the location that’s the issue.

Some have also received tickets from the blue and also white lights.

Thanks grout-scout.. For some reason I could not think of the regulatory entity that approves lighting. I know DOT for road vehicles and kept thinking NMBA but I knew that was not right.. I see allot of these type in VA but I am not certain its actually legal in allot of states including VA because the USCG requirements for nav lights is what they all print in the boat reg books.

[grout-scout]

Thanks grout-scout.. For some reason I could not think of the regulatory entity that approves lighting. I know DOT for road vehicles and kept thinking NMBA but I knew that was not right.. I see allot of these type in VA but I am not certain its actually legal in allot of states including VA because the USCG requirements for nav lights is what they all print in the boat reg books.

If you ever see a game warden (that’s what they are called here anyways) you might ask him his take on it. It seems that in Texas many will let you fly, but every now & then, a person will get written up.