Adding headlights on pontoon boat

[tucker0104]

I am new to boat so thanks in advance for the help. I am adding two small LED headlights on my pontoon boat this weekend. Should be about a 15 foot run of wire. What gauge of wire should I use?

[Waterlogged]

I hope you mean docking lights. You do not run a boat with headlights lit except for docking or other temp purposes.

Glenn

[MH Hawker]

How many amps dose each draw.

[PlaynDoc]

im not a boating electrician.... not one bit...

but, i think the gauge of wire is directly dependent on amps of power, and distance needed to run.

[clrd]

Leds don't take much power, you would probably be just fine with a 14ga, but I would make sure it is marine grade or equivalent, and use sealed connector for that type of application.

One more thing, you should also install a proper sized fuse or breaker.

[sunedog]

And be advised, they blind other boaters so only use them for docking. Around here, if you turn them on while underway in open water, you are inviting a free safety inspection from the local authorities who seem to look for a reason to stop you for a chat.

[woolznaz]

Tucker, welcome to the boating world! Please do take Waterlogged's and Sunedog's posts above to heart. If you are using them only while docking, and even then VERY sparingly, then maybe it is ok. However, by calling them headlights it sounds like you may be feeling like you need to see better at night to be safe. Please, please, please do not go down that path. It is extremely dangerous. The light will destroy your night vision and that of others. Darkness is your friend on the water at night.

Here is a great way to think of it: Lights on a boat are NOT there so you can see. That is NOT their purpose. Lights on a boat are there so others can see you.

They are navigation lights. They let others find you and determine your direction, and therefore they tell each operator who has right of way.

None of this is meant as criticism, either, so please do not take it that way. The advice is meant to keep you legal, safe, and to keep you from hurting the night vision of others on the lake. Obviously if you have a private lake all to yourself and no other boats are on it, then none of this matters. If you are like the rest of us and are boating on lakes with other boaters, then I think my advice is sound.

Having said all of this, you will see some (few) boaters running docking lights as they cross the lake at night. Nothing says "I have no business being out here and know not what I am doing" louder than that. It is very unsafe and inconsiderate, and I would imagine against the law in almost every state.

Be safe out there and enjoy night boating -- we enjoy nights on the water as often as we can. In fact, if I had to give up day boating or night boating, it would be a hard decision. The water at night is really a special place.

[HandymanHerb]

I go through some narrow channels some times fishing , you better have them on or you will be hitting ground on either side, but then there's is nobody for me to blind

[MH Hawker]

O and a FYI you may run into a like me who keeps a 1.5 million candle power search on hand to blind idiots with no manners

[tucker0104]

Sorry, "docking lights". Thank you to the one person who answered my question.

[jafo9]

even with LED's, you may want to consider using a relay.

[ezrollin]

I used leds thru out my cabin toon overhead, nav. etc. I have six led floods on the front deck and one led flood up front for docking. The six 10 watt floods draw 5 amps @ 12v dc,you could theoretically burn these for 20 hrs on a 100 amp hr battery, I don't burn them more than 10 without recharging prolongs battery life. Just check an online wiring chart for wire/ amp size.

[steveiam]

Tucker, welcome to the boating world! Please do take Waterlogged's and Sunedog's posts above to heart. If you are using them only while docking, and even then VERY sparingly, then maybe it is ok. However, by calling them headlights it sounds like you may be feeling like you need to see better at night to be safe. Please, please, please do not go down that path. It is extremely dangerous. The light will destroy your night vision and that of others. Darkness is your friend on the water at night.

Here is a great way to think of it: Lights on a boat are NOT there so you can see. That is NOT their purpose. Lights on a boat are there so others can see you.

They are navigation lights. They let others find you and determine your direction, and therefore they tell each operator who has right of way.

None of this is meant as criticism, either, so please do not take it that way. The advice is meant to keep you legal, safe, and to keep you from hurting the night vision of others on the lake. Obviously if you have a private lake all to yourself and no other boats are on it, then none of this matters. If you are like the rest of us and are boating on lakes with other boaters, then I think my advice is sound.

Having said all of this, you will see some (few) boaters running docking lights as they cross the lake at night. Nothing says "I have no business being out here and know not what I am doing" louder than that. It is very unsafe and inconsiderate, and I would imagine against the law in almost every state.

Be safe out there and enjoy night boating -- we enjoy nights on the water as often as we can. In fact, if I had to give up day boating or night boating, it would be a hard decision. The water at night is really a special place.

Good post-

[steveiam]

Sorry, "docking lights". Thank you to the one person who answered my question.

Dang Tucker, everyone was just trying to be helpful--many times I get something helpful from post that may not directly answer the OP's question-
just saying-