How does this work- lighting

rasbury

Well, my list is getting much more manageable, not that I have a lot done but at least understand what I'm dealing with better and chipping away on the list! I brought the boat home last night to do some real cleaning but want to keep focused on the other tasks as well. We have a trip Mothers day weekend from Sanford Fl. Lake Monroe up the St. Johns to Palatka which is pretty much an all day trip with the speed zones and stuff....anyway, I'd like to get a handle on my lighting and this is a subject I have brought up but never really got any answers on......and I was thinking this morning if I knew better what was supposed to work when, I might stand a little better chance of resolving the issues. If I know what switches are supposed to work what, I sure would have a better chance of figuring this out, at least a starting point that I don't have right now.

as far as what does work, with regard to lighting, I'm not talking about cabin lights as they all work fine.

What is not "working" are my running lights and my spot light. The lighting has not been a big priorty as we have not stayed out on the hook. I am a little concerned about the trip as we are not planning to be doing anything at night but the trip goes through some remote areas and if I or someone else breaks down, we may be boating at night or dusk unplanned.

When on shore power or on battery when I hit the switch for the courtesy lights, I have two lights that come on in the upper deck area. Is the light on the back of the rear seat that would shine out the back of the boat supposed to come on with that switch?

My at anchor light on the top of the arch does seem to work fine, and that is a white only light, correct? And just the one light is required at night while at anchor, correct?

Now on my running lights, it just occurred to me this am that perhaps those will not work unless the ignition is on? Will they not turn on when just on battery or shore, does the ignition have to be on? Right now none of those come on but have not tried with the ignition on....now I know it's easy to say try it (and I will) but if I try it and it still does not work I'm still not sure what the problem is and there sure is a crap load of wiring to try and trace it down so knowing how it is supposed to work is key here. Also, from looking at the required while under power lighting, it looks like the light on the back of that rear seat mentioned above should also be on with the other running lights, correct?

On the spot light, again, does that light only come on if the ignition is on? I would not think so but assume that is a real energy eater and maybe that's the way....I have checked the switch at the helm and it seems to have power ok but the light does not work. The remote control operates and the light moves but no light. From the survey, the bulb is a two function, flood and spot? When the fellow did the survey, one of those functions was working but I can't get either and again, just thought about the ignition being on and have not tried that.

The last item is the windlass- I spoke with Randy Rinker yesterday (anyone figure out how to get spell check to recognize the word Rinker without showing it misspelled? After all, it is a Rinker site!) and he advised that glass I have been fighting should come out without removing anything and the trim should have been installed first and then the glass put it...well, mine will not come out, there are no panels that pop off so it looks like the headboard or top piece of trim will have to be removed to get the glass out. I might give that a whirl this evening as I suspect there is a fuse or connection issue at the motor as it just has not been used. I have checked the power at the helm switch and it does have power there so it's something from the switch forward being the problem and getting behind the glass should resolve that issue!

Thanks for the input as always!

Hamdog

Rasbury,

Your ignition does not need to be on for any of the lights to work. The light at the swim platform pointing to the rear works on its own switch from the helm. It does not come on with your running lights. As for your running lights, the switch that turns on your anchor light on top of the boat is a two way switch. I believe down is for the anchor light and up is for running lights. When you turn on the running lights your dash lights will come on as well. If they don't, there is a dimmer switch that adjusts the dash lights that might be turned down. Your windlass also has a lockout switch which is right below the toggle that operates it. You push in the red button to adjust to on or off. This is to ensure that nobody leans into the windlass toggle switch and accidently drops the anchor by mistake.

Hope this helps.

Hamdog

At least that's how my 342 works. Yours should be similar.

rasbury

Yes, it does very much.....so the running lights should be working so will pull the bulbs and check for power at the sockets and trace back from there so that's a plan...The dash lights do light so that's a plus so it may be just corrosion or bulbs...I thought the surveyor said one of the front running lights was working so will review the survey, not that it matters now. I have no idea what switch would work the light above the swim platform, but, looking at required lighting while under power, it is my understanding you have to have a white light on the back of the boat and would not seem to me that you would turn all your other lights on with one switch and have to turn that one on by itself- perhaps there are two ways that light is activated which would make more sense....what about the spot? Surveyor also said that was partially working but I can't get to come on and yes for the windlass, I understand the breaker at the helm and it does have power so assume the issue is further up the line!

Hamdog

Everything that is operated by switches at the helm should have associated fuses underneath the helm. I'm going to guess that you have checked those. No clue on the spot if the fuse is good.  

Hamdog

I don't think your rear light has anything to do with navigation. For navigation, all you need is the front colored lights and the light on top.

Power vessels less than 12m may show a single all-round light in lieu of the separate masthead and stern lights.

Black_Diamond

I bet you'll find corroded connections at the bulbs / burnt out bulbs.  If corossion, put new bulbs in with dielectric grease on the connection points.

TikiHut2

USCG lighting diagram of what's what(doc). When in doubt, light it up. I used to carry a handheld spot to illuminate the sail when transiting open water at night if someone seemed on course to obliterate us.

A good anchor light at the highest point remains lit all night when on the hook.

Bd has your answer about why you don't have lights. Corroded/bad bulbs/connections all around. I'd do 'em all. A serious hand held spot and backup vhf radio are always at my helm after sunset. The bow spot is great but back ups are important because as has been said by better captains than me "If it's gonna happen, it'll happen out there".

Mike

rasbury

10-4 guys....on the way home to check it out!

Cableguy Greg

The light at the rear by the swim platform should be labeled Transom Light. On mine, it is labeled 'TRNS LTS'. If you need to change the bulbs, you might as well upgrade the lights to LED lights. They are more reliable.

rasbury

rear light has been replaced but connectors have a bad connection so that is handled and when wiggling wires to find that, found the switch. Scratch that off the list. Found the switch that toggles for the anchor light/running lights and one of those corroded so they now work so scratch that.  The switch for the light does not seem to have outpower for the light. It swivels and turns but no lamp. One of the elements is burnt out, but show no power double checking there so more research on that one. Looked at trying to get that glass out of the front to get to the windless  and ain't no way that is coming out.

l-skynyrd

If the motor turning your spot light is working you are getting juice to the light, check the bulb.

If you have checked the circuit breaker for the windless (it is on the dash some where) and the motor does not run (up or down) there might be some corrosion on the brushes and armature of the motor. This was the case  on my boat because it sat on the water for a long time before I bought it. If you find that you are getting juice to the windless but motor does not run it is time to pull the motor. If you need some help pulling the motor let me know because I have done it on my boat. I can be a PIA with some help.

Oh everything Hamdog said about the switches is 100 percent correct. Get a cheap voltmeter from Harbor Freight ($5.00) and chase down the wires to see if you are getting voltage to the item that don't work. Or ask someone with a little electrical experience to help you.

rasbury

I pulled the switch out of the dash.....there are two wires out of the lower section which would appear to be power for the bulb and then a plug with several wires that would appear to be for the direction control. The switch also has two fuses(?) and those both are good. When I put the leads to the volt meter to those two wires, I get nothing. Is there any other switch that has to be on for the light to get power? I was able to identify all my switches on my dash (yea!) except for the last one on the far right. Have no idea of what that does. One of the elements on the bulb is visably burnt out but the other element looks intact, I still should be able to get a power reading from the wires still though, correct?

rasbury

and the windlass, this post, an 05, has sat out on a lift it's entire life. I do have power at the helm but thus far have not been able to get to the motor up front. I'd assume there is an inline fuse up by the motor? I can't get the glass out of the nose on the inside to get to the inspection hole to look at that or to get access to pull it. I have determined I will have to break the glass as the trim makes it impossible to remove. Even spoke with Randy Rinker about it, it will not come out! Just doing things by priorty....and that soon will be number one!

gslpro

Hey Ras.  When you throw your navigation lights on, you should have the red/green plus the masthead light, showing forward only.  You then have to put on the stern light by the swim platform.  When you throw it to Anchor, the masthead light should show forward and rearward, being an all-around light at this point.

As for the spotlight, do you have the typical two-way toggle switch for the light?  Most have an option for flood light or spot light.  My motor does not work unless one of these are selected.  So, I can not move it without the light being on.  This also means that I have two elements in the bow light.  I would question whether both are blown out on yours, if this is the case.  Pull the light apart and see what is going on in there.  It is seeming more like you have a serious corrosion issue within your electrical systems, which does come with the salt water territory.  

Do you have this kind of circuit breaker at the helm?

I was baffled the first time I saw this type.  Do you know that the little bar that says Reset is a flip up switch to reset the breaker?  It took me a few minutes before realizing this.  

As far as you mirror issue and getting to the windlass.  Do you have this cabin?

The panel below the mirror, as you can see slightly off in the picture, is this not your access to the windlass and chain locker?  On my 290, I thought it was up higher, but the windlass is set down into the bow, not resting on top of it.  Try to see if that is the same on yours.  It would make sense to me that it is.

rasbury

Hey Gary, thanks for the info, Yes, I have that breaker on the windlass and it is working properly and I pulled it out and the up/down switch does have power. The mirror in the picture is supposed to come out and there is another inspection hole right there at the windlass where it sits. I can't get to anything from that lower one. I am hoping there is another fuse behind it or like you suggest, it's just cruded up...boat only has 98 hours on it, can't guess home much time is on the motor for the windless. Sounds like we have the same spot, I pulled the switch out and the two light wires do not seem to have power..is there any other switch for the lights that has to be on? I checked the light also, no power..one of the elements of the light is blown and one of them was supposed to have been working at survey but perhaps he was mistaken.