Sealing around LED light strips?

FuzzyGrub · Feb 20, 2025

Stumps are hard to see at night. There are 2 miles of twisting, narrow channel, with plenty of rocks, between our camp and the lake. The return trip from fireworks shows is always trecherous. Once in the channel, we sparingly use high powered flashlights to spot markers, rocks, and the bank. Mainly use the gps display in the open areas (on dimist setting) and stay with in the tracks. Over all the years we have done it, only had one other boat, which was traveling behind us, and they were using mounted spot lights. They illuminated the path ahead of us.

I see river runners using mounted spot lights, but they seldom come across other boats at night. If you are on an intersecting path, just turn them off and wait for the passing.

The most challenging times are when the water is warmer than the air, and mist or light fog is on the water. Heavy fog is downright scarey, day or night.

Bantou · Feb 20, 2025

FuzzyGrub said:
Mainly use the gps display in the open areas (on dimist setting) and stay with in the tracks.

That's the real kicker with this lake, gps pathing isn't going to be a reliable guide over about 50% of it (where the best fishing is). The "channels" are just old creek beds and only 6-7' wide in places. It typically drops by about 20-30% over the summer as well.

Just about everything outside of the polygon is a minefield of stumps and there are a couple of sand bars/islands in the "safe" area that are ok to cross in the winter/spring but only a couple of inches under the water (or exposed) during the summer/fall. Makes for great fishing, less so for boating lol.

FuzzyGrub · Feb 20, 2025

Looks fishy to me!

MrGiggles · Feb 28, 2025

FuzzyGrub said:
The most challenging times are when the water is warmer than the air, and mist or light fog is on the water. Heavy fog is downright scarey, day or night.

You aren't kidding. A couple years ago my family rented out a lake house on one of the resorts at Table Rock for thanksgiving. Naturally, I brought the boat.

It was one of those bright, cool, November mornings, temp probably in the mid-30s. The water was still quite warm, and the lake was covered in thick fog. Knowing this, but anxious to get out, Dad and I watched the cove until we started seeing the sun peeking up over the hills, clearing the fog a bit by 9AM or so. There was no ramp at the resort, so we had to run to the public marina a few miles out, he'd drop me off, and I would run the boat back to the dock at the resort.

Well, he drops me off, I motor out of the ramp cove, and just around the bend, disappear into the densest, thickest fog I have ever seen. Maybe 10-15ft of visibility. It is probably the spookiest condition I have ever boated in. I was navigating at idle speed by GPS. It really felt like I was about to plow into the Branson Belle or something! Even at night, you can navigate pretty well by moonlight once your eyes adjust, as long as you go slow, I do it all the time. You couldn't see anything in that fog.

Thankfully, after about a mile or so, I got out from behind that bluff and the fog cleared.

Bantou · Mar 1, 2025

MrGiggles said:
You aren't kidding. A couple years ago my family rented out a lake house on one of the resorts at Table Rock for thanksgiving. Naturally, I brought the boat.

It was one of those bright, cool, November mornings, temp probably in the mid-30s. The water was still quite warm, and the lake was covered in thick fog. Knowing this, but anxious to get out, Dad and I watched the cove until we started seeing the sun peeking up over the hills, clearing the fog a bit by 9AM or so. There was no ramp at the resort, so we had to run to the public marina a few miles out, he'd drop me off, and I would run the boat back to the dock at the resort.

Well, he drops me off, I motor out of the ramp cove, and just around the bend, disappear into the densest, thickest fog I have ever seen. Maybe 10-15ft of visibility. It is probably the spookiest condition I have ever boated in. I was navigating at idle speed by GPS. It really felt like I was about to plow into the Branson Belle or something! Even at night, you can navigate pretty well by moonlight once your eyes adjust, as long as you go slow, I do it all the time. You couldn't see anything in that fog.

Thankfully, after about a mile or so, I got out from behind that bluff and the fog cleared.

Thankfully, we don’t deal with thick fog here very often. During the early spring and late fall, we might have a couple of inches of light fog first thing in the morning but it burns off quickly once the sun comes up. We probably don’t see more than 30 or so days a year with heavy, dense fog.

thill · Mar 1, 2025

airshot said:
I am sure you don't do this in the middle of a busy channel or where there is heavy boat traffic!! This is the issue I brought up, doing it when there is traffic. Added lighting makes it difficult for others to distinquish what direction your moving and how big you might be, and if they are bright led lights, others may have difficulty seeing you at all as they mess up your night vision. Off to the side, or in a cove or down a creek as long as your out of the way of boat traffic then light her up like a Christmas tree !!

Actually, you can run the interior lighting at any time, sitting or running. It is not visible to other boats. They are always offset, under the rails outsole or a light shield in certain places.

The docking lights are only used for docking or momentarily for locating buoys or such.