What Deck Lighting Color

[LarryA]

This may have been covered but I couldn't get anthing on a seach.
I've been searching the net and reading a bunch of stuff but it seems that everything I look at differes from another.
I'm looking to determine what color lighting would be best to illuminate the inside of a "fishing" boat. I'm not talking bright like street lights but rather enough to allow you to see where stuff is located and move around and stay on the boat.
What color lighting do you use and why; do you have the ability to din the level of light.

 

[Waterwings]

No lighting on my rig, deck lights or running lights, lol, however if I did, I'd go with the red (maybe blue) as it will not interefer with your night vision as much as white light does. As I recall, the sailors on watch on the bridge of Navy vessels work in a red-lighted atmosphere, so as not to ruin their night vision 8) :wink:

 

[Jim]

I purchased a whole blue led setup for my G3. But I had a hard time choosing between blue and green.

 

[Jim]

https://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z136/G3_Guy/xMisc/G3%20Light%20Modifications/

G3_Guys boat.....that is bad a$$ In my opinion

 

[FishingCop]

Yellow (yellowish-orange), but is not on the list????

 

[Popeye]

I like blue. Doesn't affect night vision like white does and is not a navigation color. Not sure about the legalities but I thought you couldn't show navigation colored lights (red/green) unless they were nav lights. We even had to change the filters on my first ship from red to blue so as not to confuse other vessels.

 

[Waterwings]

We even had to change the filters on my first ship from red to blue so as not to confuse other vessels.

Andy, when did they change to blue? Just curious so that I can be up to date, lol.

pssst, my last sea duty was in '84 :wink:

 

[ben2go]

Here's my take on this.Dim white is an all around good choice.Bright white is good in dark storage compartments.Blue works good above deck if it's not a direct beam and more like flood light.Red is wonderful if you have a need to read lights at the helm.Just my 2 cents.

 

[evattman]

Im glad you posted this. Ive been thinking about the same thing. I was torn between plain white or blue. I just may go with blue. #-o

 

[Popeye]

WW,

The filters we replaced were on the main deck passageway under the forward superstructure of the oiler I was on. That was 1987/1988. On the MCM's CIC had blue lighting but we still used red for darken ship everywhere else. That was from 1991 to present.

 

[Waterwings]

Thanks for the info, shipmate! 8)

 

[SlimeTime]

My vote would have been for black, but it's not available :wink:

ST

 

[ben2go]

My vote would have been for black, but it's not available :wink:

ST

Why black?Did I miss something some where? :-s

 

[Popeye]

While there are those that like black lights for showing their mono line at night, I was under the impression the question referred to deck lighting for illumination for safety type reasons. Black lights wouldn't do much in that aspect unless you had white or very light colored decking/carpet or clothes.

 

[LarryA]

What I am actually looking to see is what colors people use and for what reasons. I have read articles on the net concerning light color and night vision but they are rather confusing and it appears that there are many different opinions on this subject.
I can understand why the use of red or green might easily confuse other boats as to the interference with running light colors. Our boating regulations state that no other lights can be displayed other than running lights. That alone would limit the deck lighting to a minimum to allow seeing around the deck and being able to find things and move around. I was thinking of red or green but after reading above in this thread and giving it some thought, I think those colors could present a problem with regulations. I may be wrong but at the moment, I'm leaning to using blue. I am interested in why you use the colors you use. It makes no difference if the color is listed on the poll or not. I just listed the basic color spectrum ones. I'm also interested to know if anyone has a dimmer method to increase or decrease the intensity of the lighting they use. I was thinking that some sort of dimmer would be good to allow you to get a faint enough light to see the boat's interior but not light up the entire area unduly. Evidently this is a subject of some interest, judging from the replies.
I'd like to thank those that have already replies and those that may from this point. I'll be watching this thread with interest.
Thanks for your time,
Larry

 

[FishingCop]

My boat (Spectrum Sport 16) has built in amber lights along the sides. Little 3/4" x 3" toglle lights. They help see in the dark a lot and the amber color seems to be fine...

 

[SlimeTime]

While there are those that like black lights for showing their mono line at night, I was under the impression the question referred to deck lighting for illumination for safety type reasons. Black lights wouldn't do much in that aspect unless you had white or very light colored decking/carpet or clothes.

Sure they will :wink: And it really lights up the velvet Elvis poster I keep in the boat 8) Thank-you.....thank-you very much

Yep, they'll make your line glow like a florescent-neon tube. It's best to just allow your eyes to become adjusted to the dark, and the less light the better. You go turning on a bunch of bright lights, it'll take your eyes several minutes to get your night-vision back. If you place different lights on your boat, be sure & switch them separately so you don't have to turn them on all at once & look like Clark Griswalds house on National Lampoons Christmas Vacation :mrgreen:

ST

 

[ben2go]

I'll add this and it may help with type of light to buy.LED's put out a thin beam of light and very little light outside of that beam.Standard incandecent lights put out a flood of light.You can control the direction of LED lights and keep down the appearance of flood lights.Plus they use very little power.

 

[alumacraftjoe]

I voted blue... I put blue deck lighting on my boat and that is what I will put on every boat I own from now on. I went w/ Led's and they give me enough light to see without being too bright. I can see my line if I need to re-tie and I can also see all the things that i somehow find a way to drop. The biggest plus for me is the blue does not attract bugs and it looks really cool!