You don’t need to be a professional boat installer to install a spotlight on your boat. Boat spotlights come in many different shapes and sizes, so it’s easy for you to find one that will work for your particular boat design.
Boat spotlights are a great way to make your boat stand out. It is not difficult to install boat spotlights. You just need some basic knowledge of how to do it. It will take you about 2 hours, but the result will be worth your time and effort! Installing one is not difficult, but it does require some time and patience. Follow these steps to install a boat spotlight:
Installation step by step
Step One: Mounting the Spotlight to Your Boat
Before you start installing your boat spotlight, check how it attaches to your boat; there are different types of brackets that attach the spotlights. Check how many holes are in each bracket and how far apart they need to be on your mount. Some lights have a metal strap running horizontally across them – these usually connect at the four corners with bolts or screws – which will require two mounting points for attachment to a surface. If this is what you have, then drill two screw holes into any clean wood flat surface (a piece of plywood works well). Use large washers underneath and around where the hole meets so as not to damage the hull when attaching tightly together. Then use a metal strap to attach the light at each corner.
If you are mounting your boat spotlight onto something like an aluminum railing, then use either two screws or bolts with large washers as well for extra support and stability – it is best if you can drill holes into both sides of the railing and screw down from inside the rail (recommended). Again, using large washers on all surfaces where there is contact will help prevent damage to your boat. When installing more than one spotlight, be sure that they have space between them so water doesn’t splash up against them when waves come over the deck. Your goal should be about six inches in between lights vertically but how much horizontal distance needed varies by how long your boat is; how far apart the lights should be on your boat depends on how wide it is.
You may need to screw in a small wood extension piece, and then drill holes into that so as not to damage the hull when attaching tightly together. When installing more than one spotlight, be sure that they have space between them so water doesn’t splash up against them when waves come over the deck. Your goal should be about six inches in between lights vertically but how much horizontal distance needed varies by how long your boat is; how far apart the lights should be on your boat depends on how wide it is.
Take note of where you want each light at and mark their positions with a pencil or marker before drilling; this will make it easier to know how large of a hole to place in the surface you drill into. Drill out your holes for screws, bolts, or straps, and be sure that they are deeper than how far down it is from what you will attach them to (recommended).
Screw/bolt each bracket onto the flat surface where there will be contact with the boat using washers on all surfaces for extra stability; this should include two brackets per light – one at the top right and one at the bottom left. If screwing these up through wood pieces only use metal anchors if necessary so as not to cause damage to the hull when attaching tightly together.
Step Two: Attaching Safety Cable
The safety cable connects between both lights vertically by running it through the center of the metal strap. You need to drill a hole in each light that is large enough for attaching it and then place a screw or bolt on both sides; these should be close together, but not touching one another. Drill out your holes for screws, bolts, or strap.
Attach safety cable by putting one end of its long wire into one drilled hole in boat spotlight bracket (or rail), tying a knot inside so as not to allow any slack from coming loose later. Then attach another end of this same wire to the opposite side’s mounted position with looping around the backside of washers if needed to give more stability when tightening down onto the surface – you may need an extra pair of hands at this point! Next, run the wire through the other drilled hole and tie a knot, then tighten down with a screw or bolt.
Step Three: Attaching Light Fixture
The fixture is how you attach your lens into place atop either of those lights (one at a time). You want to drill out holes large enough for screws to go into them from the outside surface that you are lamp will be touching, then screw in bolts or strap as needed. Drill out how deep they go before installing and ensure that the fixture you are using is at least wider than how far down they need to attach onto brackets – this ensures extra stability when attaching tightly together.
Keep your lens on hand while drilling so it can stay safe from being broken during the installation of screws; if a hole needs more space for how wide your fitting is, place a washer under one bolt or end of the strap to give it some more room. You’ll want to make sure that there’s enough distance between these holes so water doesn’t splash up against them when waves come over deck later on; this should be about six inches horizontally but varies depending on how long your boat is.
Next, attach the fixture to how the screw or bolt goes through-hole and tighten with the other one on the opposite side – this should be done for both lights (one at a time). Make sure that the lens does not touch any screws when tightening down so it doesn’t crack later during use; if you need some extra space drill out more holes in the metal strap but make sure that they are never touching the bracket itself when installing a light.
Step Four: Testing Lights’ Beam Pattern/Adjusting Light Fixtures
Take note of how your projection lands before first lighting them up because how far apart these two spots affects how wide area covered by the projected beam pattern will be seen from the above deck. Adjust as needed (using washers) when tightening downlights or how the fixture is positioned on the bracket in order to maximize how wide area covered by projected beam pattern will be seen from the above deck.
Once you’ve finalized how they should go, start with one light at a time and turn them on; make sure things are working properly before moving onto the next boat spotlight!
Step Five: Finishing Up Installation of Boat Spotlights
Your last step for installation of these spotlights includes taking off any screws that were used to hold brackets together earlier during the preparation stage. This will allow your lines to become taut as well as ensure side pieces don’t come loose while out at sea – this can happen if not enough care was given after first securing bolts in place.
That’s it!
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