Add Ambiance To Your Boat With Lights

There are many ways you can add accent lights to your boat, both inside and outside. LED strip lighting is easy to install and adds to the ambiance of your boat as well as adding practical qualities. Lights in an anchor locker make it easier to set anchor for an evening on the water, accent lights along stairs leading onto the boat from a swim platform, or down into the cabin provide more visibility and safety. Sometimes they’re just fun to look at in places like the bow rail, or add a pleasant atmosphere making the deck a more hospitable place to sit at night and enjoy your boat. LED strip lighting is available in many colors to give your boat the look you prefer or to match existing color schemes. They are easy to install and one person can run lights anywhere in their boat.

Steps

Select the location for your accent lighting. Look for ledges, lips, panel edges or recessed openings to hide the strips behind. It isn’t necessary to place the light strips out of sight, but doing so adds to the overall ambiance of the lights.

Clean the surface of the area you wish to mount the lights with alcohol pads. Let dry completely.

Remove the backing from one side of the 3M double-sided tape and place where you will run the lights. Hold firmly until the tape adheres to the boat.

Connect the LED light strip tubing together to create the desired length of lights for the area you are mounting them to. Strip the wire from the end of each tube to be connected. Wrap together, and crimp with a wire crimper. Wrap each connection in heat shrinkable insulation and heat with a heat gun or hair dryer to protect them from water or the elements.

Cut the end of an LED light strip with a utility knife and wire cutters if necessary to conform to a specific area. Place a section of heat shrinkable tubing on each wire from the cut end. Heat with heat gun or blow dryer to seal them.

Remove the exposed backing on the top of the 3M tape. Press LED light strip tubing against the 3M double-sided tape. Hold for about 10 seconds until set. Continue along the path of the location for your lights until it is all taped in location.

Secure the wiring from the lights to the inside wall at the end of your lighting installation. Connect the LED light wiring to the 2 conductor 22-guage wire and run the 22-guage wire to where you wish to have the toggle switch to turn the lights on or off. Several choices are the instrument panel on the cockpit, the circuit breaker panel in the cabin of a cruiser, or near the battery box.

Disconnect all power sources to the boat including all batteries and shore power if applicable. Connect red wire to positive ‘on’ position on the switch. Connect the black wire to the negative ‘off’ position of the switch. A section of 22-guage wire to the boat’s power source (circuit breaker, or battery) and connect positive to the positive port and negative to the negative port.

Reconnect the boat batteries and test the on/off switch. Tie all lose wires in place with plastic ties. Let the lights bond to the 3M double-sided tape for at least 72 hours before exposing to the weather or water.

Warnings

Wear protective safety glasses when soldering wires or doing electrical connection work.

Installing LED lights with 3M Tape requires the outside temperatures be at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure proper curing.