Can LED Boat Lights Make Your Boat Unsafe?

With all the excitation LEDs have generated within the boating community due to their excellent efficiency and long operating life, many boats have been quick to jump on the LED trend in order to capitalize in these benefits. There is little doubt that the ability to cut your onboard power use drastically simply by upgrading your lighting systems is an attractive incentive. When we add in that LEDs can last over 10 times as long as a regular incandescent lamp, the switch looks like a no brainer, and for the most part it is. One caveat, however, is often encountered when boaters attempted to switch their navigation and marker lighting over to LEDs. Although LEDs are certainly quite effective, many boats fail to take into account some important points when upgrading onboard lighting that is controlled by marine regulations.

Perhaps the biggest mistake many boaters make is in trying to retrofit LEDs to their existing navigation lighting fixtures. Although it is entirely possible to remove the incandescent bulb from a navigation light and replace it with an LED, the design of LEDs and navigation light housings is such that performance can be strictly degraded. This is because of the manner in which LEDs radiate light and the design of normal navigation light housings which is not intended to work with the unique characteristics of LEDs. Unlike an incandescent bulb, LEDs do not radiate light from their surface in a 360 degree pattern, and navigation light housings which rely on this type of full range output are unable to effectively radiate the full output of the LED properly.

Also important to note is that Coast Guard regulations are very specific in regards to navigation lighting, and altering the original configuration of your lighting can easily cause compliance issues leading to possible citations and fines. Although the requirements can vary according to the type and size of a vessel, according to Phil Cappel, chief of the US Coast Guard’s Recreational Boating Product Assurance Branch, “A certified navigation light fixture is a combination of a specific lens, a specific bulb and the necessary foundation and wiring. The boat owner or operator must ensure that when bulb replacement is necessary, only the original type bulb is used. ” “Any substitutions can result in the light no longer meeting the Navigation Rule requirements.”

The choices regarding LED navigation lights are wide and varied. Popular offer include simple replacement LED “bulbs” and LED conversion kits but even those these are touted as replacements and conversions, this is no guarantee they will maintain compliance. Just because the LED lamp will fit the housing does not mean it meets the rules for compliance. Without the replacement carries third party certification validating its suitability and compliance with lighting regulations, boats should assume the fixture will not be acceptable. At the end of the day though, the only persons responsible for maintaining compliance is the boat owner and operators, not manufacturers.

In order to meet compliance with navigation lighting regulations, lights must be tested by an approved testing group to ensure that they meet brightness, visibility, color, corrosion and operating temperature requirements. Lights must properly visible from the correct angles, and they must meet nautical mile requirements as well. Since bow lights and similar devices typically contain two colors which are intended to be separately visible from a specific range of angles in order for other boats to be able to determine the vessels position and heading in relation to their own, improperly designed or installed lighting can alter these angles or reduce the overall visibility distance creating an unsafe condition.

In order to meet these requirements incandescent navigation light fixtures use housings and reflector assemblies that are designed specifically to work with the 360 ​​degree radiance of the incandescent bulb. They collect and focus the light from the incandescent bulb and distribute it in such as manner as to produce the highest possible brightness while achieving the correct angle of visibility. LEDs on the other hand do not radiate light the same way. LEDs radiate light only over one portion of their surface, which results in a greatly reduced angle of radiance, oftentimes as small as 120 degrees. If installed in a fixture or housing designed to work with a bulb producing 360 degrees of radiance, the result can be greatly reduced angle of visibility and much lower brightness.

The safest route for boats looking to upgrade to LED navigation lights to take is choosing dedicated LED fixtures that have been designed around the unique characteristics of the LED and ensuring these fixtures have been certified to meet Coast Guard requirements. Besides ensuring better compliance and safety, new fixtures will allow boaters to realize much better savings and reliability as new fixtures will most likely be constructed of more durable materials and carry a warranty that covers the entire fixture rather than just the upgrade lamps alone. The potential for safety issues and likelihood of citations should an inspection reveal an upgrade is not in compliance far outweighs the small savings to be had from trying to retrofit LEDs to existing fixtures. In all reality, in most cases installation of a new fixture is more easily accomplished as well and leaves less room for installation errors and mistakes that could potentially damage the replacement or reduce its useful life.

Although there is a great deal of excitation within the boating community regarding the huge influx of LED based lighting becoming available, boats should avoid rushing in to make the change. Poorly chosen equipment and forgetting to take into account the need for compliance with regulations covering the operation of navigation lighting can easily lead to an unsafe condition that places yourself as well as other boats in danger. Choosing LED fixtures that are clearly marked as tested and certified to meet regulations and avoiding the temptation to install cheaper upgrade kits and LED replacement bulbs, can make all the difference between an accident or hefty fines, and an enjoyable night on the water.