LED Navigation Light Upgrades for Sandwich boat owners

An LED navigation light upgrade covers two jobs at once: navigation lights are a legal requirement and a safety system. Under USCG rules, any vessel operated between sunset and sunrise, or in restricted visibility, must show the correct lights for its size and type. The standard for what counts as "visible" is measured in nautical miles, and older incandescent fixtures often fall short of it once lenses craze, sockets corrode, or the wrong bulb ends up in the fixture.

LED navigation lights draw a fraction of the current that incandescent fixtures draw, which matters on boats where battery capacity and charging systems are not oversized. A standard incandescent bow light draws approximately 10 watts. A Coast Guard-compliant LED replacement draws 1 to 2 watts and meets the same visibility rating. On a boat running overnight, that difference adds up.

Visibility is the other advantage. LED fixtures hold their rated output and color for many seasons, while incandescent bulbs dim and drift toward yellow as they age and as battery voltage drops. That matters most at a distance, which is exactly what navigation lights are designed for.

We replace bow and stern lights, all-around anchor lights, masthead (steaming) lights, and spreader lights. We use USCG-compliant fixtures from established marine lighting brands: Attwood, Perko, Innovative Lighting, and Hella Marine. We will not install a light that does not meet the visibility requirements for your vessel class, because a non-compliant light is worse than no light at all in terms of creating a false sense of security.

If your current fixtures are corroded, cracked, or showing moisture intrusion, we recommend replacing the fixture entirely rather than just swapping the bulb. A corroded socket feeds intermittent power and can short out.