Replace anchor light on R29 CB

[PlanetoSea]

Hello all,

I need to replace the anchor light on an R29 CB. Can I walk/stand on the roof portion that is ahead of the command bridge helm so I can easily reach the anchor light, or do I need to fold the mast down to access the light? Also, any guidance on the type of bulb I need to use? Is an LED bulb an option? Come to think of it, is an LED bulb an option for the navigation light just below the anchor light? Thanks!

—Sam

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Hey Sam. You can walk freely on top of the cabin. It is built like a tank. No need to mess with the mast. And yes, you want to replace both lights with LEDs. The factory delivers them with amp gobbling incandescent bulbs. Well, mine had ‘em.

Jeff

 

[PlanetoSea]

Thanks Jeff. Any idea what the specs or part number are for the bulbs? If not, I’ll get down there later today and open it up and take that one with me to the store and post back here what I find. Thanks!

 

[Scuba Too]

Hi Sam,

I would advise against walking on top of the cabin. I have the R29 CB and love the boat BTW. The wonderful skylights will weaken the structure, much like a moon roof does for a car. Plus there is an issue of balance. Should you misstep you might grab the mast and cause some damage or cause a seal issue in the skylights. It really is a simple matter to fold down the mast. A couple of bolts on the bottom plate and releasing one of the stays will do it. It also allows you a chance to clean up this area or polish the mast. My two cents...

Eric

 

[Cutwater28GG]

check out Marinebeam.com for the correct ranger LED anchor light

 

[PlanetoSea]

Hello all,

I went with the "fold down the mast" approach and it was very simple to do. I got a 12V, 10W festoon bulb that works great, and I then got the following part numbers from the RT parts department if anyone is interested or needs to order any in the future:

Here is the part number to the Aqua Signal mast light. 25000-1

The Nav light is the same manufacturer and parts #25200-1 (green) and #25300-1 (red).

There was also a word of caution about whether LED bulbs will meet USCG requirements, so please be sure you keep that in mind if you decide to go the LED route.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

lots of coast guard approved LED units out there.

the key for nav bulb replacement is choosing the colored LED bulbs to match the lenses. the power saving is worth the change on its own. 1 incandescent anchor bulb running all night uses 1/10 of all available power on a tug. thats crazy!

the second reason is reliability. the incandescent burn out so quickly. the LED's last significantly longer.

 

[PlanetoSea]

I agree. For one light to use that much battery power is amazing, so I agree LED's are an option to look at closely. I went to MarineBeam.com as you suggested and read through the "Idiot's Guide" they have posted and it was a real eye-opener about what to look for when buying an LED for use in a boat. I would highly recommend the read to anyone looking for an LED on Amazon who may be using price as one of the primary drivers for making a selection. Here is the link directly to the guide: https://store.marinebeam.com/read-our-idiots-guide-1/ They admit the guide was written several years ago, but I think the points made about LED's, heat dissipation, voltage spikes, etc., still hold true. I think the only thing that has changed is the prices he has in the guide has fallen by about 50% since it was written--I'll take that!

 

[CaspersCruiser]

Getting the proper LEDs for ANY light on your boat is very important because of RF interference that can wreak havoc with VHF radio and AIS performance. It’s been such a problem the USCG posted an alert about it:

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO% ... 091109-630

Lights designed and sold by Marinebeam.com mitigate LED RF interference:

https://store.marinebeam.com/

The LEDs on my boat that came from WalMart installed by the previous owner were so bad that they interfered with over-the-air TV reception.

 

[Bobby P.]

Can I just replace the bulb on the anchor light to LED or do I have to replace the entire light housing? If I don’t have to replace the whole thing, does anyone have a link or part number for the correct LED replacement bulb for the anchor light? I have a R31CB, but it’s probably the same.
Thanks,
Bobby

 

[PlanetoSea]

You can just replace the bulb. Opening the housing is pretty straightforward and bulb swap is as well. As mentioned in a couple of posts above, visit MarineBeam.com and you can shop for lights by boat make/model and Ranger Tugs are listed. That will take you to the LED bulb options. Once I had the bulb, the whole replacement took me about 15 minutes—including folding the mast down and back up after.

 

[scross]

If you plan to replace the anchor light with LEDs then why not do everything? The Nav lights, cabin lights, v-berth bulbs, etc. It only takes an hour or so to convert to all LED. If you are going cruising and be off shore power for days at a time it really helps reduce the drain on the house batteries.