Adding running lights to no hull access kayak

[crankbait2009]

I have a Perception Pescador Pro 100 kayak.  I am seriously entertaining the thought of adding night time running lights to the bow/stern.

 

I have highly considered buying battery operated lights that I can easily remove, and install quickly when the need arises.  This would certainly be the easiest route.  Certainly don't fish at night, but I also think that is due to the fact that I don't have them installed.  With some tournaments coming up in April, the kick off time will definitely be before any glimpse of sunlight appears.

 

Anyways, I have also entertained the thought of permanently installing LED strips, that have the light being hard wired.  My problem, as the title notes, I have zero hull access in the front of the yak.  I thought about drilling a small hole in the kayak, where the wires would enter, continue the hole through the 2nd wall of plastic, which would then have the wire coming through into the area where my battery sits.  I could easily provide some type of flexible surface mounted conduit to the kayak to conceal the wire.

 

I don;t know what to use to seal both holes in the 1st and 2nd wall that I drill through, and not having it look like ass.  I certainly don;t want a gaping hole, with clear silicon.  I'd like a black plug if possible.  Again, not having any access through the front, makes it less than ideal.

 

Here is a picture of what I'm thinking. The red and green lines are obviously the lights.  The white line is the routing of the wire which dumps in to the area below the net, and where the battery sits.

 

As I said, I could do a removable light, that is powered by D batteries, and Call it a day.  But it would certainly look better if the lights were permanent fixtures.

 

Any thoughts on how to terminate this light set up?

 

 

[J Francho]

I would NOT recommend putting powerboat navigation lights on a kayak.  USCG rules say on light, white, and tall enough to be visible from a distance for unpowered craft.  You'll get a boat thinking you are a much larger craft than a kayak, possibly swamping you.

 

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=NavRulesAmalgamated#rule25

[crankbait2009]

is this more my speed then? ?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Botepon-Navigation-Accessories-Motorboat-Catamaran/dp/B07DZLDHRD/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=kayak+lights&qid=1582041743&sr=8-4

 

I notice those cant be seen for up to a mile as required.  Might just settle on this, call it a day

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CF4WSMM/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_3?smid=A2X3HYNZ7OGE5D&psc=1

 

 

[J Francho]

No, no colored lights.  A white all around light is required.  I use a Yakattack Visi-Carbon light.

[crankbait2009]

I had to re-read the rules.  I apologize.  I see it now, no green/red.  Only white.  That certainly fixes my problem.

I could have swore I needed red/green

 

This kills this DIY mindset

Thanks for steering me in the right direction

[CountryboyinDC]

@J Francho, I was planning to add some lights (I think they're called Supernova kayak lights or something).  These are not navigation lights (and I get why you're saying those are a bad idea); they're supposed to attract fish and you can use them so that you can see.  White light is the worst for destroying your night vision by a large margin (although someone smoking a cigarette can around you can take an hour to recover), so I was going to use green for the outside and red for the cockpit/tankwell.  I'm not worried about a large boat swamping me, I only plan on going out on electric motor only lakes or ones that restrict H.P. to 10 or 15 like Briery Creek.  But could they cite me for that?  I also use that Yak Attack flag/light, and it doesn't seem very bright to me - different subjectthough.

[crankbait2009]

The stern light would be behind the seat, out of view. I don't think getting blinded by the white light would be an issue. 

[CountryboyinDC]

@crankbait2009, the stern/anchor light, especially the one fro Yak Attack, is not going to blind you.  With the places I fish, there's so much light from other sources, it's not going to even have an impact on your night vision.  I'm trying to put lights on my kayak sort of like you have drawn on yours.  I was going to put all green, since they're supposed to be the fish-callingest, if you believe any of the hype.  The 'interior lights' would be red, since that affects night vision the least of the colors in the visible spectrum.  The 'Extreme' setup is sort of what I have in mind https://shop.supernovafishinglights.com/category-s/119.htm.

[J Francho]

14 hours ago, CountryboyinDC said:

I also use that Yak Attack flag/light, and it doesn't seem very bright to me - different subjectthough.

The USCG rules aren't about brightness, but about how far it can be seen.  Again, this light is not for you, it's for other boaters.

 

You can light your fishing area up with whatever you like.  Not sure about those lights attracting fish.  I know bright, white dock lights are a focal point at night, but they're stationary and constant.

[Choporoz]

Any light abeam or forward of your eyes is going to negatively affect your night vision.  Even my FF in night mode on 'low brightness' affects my night vision.  And, any light (other than something from yellow to red) is going to be a beacon for every bug on the lake.  I love my visipole. 

[CountryboyinDC]

Thanks @J Francho and @Choporoz.  Good points about bugs and good to know that I'm not likely to get in trouble with the game warden for putting on lights for fishing.  I was worried that using green (for the lights to attract fish on the sides of the kayak) and red (for the cockpit and tankwell) might be something for which I could get cited.  I am probably stretching a bit, bit in my younger days we used to shine a flashlight on the water surface and gizzard shad would jump out of the water and we'd net them for bait for stripers.  There were some boils around them that were likely stripers chasing them, but I wonder if some could have been from largemouth.  I think I'm still going to move forward, the biggest downside is the cost and drilling 4 holes in my hull.  If that's the stupidest thing I do for a while, I'm probably besting my average by a good measure.