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Solar nite lights


Johny London

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I've long been wondering, whether it is best to leave a boat in total darkness, or with solar lights illuminating it. Sometimes I feel like the lights just draw attention and it might be better to let the boat just disappear into the darkness. Of course, some places are not very dark, some are, more to consider.

Maybe just motion sensor ones - what does the jury think? 

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17 minutes ago, Johny London said:

I've long been wondering, whether it is best to leave a boat in total darkness, or with solar lights illuminating it. Sometimes I feel like the lights just draw attention and it might be better to let the boat just disappear into the darkness. Of course, some places are not very dark, some are, more to consider.

Maybe just motion sensor ones - what does the jury think? 

You could move them to inside the boat for lighting once the suns gone down and they're charged up. Solar lighting indoors.

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What purpose do the lights serve? If you are out in the sticks and there is no moon, or stars, then presumably you and visitors, authorised, or not, have already got torches to find the boat. Otherwise, the boat is visible to you and others anyway. Having a light switch just inside the usual entrance for your boat cabin is a good idea. Saves blundering about inside in the dark. 

10 minutes ago, bizzard said:

You could move them to inside the boat for lighting once the suns gone down and they're charged up. Solar lighting indoors.

You could have even solar panels on the roof, charging a set of batteries, that can then power lights inside the boat at night. Could be worth a try! ?

 

Jen

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2 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

What purpose do the lights serve? If you are out in the sticks and there is no moon, or stars, then presumably you and visitors, authorised, or not, have already got torches to find the boat. Otherwise, the boat is visible to you and others anyway. Having a light switch just inside the usual entrance for your boat cabin is a good idea. Saves blundering about inside in the dark. 

You could have even solar panels on the roof, charging a set of batteries, that can then power lights inside the boat at night. Could be worth a try! ?

 

Jen

Can't see that ever catching on Jen.

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I have one of those rechargeable motion sensor lights. Our door to the cabin is on the starboard side and has 2 steps down to it so it's quite difficult in the dark seeing the keyhole on the door lock. Most of these lights come with a magnetic strip so after charging I just attach it below the gunnel next to one of the steps. Being magnetic gives the scope to mount it such that it doesn't light up every time somebody passes on the towpath, although some might prefer it to do that. I suppose it's down to what you want it for.

 

If you do opt for one of these I recommend you don't buy the very cheap ones because they can be unreliable and the charge doesn't last very long. I have a strip one but the round ones are just as good. It cost around £15 - £20. Certainly don't buy any which are less than a tenner.

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3 hours ago, Bobbybass said:

11 watt energy saver bulb.  Hardly draws any power...( I make that about 1 amp at 12 volts..?..no..?)

Yes :)

 

But that’s not ‘hardly anything’. It’s 24Ah per day. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

It strikes me that if you are going to go to the trouble of recharging anything, you might as well just have a battery lamp fitted with rechargeable cells, and then when the engine is running the next day, charge it up.  On the other hand, just leave a 12v LED light fitting on, and get the same result.

 

There's little point in leaving a light on unless the curtains are drawn, though!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 05/06/2019 at 11:22, Paringa said:

I have a led night light that comes on automatically from the load option on my solar controller.

Now that is a good idea - so I guess you set it to something like normal evening hours (8/9pm-12/1am?) to look like you are in if anyone passes by.

 

I'm still not quite sure what the point is of my external solar lights - but the insects sure seem to like them :)

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I understood OP to be referring solely to the aspect of security, and giving the illusion that somebody is on board when they're not.

I'm of the opinion that scrotes basically come along in two guises 

1) druggy/drunks that are opportunists or bent on mischief.

2) scallies that may or may not be druggy/drunks but are bent more on thievery.

 

Assuming you are not in the middle of a bustling community and tend to tie up in the middle of nowhere (as do I), 

The first lot may be fooled by solar lights and pass you by, however it'd only take them a moment to bend their ear over for the sound of a TV etc. and hearing nothing form a different opinion.

The second lot tend to know about stepping on board gently in the middle of the boat, so it doesn't move.  They also will peer under cratch covers or hide under them.  Feeling for heat from a chimney tells them a lot too.  The final check before either breaking in or legging it down the towpath tends to be in the manner of delivering a loud thump on the cabin top and a guttural shout.

The shock of hearing that is likely to garner an involuntary response from anyone inside.

On the couple of times that has happened to me, and I have suddenly and silently appeared has certainly surprised them. On both occasions they explained themselves along the lines of …

 

"Ah! ….. sorry to bother you mate …. I'm, errr … lost, me mate's fallen in back there …. me car's been nicked and I need a phone ….. thought this was my friend's boat."

 

On the rare times I have had to leave my boat towpath side for a weekend or so I choose not to insult their intelligence by assuming they can't easily work out my boat is vacant.  Accepting that if they want to break in they will, all you can do is make it easier for them to conclude that somebody else's boat may be an easier target than yours, and you'll not do that by playing at "Let's pretend I'm on board".

 

What I do is hang a professional looking sign chained to the door that says: -

Due to numerous break ins I do not leave anything of value or interest on board.

No Booze - Food - Money - Valuables.

What I have left though is a very sharp, strong, spring loaded Booby Trap

It will badly hurt you and I shall have your DNA.

THINK ABOUT IT

 

I don't wish to tempt fate by bragging about its effectiveness or my luck to date.

 

The only other advice I would offer is having made it difficult or a risk to them to enter your boat, you should then make it easy for them to continue.

By that I mean don't for heaven's sake lock doors/cupboards/drawers etc. That merely tells them it's now worth their while to jemmy and smash their way through everything.  Often the damage they cause inside is more traumatic or even expensive to put right than what they take.

 

 

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53 minutes ago, zenataomm said:

The only other advice I would offer is having made it difficult or a risk to them to enter your boat, you should then make it easy for them to continue.

By that I mean don't for heaven's sake lock doors/cupboards/drawers etc. That merely tells them it's now worth their while to jemmy and smash their way through everything.  Often the damage they cause inside is more traumatic or even expensive to put right than what they take.

Local cop that lived on our street once gave me the same advice about a car in a locked garage. For Heaven’s sake leave it unlocked. 

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4 hours ago, Johny London said:

Now that is a good idea - so I guess you set it to something like normal evening hours (8/9pm-12/1am?) to look like you are in if anyone passes by.

 

I'm still not quite sure what the point is of my external solar lights - but the insects sure seem to like them :)

I never really thought of it as a security measure, i suppose you could say if anyone were watching the boat the light might make it look occupied....

 

But most likely it would just look like a light that comes on at night!

Edited by Paringa
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