New owner of a 91 with a dark salon/cabin/galley

[noworries]

We are you happy owners of a new (to us) 1991 Cat 34.  I've been searching the forums for all kinds of good info, but one thing I haven't found much info on is what to do about lighting in the salon.

The first day we were working on cleaning the boat out and once the sun went down it was really too dark to do anything.

If I turn the cabin lights on, we get lighting along the sides of the boat.  There is no overhead lighting at all.  It would be tough to use the galley or have lighting at the table, since the light is limited to the edges of the boat.

What do you guys do for lighting?  I don't really want to stick battery powered hockey pucks to the cabin top!

[Dave Spencer]

Welcome to the forum. I too am a new C34 owner and I've learned lots from this group.  There are several ideas on lighting in the Tech Wiki. Here is one:
http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Installing_a_Galley_Light
There are several others.

If you haven't already done so, I recommend joining the C34 International Association.  Among other things, this will get you a subscription to the quarterly "Mainsheet" magazine and access to the Technical Notes published back to 1987.  There is tons of information and ideas in the Tech Notes data base.  A two year subscription costs less than a couple of medium quality dock lines. *End of sales pitch.*  Enjoy your boat and feast on the ideas of a large group of sailors who have likely run into the same challenges you will be seeing.

[Exodus]

I added this light to my galley, just above the ice box.  It really helps as you can angle the light where you need it.

I would like to add a few more of these.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|65136|328876|1116023&id=768354



(sorry the link may not work, but it is a reading lamp style LED light)

[noworries]

Thanks for the link exodus.  That's kind of what I was thinking.  How much light does it put out?   It would be nice to find a lower cost alternative.  I'm thinking I need a light where you mentioned, high on the galley side, then another one high on the nav station side, and then figure something out to hang off the mast perhaps to light the table. 

I just upgraded from a cat 27 and WOW love the 34.

[scotty]

Congratulations on the new boat!  The PO of my boat put a large round florescent fixture in the center of the cabin.  It has a low and a high setting.  It creates a great light for "general" light.  I plan to put led lights around the sides of the cabin.

[Ron Hill]

No : if you want to naturally lighten the interior of the salon, cover the dark sliders with ash battoning - you'd be surprised at the difference.  A number of Mainsheet tech note articles on it!    A thought

[Stu Jackson]

Check the wiki:  http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Electrical

Also:  http://www.c34.org/projects/projects-aquavite.html

[noworries]

I don't want to run any wires across the cabin top, so I think I'm going to go with one of those 48 LED UFO Tent lights and see how that works.  That way when I need it I can just hang it up and otherwise it can be stowed and out of the way.

[Ralph Masters]

Welcome to the forum and to the 34.  You will find tons of very helpfull information on everything on your craft.  And welcome to the best 34 on the market, sail her and enjoy her.

Ralph
Ciao Bella

[scotty]

I can understand why you don't want to put wires across the cabin top.  However, I have wires that run to my fixture which is in the center of the cabin.  They are incased in a white adhesive backed (plastic) moulding (couldn't think of the right word) and look very professional.  I really like the light there, so I thought I'd mention it as an option for you.  In any case, good luck with this project, and with the new boat!

[Ted Pounds]

"Conduit", I think...