would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

[smallboatlover]

i was going to install a two switches for the lights on for the bow and another for the stern light. but if i leave the light on if i'm anchored would leaving that on kill the battery.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

Probably not completely but it certainly could leave with not enough power to start your motor.Go with an LED one and then it most likely won't. Or run 2 batteries.

 

[BeaufortTJustice]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

Probably not, but it depends on several variables and therefore difficult to give a firm answer.

If your battery is old, or wasn't fully charged to begin with, then you may run into problems.

There is a mathmatical way to figure that takes the amp draw of the light and capacity of battery into consideration...Silvertip and others may be able to advise further on that aspect.

When in doubt, carry an extra battery or do a test ahead of time off of the water.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

Maybe.

consider a solar powered yard light for anchoring

 

[Randy J]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

yep it would !!!! Example >>> left the dome light on my caddillac one night being in a hurry next morning car wouldnt start so not knowing went out with other car bought a new battery installed and just as touched the ground post to new batteryas traded in acar battery for core and it wasnt even a year old... interior light came on at that same instant also that proverbial little light buld above ones head !! damn could of save a $120.00 if of thought and just hooked up battery charger at home first!

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

ok then i'll probably won't leave it on all night. i'm not anchoring in a busy place either there should be just about no traffic were i'm anchoring but i want to have the option of anchoring were there might be traffic.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

Bad idea.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

1. What is the amp draw of the light?
2. What is the amp hr rating of the battery?
3. At what state of charge would the battery be?
4. Just how many hours you talking about?
5. Would anything else also be drawing on that battery (e.g., stereo, fishfinder, VHF)? What are their amp draws?
6. What does "dead" mean to you? What else would you need the battery to do after discharging it with the stern light? (e.g., start the motor? What motor?)

Let's assume the answer to Q3 is "full" and Q4 is "8 hours." Still would need to know the other answers to begin to guess at an answer.

As ezmobee said, an LED stern light and/or a deep cycle, high capacity "house" battery (separate from starting battery) are good ideas in this situation.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

i don't know all those answers but why were you saying bad idea about what? i do have the dual battery switch that i just hooked up and works but if i left that in battery one for the night and then switch it to battery 2 to start could i switch the switch to both while the motor is running?

 

[ajgraz]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

I'm guessing he meant bad idea to anchor where there is known traffic.

You still need a stern light at night when anchored even outside traffic lanes.

LED stern light might draw 0.3 amps, regular bulb maybe 3 amps. Assuming something like a 100 amp hr battery, you've got (theoretically) either 333 or 33 hours respectively...IF the battery is good, fully charged, AND there is no other draw (stereo, VHF, etc.). If e.g., you also have a VHF going (which is a good idea, BTW) and drawing from the same battery, that might be another 3 to 5 amps, and now you're down to about 12-16 hrs with the regular bulb, maybe 18-30 with the LED. Say you're drawing another 2-3 amps with a fishfinder on "drift" or "depth" alert (also a good idea while anchored), now you're really pushing it with a standard stern bulb. Any way you slice it, LED gives you more time and margin for not being fully charged.

 

[Scorpion210]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

...and bad idea to anchor without an anchor light

 

[1fishbone]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

By law, you're supposed to have a mooring light on.
An LED light will burn less energy.
A yard solar light won't last for 4 hours, at least mine don't.

You can use one battery to run your mooring light (Stern) and use the other to start in the morning.

I also use reflective tape, any reflection, from the moon, or a spot light will reflect/light my boat up!

 

[JoLin]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

i don't know all those answers but why were you saying bad idea about what? i do have the dual battery switch that i just hooked up and works but if i left that in battery one for the night and then switch it to battery 2 to start could i switch the switch to both while the motor is running?

It's a bad idea (dangerous) to anchor anywhere in reduced visibility (like overnight) without keeping your stern light on. It's also illegal.

Yes, you can use the switch the way you stated, but unless you run your motor continuously for many hours, it won't bring the discharged battery back up to full voltage.

I'd also switch over to a LED stern light. Highly doubtful you'd run the battery down significantly if you go that route.

With all due respect to Home Cookin' I don't see a solar powered yard light as a viable alternative. It may or may not last through the night, and may or may not have the visibility range (distance) required by USCG regs. Navigation lighting is one place where you really don't want to skirt the regs.

My .02

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

well the led light it out of the question Ive already bought the new light and already installed in the boat. i probably planing on using the light thats why i am putting the two switches so i can put just the stern light on but the thing is i will be using the boat all day after that night of anchoring, and want to run electronics will it charge enough for that and be able to run the light again that night.

 

[bassman284]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

Stern light

Looks to me like the simplest solution, though not elegant, is a portable stern light powered by D cells. Link above is to one of several available at the iboats store.

 

[JimS123]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

Maybe.

consider a solar powered yard light for anchoring

You don't need an anchor light during the day, and.....duh......the sun is not out at night.
(I'm sure you meant to recharge during the day, but I couldn't resist saying duh....LOL.

Its a bad idea to leave the boat anchored in a traffic area all night, whether you comply with the law and have the anchor light on or not. Just like its a bad idea to be driving out on the highway at 4:15 AM, since the bars close at 4:00. Where I live the most serious accidents occur on the water in the middle of the night when the drunks are heading home. If you must boat at night (and stay on the boat all night long), your best and safest bet is to secure the boat at a dock in a harbor where there is sufficient lighting.

PS - yes, most likely the light on all night will kill the battery.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

well thats why i was thinking if it was going to die then i will just not have it one. i'm going to be in 3'- 5' of water with no one going by my boat other then a little zodiac that i know who it is and they know were i like to anchor. The reason i will be anchored only at night because the neighborers dock that i can use is beached at low tide and high tide it 6' deep.

 

[JoLin]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

well thats why i was thinking if it was going to die then i will just not have it one. i'm going to be in 3'- 5' of water with no one going by my boat other then a little zodiac that i know who it is and they know were i like to anchor. The reason i will be anchored only at night because the neighborers dock that i can use is beached at low tide and high tide it 6' deep.

Since YOU don't need to use a light, follow safety regs or obey the law, why did you bother to ask in the first place?

I don't think I've seen a single post from you, in which you hadn't already made up your mind before you started. Honestly, why do you ask questions? Do me a favor- don't 'add' to any of my threads, and I'll avoid yours from now on, too.

Deal?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

jolin, you're right if they don't last that long.

Jim, duh back at you; the solar powered yard lights recharge themselves during the day, and turn off, and come back on at night. They would make a good auxilary light but not if not bright enough, or long lasting.

D cells lights are a good idea and swap rechargeable batteries.

But here's the question for smallboat, now that we have specifics: regardless of the laws, common sense says that not all boats are lit at night; it depends on how big they are and if they are in the way. I am guessing yours is kept close in to shore or a dock, out of the way, or how else will you get to it? and you have ot get to it and run it every single day if you are going to turn the light on and off. Is it really necesary in your situation? And if your motor is a pull start, no problem.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: would leaving the stern light on all night kill my battery?

no i have a little Jon boat to get to it. i'm not disregarding the law but if its going to kill the battery and it on the water. i could also take some one else's mooring that there not using theres plenty of those around, but those are past the break water. theres rocks that break the current and wind the so that were i would like to anchor theres no other boat in that spot because of the shallowness. theres another option for me theres a 50 lb mushroom anchor that i could barrow and put it there but would that be consider as being on anchor or not? also would i have to get it register if i did that. sorry for all this ranting just have a lot of question about this topic. last one iv'e seen a neighborer have a 150lb mooring block put in but he doesn't use a mooring ball so he doesn't have to register it but he doesn't leave any lights on it he only goes on it a few times a year i was wonder about doing that.