Lighting & Electrical

Our Lighting & Electrical category covers navigation lights, interior and deck LEDs, cabling, connectors and basic electrical components for fitting out or maintaining a boat’s 12V/24V systems – from a single replacement bulb to a full LED conversion or wiring repair.

Navigation lights are a legal requirement, not an optional extra – the combination you need (bow, stern, all-round) depends on your boat’s length and type, so check the current requirement for your vessel rather than matching what was fitted originally, which may be outdated. LED conversions are worth doing on older boats: LED navigation and cabin lights draw a fraction of the current of filament bulbs, which matters on a boat running lights off a battery bank, and they run cooler and last far longer in a damp marine environment. For basic wiring work, always use marine-grade tinned copper cable rather than standard automotive cable – tinned cable resists the corrosion untinned copper suffers quickly in a salt-air environment – and use heat-shrink, adhesive-lined connectors at every joint rather than bare crimps.

If in doubt about a wiring job, especially anything near the fuel system or below the waterline, get it checked professionally.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need special cable for boat wiring?

Yes – use marine-grade tinned copper cable. Standard automotive cable corrodes much faster in a salt-air environment and can fail at the strands even when the outer insulation looks fine.

Are LED navigation lights legal?

Yes, provided the fitting meets the required visibility range and arc for your boat’s length – check the light is correctly rated, not just that it’s LED.

Why do my boat’s connectors keep corroding?

Ordinary crimp connectors let moisture into the joint. Adhesive-lined, heat-shrink marine connectors seal the joint completely and last far longer in a damp boat environment.