Steaming Light

[carry-on]

My 16 has a white steaming light about 10 ft. up the mast. The light works but the wood base which is shaped to the mast has seen better days...held together by tie wraps around the circumference, like a fillet wrapped in bacon.

Hutchins could only recommend a new light and bracket.

Anyone know a replacement source?
Thanks and Merry Christmas

[skip1930]

Mine split apart too. No big deal. Once the mast is down. Unscrew it from the mast. Leave it wired up and wiggle out the bulb and light socket.
Clean off the cobwebs and dirt.
Wet the assembly and just glue it together with Gorilla Glue.
While still wet wrap the pieces together with tape. Gorilla Glue wants to expand when used over moist wood, so a tight wrap works best.
I use PVC electric tape as this really can be wrapped tightly around the repaired piece. Come back tomorrow.
Since it expands, cut away the squeezed out cured glue. Toss on a coat of varnish.
Reassemble the lamp and screw it back down to the mast.

Follow the rule when using the lamp. Flick it on at dusk whenever the boat is underway with the motor. With or without the sail up. This signals that your no longer a sailboat and all the give-way rules apply.

Oh, and test the circuit inside the mast with a battery charger before the stick goes up.

A few seasons later I went to AutoZone and bought a white LED bulb and soldered it into the light without the socket since the bulb's tangs won't line up with the socket. Maybe I saved around $40?

skip.

[MacGyver]

I did one for a guy one time for a different boat, but same part. I epoxied the teak together and used tape to hold the assembly. Then I sanded the whole part some, cleaned it off and let it dry over night. Then I coated the whole thing with epoxy that was heated so it was a little thinner.
You have to work fast when you heat it to thin it out.

After several coats allowing them to soak in the assembly cures, then you sand it and clean it off again, then follow up with the protector Spar Varnish. several coats of that and they look sharp.

Not sure how bad yours is, but this one was in pretty rough shape and turned out great. Some grooves we filled with varnish slowly, and its smoothness looks deep now.

Mac

[carry-on]

Thanks mates. I will try the gator glue after I take some dimensions.

If all fails, a local wood worker friend can make a new piece.