Mounting & Wiring Lights on an Aluminum Johnboat

An aluminum johnboat that's less than 23 feet long and powered by oars or a sail doesn't require hard-wired lights, according to the Coast Guard's Navigation Rules. However, you must carry a flashlight close at hand to alert other vessels to your presence. If your johnboat has a motor, is less than 23 feet in length and can't exceed a speed of 7 knots, you only need wire to it for a single white stern light visible from any direction. If the vessel can exceed 7 knots, it must display a combined red and green bow light along with the white stern light.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Flashlight
  • GPS
  • Standard stern-light pole base
  • Hole saw
  • Drill
  • Electric screwdriver
  • Self-tapping screws
  • 8-0 AWG gauge stranded-copper wire, red insulation
  • 8-0 AWG gauge stranded-copper wire, black insulation
  • Wire stripper
  • Ring terminals, battery-post size
  • Pliers-type wire crimper
  • Male/Female bullet disconnects
  • Waterproof marine inline fuse holder
  • Three-way connectors
  • 5/16-inch socket
  • 3/8-inch socket
  • Stern-light pole
  • Combination bow light
  • Vinyl electrical insulation spray
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Instructions

  1. Fulfilling the Appropriate Lighting Requirements

    • 1

      Inspect the boat to determine if it is powered by oars, sail or a motor, including a trolling motor.

    • 2

      Inspect the boat's title or Certificate of Number -- its state registration -- and determine its length. If the boat is not registered or titled, measure the length of the boat with a measuring tape. If the vessel is powered by oars or by sail and is less than 23 feet long, place a flashlight in the vessel to satisfy the vessel lighting requirements.

    • 3

      Go boating during the day if your boat has a motor, and carry a portable GPS with you. Accelerate to full speed and take note of your vessel's speed -- according to the GPS -- to determine if it exceeds 7 knots.

    Johnboat With a Motor

    • 4

      Measure the diameter of a standard stern-light pole base with calipers. Secure a hole saw of that diameter into a drill. Drill a hole in the gunwale -- the flat, rolled top of the back of the boat. Push the base of the stern-light pole base through the hole until the flange is against the gunwale. Use an electric screwdriver to secure the flange of the stern-light pole base to the gunwale with self-tapping screws.

    • 5

      Cut two pieces of 8-0 AWG gauge stranded-copper wire -- one piece covered with red insulation, the other in black insulation -- of sufficient length to reach from your boat's battery to the base of the stern-light pole base. Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from each end of both wires, using a wire stripper. Crimp a ring terminal sized to fit the battery's posts onto one end of each length of wire, using a pliers-type wire crimper. Crimp the male half of a bullet disconnect to the other end of each length of wire.

    • 6

      Crimp the male half of a bullet disconnect to one end of a waterproof marine inline fuse holder. Crimp the female half of the bullet disconnect to the other end of the fuse holder, if your boat does not exceed 7 knots. If your boat's speed exceeds 7 knots, crimp a three-way connector to the inline fuse instead of the female half of the bullet disconnect.

    • 7

      Crimp the female half of one of the bullet disconnects to the stern-light pole base's red wire and, if your boat's speed is less than 7 knots, the other to the stern-light pole base's black wire. If your boat's speed exceeds 7 knots, crimp a three-way connector to stern-light pole base's black wire.

    • 8

      Remove the negative battery cable from the battery, using a 5/16-inch socket. Remove the positive cable from the battery, using a 3/8-inch socket. Slip the ring terminal of the red wire over the negative post of the battery and replace the battery cable. Deposit the ring terminal of the black wire over the negative post. Reinstall the negative battery cable.

    • 9

      Push the fuse holder's male bullet disconnect into the female bullet disconnect of the red wire coming from the stern-light pole base. Push the male bullet disconnect on the red wire into the female bullet disconnect -- or the three-way connector, if your boat's speed exceeds 7 knots -- on the fuse holder. Push the male bullet disconnect on the black wire into the female bullet disconnect on the black wire of the stern-light pole base. Push the stern-light pole into the base to turn on the all-around white light.

    Johnboat With a Motor That Exceed 7 Knots

    • 10

      Cut a length of red 8 AWG gauge stranded-copper wire and a length of black 8 AWG gauge stranded-copper wire, each long enough to reach from the back of the boat -- the stern -- to the front of the boat, the bow. Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from the ends of both wires. Crimp male bullet connectors to both ends of each of these wires.

    • 11

      Center a combination bow light on the forward-most part of the boat, along the centerline of the boat. Ensure the red and green lenses of the light are facing forward. Secure the light in place with self-tapping screws.

    • 12

      Crimp female bullet disconnects to the red and black wires coming from the combination bow light base.

    • 13

      Push one of the male bullet disconnects on the red wire into the female bullet disconnect on the bow light. Push the male bullet disconnect on the red wire into the three-way connector attached to the inline marine fuse.

    • 14

      Push one of the male bullet disconnects on the black wire into the female bullet disconnect on the bow light. Cover all crimped connections with vinyl electrical insulation spray . Push the other bullet disconnect on this wire into the three-way connector on the black wire of the stern-light pole base to turn on the combination bow light.