Lighting is an essential must for any dock you plan to use at night. Not only does a well-lit dock reduce the chance of accidental damage to your boat and the dock itself, it makes climbing on and off your vessel much easier. Strong lighting all around a boat also puts you at a much lower risk for theft of personal property or invasion of your space.
Effective dock lighting that’s always on when you need it isn’t expensive at all – nor does it require any kind of complicated wiring. In fact, with solar-powered LED lights that include rechargeable batteries powerful enough to last 10-12 hours, there’s no need for wires at all. Here, we’ll discuss the different types of useful lights available in the Dock Lighting section of our website.
But first, what is an LED? “LED” stands for Light Emitting Diode, which is a semiconductor that emits light once electric current is applied. LEDs use a fraction of the electricity that traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs do, making them a great match for the energy-saving benefits of solar power. They also last many times longer, typically returning lifespans of approximately 50,000 hours.
When considering LED dock lights, it’s important to note lumen output (brightness). Lights designed for dock surfaces typically produce an ambient 5 lumens, while pillar post lights meant to be seen from farther away produce around 40 lumens.
Another factor to consider is full charge run time, or how long the light will remain illuminated once the sun goes down – a detail listed on individual product pages. Typically, LED solar lights can power themselves for 8 to 12 hours in the dark. As far as material construction, housings are usually crafted out of polycarbonate / ABS plastic or aluminum – both of which are resistant to highly corrosive saltwater spray and air.
You’ll find we offer dock lights manufactured by preferred brands with proven records of quality and durability such as Attwood, Dock Edge, Ocean LED, Scandvik, Seachoice, Sea Dog, T-H Marine, and Taylor Made. Let’s take a look at the styles.
Lights with Their Own Pillars
LED dock lights mounted atop their own pillar posts are great for spotting your dock from farther away, and they add a touch of style thanks to their classic colonial design. With galvanized steel bases that bolt to the dock, these are sturdy enough to stand the test of time. In fact, the Dock Edge Cleat Lite 40 Lumens Solar Dock LED Light features a 12-inch tall column post with its own stainless steel mooring cleat that can be used in conjunction with others to tie a boat securely in place.
Dock Edge also offers the Piling Light 40 Lumen Dock LED Light version of this post with a shorter 9.875-inch height, and the Sentinel 40 Lumens Solar Dock LED Light with a taller 35-inch height. Unlike the 12-inch version, these other sizes do not include cleats.
Lights Built for Posts
We’ll start by mentioning the Dock Edge CapLite Solar Piling 10 Lumens Dock LED Light and Taylor Made ClearVue White Square Post Dock LED Light designed for bolting on to the top of dock posts, where they’ll radiate light 360 degrees in all directions.
If you prefer lights designed with a light angled downward to illuminate the surface of the dock directly beneath, take a look at the Dock Edge 5 Lumen Side Mount Solar Dock LED Light and the motion sensor-activated Dock Edge Motion Sensor 40 Lumen Solar Dock LED Light.
When it comes to lights that point directly out to the side, there’s the motion sensor-activated Taylor Made Motion Sensor Solar Post Dock LED Light, T-H Marine Side Dock LED Light, and Taylor Made ClearVue Side Post Dock LED Light that casts light straight out, upward, and downward.
Lights Designed to Sit Flat on the Deck Surface
Lights built to sit flat on the dock surface are important to install, because they’re effective at casting ambient light onto the path where you’ll be stepping. These prove invaluable for seeing tie-down ropes and other cargo lurking underfoot, and for spotting when the surface of the dock may be icing up during colder months.
For this function, we’ve got the Dock Edge HD 5 Lumen Aluminum Solar Dock LED Light, Taylor Made TaylorBrite Aluminum Solar Dock LED Light, Dock Edge aluminum DockLite 6 Lumen Solar Dock & Deck Light, Scandvik polycarbonate 4”x 4” Solar Dock LED Light, and Dock Edge aluminum Starlight 5 Lumen Solar Dock LED Light which adds a longer-life Ni-MH battery for better lighting after cloudy daytime conditions.
We’ve also got dock surface lights with clear top areas that cast a wider angle of light such as the Taylor Made Clearvue White Dock LED Light and 5” White Solar LED Dock Light with rubber feet for grip should you choose not to bolt it down. For those who prefer a larger, more powerful solar panel, the Taylor Made Surface Mount Solar LED Light Set includes a separate solar panel with three low-profile lights drawing power from it, wired together in sequence. This set is designed to accept additional lighting in the form of “extension packs” available in the Product Options field.
In our marine lighting section, we also offer navigation lights, flood & spot lights, search lights, hull lights, underwater lights, lights for your boat’s interior, dock lights, and a host of powerful hand-held lights. All of them are powered by waterproof LEDs, many of which can illuminate in an array of colors for fun light shows onboard. For more info, we recommend a quick read of our article Marine LED Lighting, for Safety, Visibility, and Navigation.
You’ll also find other boating items you want and need such as electronics and navigation equipment, must-haves for interior cabin & galley areas, items for on-deck, replacement engine parts and hardware, plumbing-related items, maintenance, and other upgrades to make the boating experience more enjoyable. Whatever you’re looking for, we’re confident you’ll find the right products on the digital shelves of our online store. Visit us at www.BoatiD.com for all your marine needs, or contact our knowledgeable specialists at 888-453-5144.