So, for those who will be participating, or who have participated, in
christmas light boat parades, thank you. We've always enjoyed watching the
boats go by all lit up like a christmas tree. And we're looking forward to
it this year, too!

Now, there's a long shot (more likely I'll win the lottery) that I'll light
up my boat and add it to the parade next weekend. It's just a little Sea
Ray 185 Sport. So, I'm wondering, what do I need besides some lights and a
bit of exterior decorating aptitude? Can I just use my RV battery, and an
inverter, or is it a converter, to power the lights? I'll have to put the
boat into a temporary slip overnight; I have very little trailering
experience and I'm not ready to load it up in the dark.

Bryan
Sea Ray 185 Sport

One of those cheap inverters will do it. A few hundred watts will do quite
a few strings of those small lights. If you're going to be running the boat
you don't really need the second battery but it is cheap insurance if you
already have one from an rv.

"Bryan" wrote in message
om...
So, for those who will be participating, or who have participated, in
christmas light boat parades, thank you. We've always enjoyed watching
the boats go by all lit up like a christmas tree. And we're looking
forward to it this year, too!

Now, there's a long shot (more likely I'll win the lottery) that I'll
light up my boat and add it to the parade next weekend. It's just a
little Sea Ray 185 Sport. So, I'm wondering, what do I need besides some
lights and a bit of exterior decorating aptitude? Can I just use my RV
battery, and an inverter, or is it a converter, to power the lights? I'll
have to put the boat into a temporary slip overnight; I have very little
trailering experience and I'm not ready to load it up in the dark.

Bryan
Sea Ray 185 Sport

On Sat, 03 Dec 2005 21:49:50 GMT, "Bryan"
wrote:

So, for those who will be participating, or who have participated, in
christmas light boat parades, thank you. We've always enjoyed watching the
boats go by all lit up like a christmas tree. And we're looking forward to
it this year, too!

Now, there's a long shot (more likely I'll win the lottery) that I'll light
up my boat and add it to the parade next weekend. It's just a little Sea
Ray 185 Sport. So, I'm wondering, what do I need besides some lights and a
bit of exterior decorating aptitude? Can I just use my RV battery, and an
inverter, or is it a converter, to power the lights? I'll have to put the
boat into a temporary slip overnight; I have very little trailering
experience and I'm not ready to load it up in the dark.

Bryan
Sea Ray 185 Sport


A small inverter should handle the lights. Good luck. Post some
pictures when it's over!

--
John

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Wishing you the best as we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Bryan wrote:
So, for those who will be participating, or who have participated, in
christmas light boat parades, thank you. We've always enjoyed watching the
boats go by all lit up like a christmas tree. And we're looking forward to
it this year, too!

Now, there's a long shot (more likely I'll win the lottery) that I'll light
up my boat and add it to the parade next weekend. It's just a little Sea
Ray 185 Sport. So, I'm wondering, what do I need besides some lights and a
bit of exterior decorating aptitude? Can I just use my RV battery, and an
inverter, or is it a converter, to power the lights? I'll have to put the
boat into a temporary slip overnight; I have very little trailering
experience and I'm not ready to load it up in the dark.

Bryan
Sea Ray 185 Sport


I'd think 12v strings of lights would be better.
You'd need an inverter if using 120V AC lighting underway.

"John H." wrote in message
...
On Sat, 03 Dec 2005 21:49:50 GMT, "Bryan"
wrote:

So, for those who will be participating, or who have participated, in
christmas light boat parades, thank you. We've always enjoyed watching
the
boats go by all lit up like a christmas tree. And we're looking forward
to
it this year, too!

Now, there's a long shot (more likely I'll win the lottery) that I'll
light
up my boat and add it to the parade next weekend. It's just a little Sea
Ray 185 Sport. So, I'm wondering, what do I need besides some lights and
a
bit of exterior decorating aptitude? Can I just use my RV battery, and an
inverter, or is it a converter, to power the lights? I'll have to put the
boat into a temporary slip overnight; I have very little trailering
experience and I'm not ready to load it up in the dark.

Bryan
Sea Ray 185 Sport


A small inverter should handle the lights. Good luck. Post some
pictures when it's over!


Rats! As I was asking this great ng membership my questions, I found out
the light parade had been moved up a week. I had just enough time to get
the kids in the car and get down to the water to enjoy the parade. I'll
have to give it a go next year; and now that I have some serious prep time,
there will be no excuses!

I'm a sailor at heart, so I've got a soft spot for the sailboat displays
what with the lights running up the forestay to the masthead and back down
the backstay resulting in the christmas tree shape. Still, I did enjoy the
power boats and their grand (power is no object) displays. A crisp cold
night surrounded by good people and boats motoring by all lit up for
christmas. What more could we ask.

I participated in the Mission Bay Parade of Lights the first year I had my
19' bow rider. I mounted a Christmas Tree shaped lawn ornament on a six foot
pole. I made a 1' square box , about 3" tall to serve as a base (drilled a
hole in it for the pole) and ran two guy lines to cleats to keep it in
place.
I bought a 1 to 3 connector to plug into the utility outlet and wired three
strands of lights on the tree. It only took me a few minutes to get it set
up after the boat was launched.
I took one of my granddaughters, my wife and some hot chocolate.
My wife froze, my granddaughter slept to ignore the cold, but I had a great
time even though I followed a 40' cruiser and felt like their tender.

"Bryan" wrote in message
. com...

"John H." wrote in message
...
On Sat, 03 Dec 2005 21:49:50 GMT, "Bryan"
wrote:

So, for those who will be participating, or who have participated, in
christmas light boat parades, thank you. We've always enjoyed watching
the
boats go by all lit up like a christmas tree. And we're looking forward
to
it this year, too!

Now, there's a long shot (more likely I'll win the lottery) that I'll
light
up my boat and add it to the parade next weekend. It's just a little Sea
Ray 185 Sport. So, I'm wondering, what do I need besides some lights and
a
bit of exterior decorating aptitude? Can I just use my RV battery, and
an
inverter, or is it a converter, to power the lights? I'll have to put
the
boat into a temporary slip overnight; I have very little trailering
experience and I'm not ready to load it up in the dark.

Bryan
Sea Ray 185 Sport


A small inverter should handle the lights. Good luck. Post some
pictures when it's over!


Rats! As I was asking this great ng membership my questions, I found out
the light parade had been moved up a week. I had just enough time to get
the kids in the car and get down to the water to enjoy the parade. I'll
have to give it a go next year; and now that I have some serious prep
time, there will be no excuses!

I'm a sailor at heart, so I've got a soft spot for the sailboat displays
what with the lights running up the forestay to the masthead and back down
the backstay resulting in the christmas tree shape. Still, I did enjoy
the power boats and their grand (power is no object) displays. A crisp
cold night surrounded by good people and boats motoring by all lit up for
christmas. What more could we ask.

Don White wrote:
Bryan wrote:
So, for those who will be participating, or who have participated, in
christmas light boat parades, thank you. We've always enjoyed watching the
boats go by all lit up like a christmas tree. And we're looking forward to
it this year, too!

Now, there's a long shot (more likely I'll win the lottery) that I'll light
up my boat and add it to the parade next weekend. It's just a little Sea
Ray 185 Sport. So, I'm wondering, what do I need besides some lights and a
bit of exterior decorating aptitude? Can I just use my RV battery, and an
inverter, or is it a converter, to power the lights? I'll have to put the
boat into a temporary slip overnight; I have very little trailering
experience and I'm not ready to load it up in the dark.

Bryan
Sea Ray 185 Sport


I'd think 12v strings of lights would be better.
You'd need an inverter if using 120V AC lighting underway.

The 12-volt lights don't show up. Been there, done that.
The strings of LED's may work, however.

The 12 volt lights I had were designed to be connected to each other to make
one long strand. I tried that: the last strand of lights were barely
illuminated. So, I used to 1 to 3 outlet and plugged each strand into the
power source (utility outlet on the boat), and each strand was fully
illuminated.
At the time I only had one 12 volt battery on my boat.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Don White wrote:
Bryan wrote:
So, for those who will be participating, or who have participated, in
christmas light boat parades, thank you. We've always enjoyed watching
the
boats go by all lit up like a christmas tree. And we're looking
forward to
it this year, too!

Now, there's a long shot (more likely I'll win the lottery) that I'll
light
up my boat and add it to the parade next weekend. It's just a little
Sea
Ray 185 Sport. So, I'm wondering, what do I need besides some lights
and a
bit of exterior decorating aptitude? Can I just use my RV battery, and
an
inverter, or is it a converter, to power the lights? I'll have to put
the
boat into a temporary slip overnight; I have very little trailering
experience and I'm not ready to load it up in the dark.

Bryan
Sea Ray 185 Sport


I'd think 12v strings of lights would be better.
You'd need an inverter if using 120V AC lighting underway.

The 12-volt lights don't show up. Been there, done that.
The strings of LED's may work, however.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Don White wrote:
Bryan wrote:
So, for those who will be participating, or who have participated, in
christmas light boat parades, thank you. We've always enjoyed watching
the
boats go by all lit up like a christmas tree. And we're looking
forward to
it this year, too!

Now, there's a long shot (more likely I'll win the lottery) that I'll
light
up my boat and add it to the parade next weekend. It's just a little
Sea
Ray 185 Sport. So, I'm wondering, what do I need besides some lights
and a
bit of exterior decorating aptitude? Can I just use my RV battery, and
an
inverter, or is it a converter, to power the lights? I'll have to put
the
boat into a temporary slip overnight; I have very little trailering
experience and I'm not ready to load it up in the dark.

Bryan
Sea Ray 185 Sport


I'd think 12v strings of lights would be better.
You'd need an inverter if using 120V AC lighting underway.

The 12-volt lights don't show up. Been there, done that.
The strings of LED's may work, however.


While watching the parade my daughter was asking questions about the lights
and even asked if we would want to buy 12V lights (I mentioned needing an
inverter). I could only tell her that I didn't know if they made them, but
it was a great idea. Now I can tell her that the 12V would be too dim. My
god this NG is amazing!