Create a removable taillight assembly for your boat trailer
Issue 28 : Jan/Feb 2003
It’s early May. We’ve had a great launch and sail. Sally and I have enjoyed our first day on the water. Our Yankee Sea Horse 24 is on her mooring. The sunset is wondrous as we ride in the shuttle boat back to the dock. It’s an hour-and-a-half drive back home, and on the way we find ourselves reflecting on how great the day has been.
We are snapped back to reality by flashing red-and-blue lights in our mirrors. Now we are looking for a safe place to pull a trailer off the road.
“Intermittent flashing taillights or no lights at all,” the man in blue states. This is not the ending we were planning for our first day at the lake.
This is the second time we have had this experience. We have tried several types of “submersible” (meaning overpriced) taillight assemblies that have not worked well. Our electrical problems have been with the sockets or lamp bases. They eventually corroded and rusted.
After that second incident, I wondered what would happen if the lights were never submerged? To this end, I came up with a simple idea that keeps us legal. These days I remove the taillight assembly before putting the boat in the water. One plug, along with two washers and one nut per assembly, and the taillights are no longer exposed to water. We’ve used this system for more than four years and have not had any failures. I change the lamps every two years and check for any rust. That’s it for maintenance.
Because I have a welder, I put my assembly together by welding, using steel as a material. Another alternative would be an assembly made from aluminum. This material can be cut with a jigsaw and put together with pop rivets or nuts and bolts. Check the salvage yards that handle aluminum. You can beat hardware store prices and have fun poking around finding usable scrap. Most yards sell aluminum by the pound. Since each trailer is a bit different, the sketch should give you enough information to design your own removable taillight assembly. Good luck with your project and good sailing!
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
