I have a custom-made anchor roller ready to install but I have to remove the bow light to mount it. I can't figure out how to remove it. I have opened it up and can't see any fasteners that hold it in place. There seems to be no fasteners showing under the deck, only the wiring for the light.
The light lens has water in between the colored plastic and the outer, clear plastic so I will replace the light fixture but I don't want to "hammer and chisel" it off of the deck. There must be an easier and kinder way to remove it. Help!
Removal of bow light from 26X?
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Dimitri-2000X-Tampa
- Admiral
- Posts: 2043
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:36 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Tampa, Florida 2000 Mercury BigFoot 50HP 4-Stroke on 26X hull# 3575.B000
Its been about a year since I replaced mine, but if I remember correctly, there is only 1 screw you have to take out. The screw is accessible from the top, under the lense (ie, you have to take off the lense first). I don't think there is anything you have to do from underneath, unless you drop your wires through the hole. In addition to the 1 screw, there is like a plastic guide (like a little dowel) that goes into a hole so that the thing will stay oriented correctly front to back, etc.
These fixtures are "bedded" in something like 4200 so that they won't leak. Hopefully, it wasn't installed incorrectly with something like 5200 or it will be a real bear to get off. You will have to work it free from the sealant and then clean off all the excess. If you were putting a new one back in, then you would want to re-bed it properly so that it won't leak. Since you are putting in an anchor roller, you will probably want to fill up the holes with Marine Tex or perhaps 5200 before you put the roller on I expect.
Btw, West Marine carries the same exact aqua signal unit that was stock on my 2000 model. You could always go see what a new one looks like in order to help you figure out how to get off the old one.
These fixtures are "bedded" in something like 4200 so that they won't leak. Hopefully, it wasn't installed incorrectly with something like 5200 or it will be a real bear to get off. You will have to work it free from the sealant and then clean off all the excess. If you were putting a new one back in, then you would want to re-bed it properly so that it won't leak. Since you are putting in an anchor roller, you will probably want to fill up the holes with Marine Tex or perhaps 5200 before you put the roller on I expect.
Btw, West Marine carries the same exact aqua signal unit that was stock on my 2000 model. You could always go see what a new one looks like in order to help you figure out how to get off the old one.
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Duane Dunn, Allegro
- Admiral
- Posts: 2459
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 6:41 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: Bellevue, Wa '96 26x, Tohatsu 90 TLDI and Plug In Hybrid Electric drive
- Contact:
There is the one screw that holds the top casing on. Once that is off you can take off the lenses and you will find one or two screw into the fiberglass holding it to the deck. Once off if yours is like mine you will find 2 or 3 rough holes in the deck (maybe the installer had a bad day but he didn't seem capable of getting the hole for the wire inthe right place). The wire will also be very short with almost no slack to work with.
As far as I'm concerned the navigation light has no place on the bow exposed like that. Cheap plastic lights don't last long around heavy anchors and chains. Mounting it on the pulpit like the later model boats is better but still exposed. I pulled mine off the bow completely and went to a set of side lights further back on the cabin. This works great and gets them in a protected area.
As far as I'm concerned the navigation light has no place on the bow exposed like that. Cheap plastic lights don't last long around heavy anchors and chains. Mounting it on the pulpit like the later model boats is better but still exposed. I pulled mine off the bow completely and went to a set of side lights further back on the cabin. This works great and gets them in a protected area.