by truenorth on Thu Oct 03, 2013 9:38 pm
Bob, I'm at the point of my build where these questions are weighing on me quite a bit. I've decided to run my wires under bulkhead 8. This will require modding the cleat to accept two 1" thru hulls: one for the wires and one for the bilge pump (the bilge pump will exit towards the back of the footwell). I'm aiming for a clean look and this is the only way I've been able to see how to do it. I have a liftout section of the sole back here to give me access to the thru hulls.
I've seen people put the stern light on the boom gallows with the wires running down the gallows pole and into the cabin, but not (as far as I can see) under BH8 but through the cabin, at least for a time. I think the boom gallows is a great place for a stern light but of course requires modding the boom gallows, which is a risk if you have a fancy laminated one like I do and don't trust your drilling ability. I don't recommend, however, running it out to the transom. This will require a permanent mount in the transom probably where your boat name will be. And if you have an outboard, you will block the light from certain angles. I haven't seen any transom-mounted lights on a PocketShip, likely for good reason. If you're set on a transom stern light, the simplest alternative is to finagle something to which you'd attach a wired or battery powered stern light wherever you decide to mount it, removing it when you're done.
A solution I'm giving strong consideration to is a pole-mounted stern light. The build is clean -- straight down through the locker and into the laz area. In the laz area, there would be a bus bar carrying all of the electrical aft forward. I've seen this on several PocketShips and it might be the best alternative.