Holiday Lighting

Apr 21, 2014
11
Catalina 30 Alameda
It's that time of year - any advice on inexpensive Christmas/Holiday lights for a Catalina-30 type sailboat that are easy to take down when we go for a sail? (Yes, we still sail in December in CA!). What's the best way to rig for a forestay-masthead-backstay display?

Any tips from old salts are appreciated!
 

Sailm8

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Feb 21, 2008
1,748
Hunter 29.5 Punta Gorda
I had a C22 that we pulled and brought home for a few months before we took it to the Keys. We live in the St Louis area and our HOA would not allow boats in the driveway soooo, I raised the mast and used the main halyard to pull xmas lights to the mast head and ran them down the fore and backstay. Lit them up every night and called them xmas decorations. Easy peasy.
 
Dec 7, 2012
515
Kittiwake 23, Irwin 43 .. Indianapolis / indianatown, fl
hello

I have a Kittiwake 23'.... I attach the lights to the bow pulpit and stern pulpit, then to the halyards and pull them up tight to the mast.... then wrap lights around the deck on the safety lines and then put a big santa clause at the tiller.... then a few boxes weighted down with bricks, and wrap them like presents... makes a good decoration in the driveway for Christmas... many of my neighbors like it... santa out for a cruise they call it....

Merry Christmas to all

sincerely
Jess
 
Apr 21, 2014
11
Catalina 30 Alameda
Sounds like a nice display! I probably won't do a Santa because neighbor boats go whole hog and I want to keep it simple so I can just drop the lights and go sailing! Do you use outdoor rated lights? I see some pretty pricey solar-timer LED set-ups but not sure I want to invest the $$$. On the other hand - I don't want to burn down the boat using cheap "imported" lighting. I want to find lights that are safe, cheap and look good...
 
Jan 22, 2008
169
Beneteau 343 Saint Helens, Oregon OR
I connect strings of miniature lights together and hoist them to the masthead with the topping lift and tie them to each end of the boom to look like a mainsail. Ditto with the spinnaker halyard to look like a jib.
I also string them along the lifelines and across the stern.
I coil up the sets as I lower so I can hoist again next year.
Doesn't take long to set them up each year but you would probably need a hose reel or something to make it easier to sail. If you dropped them in a sail bag or similar they would just twist up and tangle.
You will also need extra strings to replace bad ones as they fail.
I also tie a light line to the shackles to ensure I can pull them back down should something fail.
It takes about 180 ft of lights to do the "sails" on my 343. And another 80 to do the lifelines.
I used rope lights one year on my Newport 30 but still had failures.
I bought a couple strings of led lights to see how they look but will wait until I can afford more to do the whole boat.
Those prestrung christmas tree outlines look nice on a boat also.
Joe