New 26M Bow Lights Don't Work

[Bill E.]

Recently bought a 2012 MacGregor 26M from another fellow who advises that he'd never used the lights during the year he day-sailed it. With "Running Lights" fuse panel switch on and lit (i.e., the fuse works), I've just found that the rear running light works fine, but the red & green bow light does not come on. Checked the bulb on a tester, and it is good. Checked the wires entering the bow fixture with a tester, and got nothing. Removed fuse panel and looked behind it, finding nothing loose. Tracked the wire as much as possible from fuse panel to bow, along the port side. Found that wire smashed inside the hardware that mounts the port stays fitting to the hull. Can't really tell if this unreachable area is the problem or not, but suspect that it may be. Does anyone know (since I can't find a "Customer Service" phone number at MacGregor) (1) if you've had a similar problem with the 26M bow running lights, or (2) if MacGregor normally smashes that wire into this unrelated fitting when building the boat--not necessary at all, and making it impossible to pull the wire through the hull with a replacement wire attached, or (3) the name and source of a good LED running light that I can put in the place of the failed MacGregor one? All advice welcome! Thanks, Bill Eckert (719) 481-3973

 

[tkanzler]

Well, I don't know what kind of wiring they used in the M, but the X had what amounts to light gauge zip cord. If you see a smashed bit of wiring, it's a pretty good place to start looking. If you can get to it, you may be able to pull enough slack to butt splice it and shove it back up. But before splicing, take a voltage reading to see if power is getting there in the first place, though smashed wiring should be fixed anyway.

 

[Bill E.]

Today found why bow running lights don't come on: MacGregor factory forgot to connect their wire running from fuse box along port hull to the separate wire running inside the port pulpit pipes from the light down into the hull. Atch photo taken today shows clean wire (which tested fine) that we pulled from the forward part of the hull, with a clean-cut end that was never connected to the pulpit wire. So of course the light never worked. And I can find now way to access the lower end of the wire coming down from the light fixture via the pulpit pipe into the hull, as the cabin ceiling covers it. Will attempt to contact MacGregor to find out where I must cut an access hole into the cabin ceiling to be able to reach that wire coming down out of the pulpit. If anyone knows a good phone number at MacGregor, would appreciate your passing it along. Thanks, Bill Eckert, (719) 481-3973, billsueeckert@aol.com

 

[ualpow]

Here was the reason my bow lights were intermittent. Wires run under chain plate!

 

[Bill E.]

I Fixed It

With the good advice of you folks and Capt Mike at MacGregor, I successfully drilled a 4 3/4" hole into the ceiling of my 26M opposite the base of the rear port pulpit pipe, removed the foam blocks, and found the unconnected wire that comes from the bow running light fixture down through the pulpit. Using a flexible rod from a clothes dryer vent cleaning kit, I taped the wire coming along the port hull to it and ran that wire back along the port side up until I could join it to the wire from the pulpit, via the hole I'd drilled. Then an easy connection, since fortunately the factory had left sufficient slack in both wires. Lights now work.
My recommendation to MacGregor factory: stop bolting that bow running light wire under the port chain plate--not necessary at all, and multiple customers of yours are getting bad lights (a Coast Guard violation). And test the lights before they leave the factory....
Thanks all for your help, Bill