Got a nasty surprise in the bilge of a tugboat in Norfolk last week

We were doing a routine hull clean on an old tug, and I dropped down to check the sea chest. The water was so dark with oil and muck I couldn't see my gauges, just a thick, greasy feel. My tender, Mike, had to talk me through the valve check by sound and touch alone because my light was useless. Anyone got a good light that can punch through that kind of soup?

2 comments

2 Comments

mitchell.jesse1d ago

Nah, I gotta disagree hard with @andrewross on this one. Those huge dive lights are overkill and a pain to handle in a tight space. All that power just lights up the floating gunk right in front of your face, it's like a blinding fog. You're better off with a smaller, focused beam that doesn't scatter as much. I've had way more luck seeing actual shapes and gauges with a simple narrow spot light, even if it's less bright overall. It cuts through the murk instead of fighting it.

andrewross1d ago

Man that sounds rough. Been there with the total blackout bilge water, it's the worst. For that kind of gunk you need a stupid amount of lumens, like a proper dive light. Forget the cheap hardware store stuff, it just bounces back. I've had good luck with the big heavy duty LED ones from marine suppliers, they can actually cut through the soup.

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