Installing New LED Lights on Our Sailboat | Wiring & Hole Cutting Ep. 67 #boatrefit
In this episode of our sailboat refit, we tackle the prep work for installing new LED lighting throughout the boat, and like most projects on a refit, it turned into more work than expected.
To start, we removed two stainless steel light strips in the salon—each holding eight fixtures—and enlarged every mounting hole to fit the new lights. For this, we tried a new tool: a Vevor punch-out tool, which made quick, clean work of resizing the holes and turned out to be a game changer for this kind of job.
From there, we worked our way around the perimeter of the salon, widening additional light cutouts and even removing a hanging cabinet to gain access and properly modify the openings. With the holes prepped, we installed new wire harnesses throughout the interior, setting the stage for a clean and reliable lighting system.
The cockpit lights got the same treatment, where we used fish tape to run new wiring through tight spaces. The most challenging part of the entire project was feeding wires for the salon’s perimeter lights—tight, hard-to-reach areas that required patience, a flexible fish tape, and a grabber tool to finally get everything in place.
This episode is a real look at the behind-the-scenes work required for upgrading sailboat lighting, including cutting, wiring, and problem-solving in confined spaces. It’s not glamorous, but it’s a critical step toward making the boat feel functional, comfortable, and liveable again.
With all wiring run and holes prepped, and new LED lights installed, we’re finally ready to reinstall the ceiling panels and bring the interior back together—and that’s a huge milestone after months of teardown.
If you’re into sailboat refits, marine electrical projects, DIY boat upgrades, or LED lighting installs, this episode walks through the process, tools, and lessons learned along the way. ⛵💡
00:00 Intro to project
00:33 Channel intro
00:51 Remove stainless steel sheets
01:19 Vevor punch-out tool
04:23 Enlarge holes in wood supports
06:22 Prep lights for installation
07:59 Build wiring harnesses
09:01 Reinstall stainless steel sheets
12:20 Overhead cabinet holes and wires
15:39 Enlarge holes for perimeter lights
17:09 Fish wires through perimeter and cockpit ceiling
18:30 Install lights
19:49 test lights
21:23 Wrap up
22:02 Like, Subscribe, Emoji, Bye!
22:23 End Card
☝More about us, our adventures, and how we do all this on our website.More about Roam here
⛵️https://sailingroam.com/our-sailboat/
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FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/sgsailingroam
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WE'RE GERI AND SHAWN. A couple travelers out chasing the horizon, meeting the people, and capturing it to share with you.
We’ve chosen to Roam the world by boat because, let’s face it, the most interesting path is rarely a straight line.
As we learn to let go of our American drive to finish, and embrace the meandering routes across islands, oceans, continents, and people, we hope to gain a better sense of our world and our place in it.
The path won’t always be comfortable or easy to find but, it will always #roam
#SailboatRefit #BoatLighting #MarineElectrical #DIYBoat #LiveaboardLife #LEDUpgrade #BoatProjects
Sailing Roam
👋 Hi, we’re Geri 👩🏻⚕️(a retired nurse) and Shawn 🤓 (a not retired technologist). We’ve gone on the greatest adventure of our lives instead of living the comfortable and predictable suburban world we left behind. Living aboard Roam, our cruising catamaran, we explore and immerse ourselves in new cultures, do boat repairs in exotic places, and get up to all kinds of shenanigans. Roam isn’t just the name of our boat, it’s kind of a philosophy. We’re not taking the shortest routes or using a formula to sail around the world. We’re not in a hurry either. We’re meeting the people, seeing the places and getting distracted by things we find interesting along the way. We’re unconventional and we’re living the best life we can imagine! Join us as we turn our 11-year old catamaran into our perfect adventure platform and see what’s over the next horizon. We can’t wait to meet you wherever you are! Clamptite Tools link: https://clamptitetools.com/?sld=syroam 10% discount: gerischaffer10
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