http://www.ibi-plus.com International Boat Industry | DECEMBER 2015 59
fuel growth for the foreseeable future.”
Growth in the yacht refit business
is benefiting the LED lighting sector.
“LED lighting systems are now widely
ubiquitously accepted and demanded as
the marine lighting technology of choice,
especially in underwater applications.
Every year we see significantly increasing
requests for Lumishore LEDs to replace
both older technology underwater
lighting systems, as well as competitor
LED products,” he says.
On the marketing side, meanwhile,
in November Lumishore doubled its
distribution strength in the world’s largest
boating market, the USA, by appointing
IMTRA, an importer and manufacturer of
marine products, as its master distributor.
IMTRA now joins existing SeaWide
Distribution to share exclusive US
market coverage.
IMTRA also manufactures is own
range of LED lighting, but for interior and
exterior applications. “ When it comes to
applications such as down lights, indirect/
accent, engine room
and utility, reading and
task, navigation, and
underwater for most
sizes of vessel there has
been almost universal
acceptance,” says Colby
Chevalier, lighting sales
manager at IMTRA.
However, one area
still to be converted
is very high-output
searchlights, Chevalier notes. Here,
“We’ve seen bulb-based, metal-halide
products continue to flourish,” he says,
citing as an example the Colorlight search
light platform with proportional control is
using 2 x 800W metal halide units putting
out 130,000 lumens.
Chevalier notes that particularly in the
US market, with its higher leisure marine
sales volumes than elsewhere, sourcing
individual components such as LED chips,
driver boards that make up a completed
LED light, consumer purchases can
often be a volume numbers game. “LEDs
themselves can be challenging to source
in the exact spec you have in mind, so
buying efficiently while also making sure
you are fulfilling orders, have available
stock, and are creating commonality
where appropriate, will continue to help
us remain innovative and competitive,”
he adds.Most of the lighting
companies are
confident that LED
is here for the long
term. Lumishore’s
Evans, for one, gives
it at least 10 years. For
IMTRA, Chevalier is
confident about the
long-term outlook.
“For yacht lighting,
we have already exceeded expectations
with regard to lumen output, so there is
little concern about inconsistencies in
the future for this aspect of the lighting,”
he says. “Although there continue to be
incremental improvements with colour
rendering, it’s really a matter of what the
consumer is willing to pay. Near-perfect
colour rendering is available for those
who want to pay for this.”TECHNICAL CHALLENGES
There are, however, some technical issues
that manufacturers and customers need
to address, particularly
when installing LED
lighting systems in
retrofit situations where
conventional lighting
is being replaced.
Chevalier explains
that many LED fixtures
being offered today
have one or two extra
wires in order to run
a PWM (pulse width
modulation) dimming signal. This can
present some challenges for a boat with
traditional two-wire cabling. But more
and more LED lighting manufacturers
are offering two-wire control for their
fixtures. “Other changes are really more to
do with additional features and how LED
lights can be integrated into shipboard
control and monitoring systems. Some
LED products now IP (internet protocol)
addressable, however, opening up a new
level of user control including remote
operation via mobile phones and tablets,”
he says.
IMTRA’s Chevalier also notes
that claims for LED durability can be
misleading. The often quoted 50,000-
hour longevity benchmark, he points out,
is “promoted by the LED chip industry
can be measured and confirmed by an
industry-wide accepted testing method
developed by the Illuminating
SIMTRA’s
Colby ChevalierLED lighting
systems are now
widely ubiquitously
accepted and demanded
as the
technology of
choice