Last fall, my wife and I were paddling in solo kayaks on one of our favorite New Hampshire mountain lakes. We were about to cross a narrow channel when a powerboat came into view. We held back and waited, giving the boat a wide berth, but instead of moving through the channel, it slowed, altered course, and motored right up to us. The folks on board called out. We should have had lights, they said, “We could not see you.” They were clearly upset so we thanked them for their concern and kind advice. It was about an hour before sunset and, while we did have lamps with us, we had not yet turned them on. In most areas in the U.S. small non-motorized paddle- and rowboats are required to show an all-around white light when underway between 1⁄2 hour before dusk and 1⁄2 hour after dawn. (Specific requirements vary from state to state and on different bodies of water, so always check the rules before you paddle.)

One all-around light that I particularly like is Kayalu’s Kayalite Kayak Light.

Deck-mounted Kayalite Kayak LightBill Thomas

The Kayalite Kayak Light can be clipped to a dedicated pad-eye or mounted using a boat’s existing fittings. Here the 4″-diameter base is held securely in place under a kayak’s deck bungee cords. However it is mounted, the light is easily removable so that it can be stowed when not needed.

Kayalu is a Boston, Massachusetts, company. It has several options for small-boat lights and mounts, of which the Kayalite Kayak Light is the basic model. It’s a clever design that I have been able to fit easily to six different boats.

The light is waterproof (with an IPX8 rating to a depth of 1,000′). It has two LED bulbs powered by three AA batteries. Kayalu records the lamp life at 10,000 hours and the run time at 100 hours. The light is bright and well diffused through a white titanium-infused Lexan lens that gives all-around illumination—you do have to mount the light behind you, so it does not disrupt your night vision. There is no on-off switch; instead, the light is operated by twisting the housing.

The lens stands atop a mast of 1 1⁄4″-diameter black ABS plastic tube above a 4″-diameter base. The base has EVA foam-rubber padding on its underside to protect the deck and to keep the light from slipping.

The Kayalite Kayak Light weighs just 13 oz, and it floats—reassuring if you accidentally drop it overboard before it’s clipped on.

Mounting the Kayalite Kayak Light

Mounting the light is straightforward. Decide where you want it to be positioned, and if there isn’t a suitable fitting there already, install a 1″ pad-eye or eyebolt with backing plate (Kayalu supplies a marine-grade eyebolt kit, but any standard stainless-steel pad-eye will do). A length of 1⁄4″ bungee cord leads through the bottom of the mast tube to emerge through a hole some 10″ up. At its upper end the cord has a stopper knot; at its lower end there is a plated-steel snap clip. This clip is attached to the pad-eye. Once clipped on, a cutout on the underside of the mast’s base is lined up over the deck fitting as the mast is brought to vertical. Now the slack of the bungee is pulled through the mast-tube hole and tensioned on a locking cleat a couple of inches below the hole. The tension in the cord holds the mast stable and upright, while its elasticity allows the mast to flex so that it won’t break in a capsize roll or if hit by, say, a paddle.

Kayalite Kayak Light on canoe at sunsetJane Ahlfeld

In most U.S. waters non-motorized boats are required to carry an all-around white light from 1⁄2 hour before dusk to 1⁄2 hour after dawn. The Kayalite Kayak Light is waterproof, strong enough to withstand being hit by a paddle, flexible enough to survive a kayak roll, and easily mounted.

If you don’t want to add any hardware to your boat, you can use existing hardware such as a cleat or pad-eye, or the mount can be wedged between two items—in our canoe, for example, it is wedged between the top of the flotation tank and a grab handle.

I take the Kayalite Kayak Light on all my after-dark adventures. Not only does it keep me visible to other boats, but it’s also easily removed from the boat, making it a handy little light to have around camp.

Bill Thomas is a Maine Guide and has taught sea kayaking in Maine and other locations. He has been a custom woodworker, designer, boatbuilder, and teacher for more than 40 years.

The Kayalite Kayak Light is available from Kayalu, $59 plus shipping. The Kayalite Extension Kit, $19.95, enables the user to extend the height of the light to 21″ or 28″.

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