Fir was fitted with two spotlights steerable from the Wheelhouse. The original bases were wood. Over the years, the wood was covered with different materials including a butyl rubber material and a lot of various kinds of caulk. When we acquired the boat, both lights rattled in their housing and leaked. So, we decided to start from the deck up and replace the base mount.
The starboard spotlight as it existed at the time of purchase. Note the vertical control bar detached and sitting on the deck.
The same spotlight after chipping away rotted material at the base.
The new base built with 70-year-old teak from the Aurora.
Material for the new base was contributed by Chris from the Aurora. The Aurora has old world teak rails and decks. Chris pulled some of this material up and has a pile of extras. What is most attractive about wood from Aurora is that the teak is 2” thick which is very difficult to find. The new base pictured above consists of three planks from the Aurora that have been planned, joined, then cut into a circular pattern. We then applied one coat of Nauti Poxy and several coats of NautiThane Pro