New LED light stip red\white for under companionway step food storage - 2011

The food storage under the first step in the companion way is for our snacks, at least at this time. As you probably know we put a LED red\white light in the lower step food storage locker and it is a very handy item. 

May 2011 - Marina Cortez San Diego, CA So we found an LED strip that is red\white lights and we have had it sitting around for a while. We also picked up a three way switch (off, red and white). 

The other LED light has the switch included and where it is located it works just fine. This LED strip light we wanted to go in the back and to the top for light to come over the food supplies and it needed to be smaller in physical size.

We wiped it out with a damp rag and it shows the spots I missed.

 It was not as easy as it seems. The space is hard to work in as there is not an easy way to reach the upper back side. We ended up duck taping the light into position and the screwing it in, that is after drilling the hole for the wire. The door does not stay open for safety reasons so my head had to hold it open. So some sweet and crawling around and up and down and the usual stuff.  

Now it is in and almost even straight. We then drilled a hole (we always drill a pilot hole or two or three, in this case three) for the switch. Our drill tool box is at the storage shed with our rigging box and a few others. So we borrowed a ½ drill and ½ bit from Dave our boat neighbor. He has a nice cordless DeWalt battery drill. I did not want to give it back. We have a chorded Roybal 3/8 drill but not complaining. Seems your knee is always on the chord when you are in a tight spot and just about ready to do the drilling you cannot quite reach the spot so you need to pull out and get up and free the chord and start all over again. But no dead batteries to contend with!

Any way got the whole drilled and the found that the switch was ¾ inch deep and so was the plywood.

Rather than counter sink the area for the back of  the switch we will try finding a 1 inch size switch.

The switch will go to the left inside the space.

There was a battery selector switch with the back side extending into the space, a PO setup. You can see the now empty hole by my hand where it was. The wires and connections were exposed to whatever was in the storage locker.  It was for the stern windlass. We have changed this so now there is just a hole there till be cove it. Also a hole going into the storage are below where battery wires snaked through, it will get covered. So just past that hole is where the switch will go. It needs to be there so the back of the switch will be behind the nav station. It will be quite handy.

 Now it is off to the phone looking for a switch long enough.