Saving the best for last, however, the greatest advance in
architectural lighting in recent years has been the introduction of the
light-emitting diode, or LED. While LEDs have been available for a number of
years in colors such as red and green, and therefore seen in wheelhouses or as
emergency lighting only, the industry had difficulty developing the one color
that most designers desired: white. Until quite recently, white LEDs with
relatively high output were nearly impossible to find. Fortunately, times have
changed.
Top: Today’s galleys can present difficult lighting
challenges because they usually require bright overheads for work areas,
undercounter lighting for dark, recessed spaces and gentle ambient lighting
around eating areas. Photograph by Scott Pearson. Bottom: Many of the innovations used aboard cruise ships are now being downsized for use on private yachts. (Click images to enlarge)
These devices now are being quickly integrated into a wide
variety of luminaries – downlights and spots, emergency and underwater lighting
– that can be used aboard yachts. What is fascinating and still largely
unexplored is the fact that LEDs can be configured in the familiar RGB
(red/green/blue) grouping used in computer displays and CRT-based televisions,
giving millions of color choices without the need for color wheels. By
programming lighting control modules using the DMX512 protocol, vendors can
produce dynamic lighting scenes from a potential palette of 16 million hues –
including white – all derived from various combinations of the red, green and
blue LEDs.
 Syair makes an efficient LED "stick" that can be used for wash
lighting on board boats and airplanes. (Click image to enlarge)
It should be noted that for owners of vessels with existing
halogen fixtures, there is light at the end of the tunnel: LED replacement
lamps. Several manufacturers now offer direct replacement units that will plug
neatly into existing MR-16 and MR-11 fixtures, thus offering longer life –
upwards of 100,000 hours – and lower temperatures.
So, for interior designers, yacht builders and their clients,
there is no question that the future of shipboard lighting is not only going to
be cooler, it’s definitely going to be brighter.
We asked Dan Smith, one of the industry’s leading lighting experts, to
outline the best applications for several lighting sources. Here are his
recommendations.
Incandescent | General overhead lighting, reading lights, courtesy lighting,
table lamps | | Fluorescent (hot cathode) | Task or function areas: engine rooms, bilge and stowage
spaces, under cabinets | | Tungsten or Xenon Halogen | General overhead lighting, reading lights,
mirror lighting,
engine room lighting (low noise), masthead lighting | | Fiber-Optic | Accent lighting for coves, kicks, valences, exterior
lighting, underwater | | LED | Reading lights, courtesy lights, closet lights, shower
lights | Metal Halide (HID) | Floodlights for cockpits and work decks |
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