Having an anchor light displayed clearly when anchored in the dark is a legal requirement that every pontoon boat owner should be aware of. If you don’t have a pontoon anchor light on your boat, you are breaking the law.
It’s not just a case of making sure you are sticking to the rules though, as it’s also a massive safety consideration that should never ignore. Even if your pontoon is anchored up in a designated anchorage area, there will be other vessels in the water at night who need to know where you are.
There have been examples in the past when people have been seriously injured and even killed just because a careless captain decided he didn’t want to waste any unnecessary battery power overnight.
So, with that out of the way, what are the best pontoon boat anchor lights?
Let me start by saying always opt for LED bulbs. They don’t draw as much power from your battery, will last up to five times as long, you probably will never have to replace them, and they won’t heat up creating a potential hazard.
You will also need to make sure that your light has 360-degree visibility, with a two-mile range. A light like that will conform to the US Coast Guard regulations on anchor lights, and the ones that I recommend below all conform to those standards, but make sure you follow the installation instructions correctly.
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The Best LED Navigation Anchor Lights for a Pontoon Boat
All the recommendations below can mount to a T top or to a pontoon Bimini, conform to US Coast Guard regulations, are LED (don’t choose anything other than LED), and come with very good online reviews.
1. Shoreline Marine LED Fold Down Light
Don’t confuse this with the cheaper Shoreline light that you see on Amazon, as the lower cost model is not LED, but this one is.
You can view the latest prices on Amazon, plus read the reviews which are very impressive. This is the exact same product I use on my Bennington pontoon after I had to replace my old model.
Because I had square tubes on my Bimini top I did have to use slighter longer bolts than the ones supplied, but the base is wide enough to be securely fitted, and then fold down nicely when not in use.
I simply removed the faulty pontoon anchor light, re-connected the two wires, and it was good to go. It’s also just a little shorter than my old model at 12 inches, so doesn’t get knocked down under low bridges… but it’s still tall enough to be legally compliant.
I am also considering buying another one as it can also be used as stern light.
It’s a great value pontoon Bimini anchor light that is bright, easy to install, made from aluminum, doesn’t sap a load of battery power, and has been great for me when fishing at night.
2. RecPro LED Folding Pontoon Bimini Anchor Light
This would be my second recommendation as I have seen it in use on my buddy’s pontoon and would have purchased this if the Shoreline wasn’t available.
It’s a little taller than the Shoreline at 14 inches (versus 12) so would be perfect if you want something higher to match as a replacement. It also comes with very good reviews which you can look at on Amazon.
One thing that really sets it apart from any other anchor light for a pontoon boat is the power draw. At 1.8 watts at 12VDC it’s slated as being the lowest power draw of any 2-mile light you can buy.
If height and power usage is important to you, particularly if you are going to be running yours all night long, this would be a great choice.
As with all the Shoreline, if it’s a new install you will need to drill two holes into your Bimini, unless it’s going to fit into your previous mounting position. There is a non-drillable recommendation below if you would rather use a clamp.
3. Shoreline Portable LED Clamp-On (No Drilling or Wiring)
The previous two recommendations are permanent solutions which will require you drilling holes into your Bimini or a rail. If you don’t want to do that, then this portable clamp-on light from Shoreline is your best option.
To find out more about this portable pontoon boat anchor light, view the latest prices on Amazon.
I know three pontoon owners who own this product as an emergency back-up and will store it away or switch the position of the light depending on how they want to use it at any given time – it can be used for anchoring plus as a stern or bow light.
I emailed one of my buddies to ask them their thoughts on this portable model, and here’s what they came back with to me.
“I had some failed wires on my pontoon and our OEM anchor light stopped working. I bought this because it was a great price and it would get me through the rest of the season until I had time to look into a more permanent light. I am actually just going to stick with this now for next year as the LED lights a very bright and it works brilliantly.”
I believe every pontoon owner should buy one of these battery-operated versions as a back-up anyway, even if you do a Bimini-mounted system already as you never know when a light can fail, or a battery can die.
If you have one of these battery-powered models (they take 3 AA batteries) you can keep it under a seat and bring it out just in case you ever do need it.
FAQs
Here is a small selection of questions I have been asked by pontoon boat owners on my social media profiles about the topic, and then my responses.
I need a replacement LED anchor light and would prefer a metal base mounting to a Bimini bar. What should I choose?
If you’re just looking to upgrade to LED on an existing light, you can buy a replacement LCD bulb at Walmart in the auto section. My pontooning buddy just did this and it cost $12 for two bulbs.
If I want to leave my pontoon boat beached on a lake when camping at a site around 150 feet away, do I have to leave my anchor light on all night if I do?
As you’re not strictly anchored I can’t see it being an issue, and don’t believe you should leave the light on.
For more information on the legal requirements I would advise you take a look at the references to the law on the BoatUS website.
If I buy one of these LED navigation anchor lights for my pontoon boat will I need to drill any holes?
It depends.
If you are replacing an old light, then the mount will already be in place, and you should be able to simply re-use any previous holes that have been drilled.
However, if this is a new install, or the product you buy has a different shaped base, then in most cases you will need to drill two holes into the Bimini.
However, my third recommendation above doesn’t require drilling, but is a clamp on and portable solution so take a look at that if you don’t want to drill.
I am searching for an LED anchor light that’s adjustable for the Bimini cover that doesn’t need to be tweaked every time you turn it on?
All the ones that show above fit these criteria and will be perfect.
If you don’t like the way that an anchor light works, then you might want to consider the battery-operated clamp-on model as at least that way you can put in wherever you think works best on your Bimini for the least amount of tweaking.
I need one that I can attach to rails as I can’t mount in my top and I don’t want to cut a hole in the cover to mount it on the frame. Do you have any suggestions on a rail mounted model?
All the suggestions above can work on a rail, but you might need to also purchase a clamp to get the best fit.
If you really don’t want to cut any holes in your frame, then portable clamp-on model from Shoreline would be a great choice.
I have a 2013 20n foot Suntracker Party Barge. I need a new bulb for my anchor light. The old one didn’t have any size on it, so I got a replacement one from an auto parts store, but apparently it was not the right size. I’ve lost my boat manual so can’t find any references.
Suntracker don’t publish their older manuals online, but you can Google the manual as there are suppliers that reproduce the manuals if they are no longer being published or available for download.
I’m trying to figure out if I left my anchor light on all night long and have no other current draw, would that run down the battery to where it wouldn’t be able to start the engine?
If this is a concern, then definitely change you anchor light to an LED and you should not have a problem. I camp overnight every weekend in the summer and leave the anchor light on and as long as it’s an LED bulb you should have no issues.
Changing out your anchor light to an LED will prevent the extra draw of current that will run the battery down.
However, to safeguard yourself I recommend installing a second battery with a switch. You can run whatever you want on one battery, if it drains switch to your other battery and you’re good to go.
I have a two-battery bank on my pontoon, so we can run the radio and depth finder all day while anchored and have a fresh standby just in case.
Final Thoughts
I have hopefully convinced you that it’s not worth buying anything other than an LED product. If you still do need convincing here’s a graphic which shows you how they compare to halogen lamps.
See how LED lights compare against halogen lighting.
Other reasons to choose LED include:
- They can last up to 30,000 hours so unlikely you will need to replace a bulb
- They don’t heat up like standard bulbs so reduce fire hazard risks
- They can be much brighter offering improved visibility over 2 miles
- They use less power so won’t drain down your pontoon’s battery
