Pretty much when your moving the lights are illegal everywhere that we boat. Is it enforced where you boat is the question.

How about a set built into a pair of drive showers?? One less hole to drill below the waterline....

I have seen brackets that mount to the top of your trim tabs then the wire gets routed up above the waterline...

I do not know why those lights would be illegal does not make sense.But if you are looking at a way to put underwater lights cheap and without drilling what about the ones that go in the drain plug, they are $50 each you could buy 4 and replace them when they break if they do.

20W SUPER BLUE 1400 LUMENS GARBOARD LED BOAT DRAIN PLUG LIGHT UNDERWATER 1/2 NPT | eBay

Those look great, I'll keep those in mind!

Installed two of these 8000 lumen lights on the trim tabs, 199$ each and very happy.

As to the legality of it yes it is illegal. The reason being any color can be misconstrued for a different light. It doesn't seem to be overly enforced but even on our work oats we have had coast guard vessels radio us and have us turn lights off. This is guide from them that kind of explains it.

http://blogs-it.cgaux.org/media/user...v%20Lights.pdf

Interesting as I just boated for the 1st time at night, on a river with only day boards as guides and 1/2 mile apart at best. Visual identification of boats with only the required red/green and aft white light was a joke when adding in the shoreline lights. Coming up on boats from the rear (I was traveling 25 mph, barely on plane) with transom lights on it was much easier to identify their heading. When I install mine I'll be running with them on and will gladly take the ticket not to get rear ended.

In addition, had I not been using the Navionics Ipad chartplotter/gps with my route to my destination traced to follow back and my heading line on. Without it I feel I would have been completely blind. That and the handheld spot light to confirm day board location were absolute necessities.

I get what your saying and completely understand your point, by the letter of the law it is illegal to have them on while under power. Again, enforcement varies just like exhaust and stereos.

I boat a lot at night...trick is to keep all interior lights off in cockpit...especially anything on the dash....either by switch or towel....this is especially true when any humidity in the air. The resulting 'halo' can blind you. Sure. all the bright LED lights are cool when you are hangin out....+ other boats can see you better....but can you see when underway ? That is the trick.

I would like to blow up all the dumb azz docks that the owners think it's cool to have red/green lights on the end of them.