The master head aboard Empire has brighter lights now, and Trish thinks they look more modern. Better yet, the shower light works. That sounds like a modest victory, but after two and a half years without it, I’ll take it.
Most of this upgrade happened inside the existing fixtures on our 1998 74-foot Hatteras. Choosing the right replacement bulbs was the important part.
Same fixtures, third generation of bulbs
The main light fixtures in our head started with halogens. Later came the LED bulbs shaped like little pieces of candy corn. The latest replacements are disc LEDs from Apollo Lighting, made to be compatible with Hatteras fixtures.
The reason for changing them went beyond appearance. The candy corn bulbs tend to short out prematurely in these fixtures, and our friend Les told us they were unsafe for this application. His recommendation was to use disc LEDs instead.
Les is probably the most knowledgeable person we know on the electrical systems of these older Hatteras boats. That was advice worth taking. There’s more value in that conversation than in buying another bulb simply because it looks like the one that came out.
For an owner sorting through replacements, I’d confirm the exact fixture and its supply voltage with someone who knows these boats, then check the replacement bulb’s specifications. Physical fit alone is a poor way to choose one. “It’s an LED” is only the beginning of the conversation.
Brighter light on both sides
Each of the Apollo discs has six LEDs. They’re brighter than the bulbs we removed, and Trish likes the more modern look. We did both sides of the head, which are a mirror image of each other, so both sides got the same treatment.
Keeping the existing fixtures was a useful part of this job. We could update the lighting without replacing every housing just to get a newer look. The shower, as it turned out, would require more.
We kept the old bulbs as spares, but I wouldn’t recommend reinstalling a bulb that’s been identified as unsafe.
During the swap, one side of the head shorted out, and finding the fuse took four hours. Four hours is a lot of quality time with a lighting problem. That hunt got its own article.
The shower needed a whole new fixture
The shower light required a brand-new fixture. Changing the bulb alone would have left us with the same dark shower, so this part of the project involved finding the right replacement hardware.
A lot of our Hatteras parts come from Sam’s Marine, and that’s where I got the replacement fixtures. I bought the last two they had at the time. They were a bit pricey, but finding the right older-Hatteras fixture can narrow your options in a hurry.
This is one of those purchases where I’d weigh availability alongside price. Once you’ve confirmed that a scarce fixture is the right one, grabbing it while it’s available can save a future search. An almost-right replacement bought because it’s easy to find can create another project instead of finishing the first one.
The result in the shower is wonderfully unglamorous: we have a working light. No more showering in the dark.
For a wider look at this part of Empire, join us on our YouTube channel for Would You Live Here? Our 30-Year-Old Hatteras Stateroom. You’ll also find the master stateroom episode page here. Sign up for the newsletter below for more of the fixes and decisions behind life aboard Empire with Trish and me.
