Late last season my
anchor and deck
lights stopped working. I lived without them until dropping the mast last fall, and I got to do some quick maintenance on them now that the mast is down. All three masthead wires failed continuity, meaning that in the ~2 months since haulout, the steaming light had also failed.
I took all the bulbs out and wiped the copper contacts a bit - I did not have any polish or cleaner, just some WD4 on a rag. Two of the three
lights then passed continuity, so it was just corrosion and/or looseness of the contacts that caused it. The deck light bulb still didn't work. Although its filament looked pristine, there must have been some corrosion in the bayonet base, because the bulb itself fails continuity. I will replace it. While I am at it, I will also replace the bayonet-type
anchor and steaming
lights. I have already ordered in the bulbs.
Here are my questions:
In the next couple of weeks I will do a thorough cleaning/polishing of the contact points. For the bayonet-type bulb
anchor and steaming
lights (dimples on the ends), I plan to burnish the copper contact points with emory cloth. I would like to seal the tips off to prevent corrosion, but I am afraid if I try to use any type of grease as a barrier that it will get too hot in the sunlight and run down to the bottom of the fixture. So I am thinking of hitting the contact points with a little dab of 3M Marine Silicone Sealant. That will crosslink in place and be heat resistant, and could be removed a few years down the road if the bulbs burn out.
Can anyone think of a reason that I would NOT want to do this?
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