Collection: Courtesy lights

Companion lights: marking passages without dazzling

Companion lights are used to guide movement on board without turning the boat into a brightly lit area. They provide soft, often grazing, lighting suitable for sidewalks, steps, companionways, cockpits, corridors, cabins or technical areas. Their purpose is to make movement safer while preserving the crew's visual comfort.

This collection includes Mantagua companion lights designed for the marine environment, available in horizontal or vertical formats and multiple light colors: neutral white, warm white, blue or red. The right choice depends on the location, desired orientation, ambient color, exposure to water and how the lighting will be controlled on board.

Choosing the light color

Neutral white is suitable when you want to clearly illuminate an area without a warm or overly colored tint. The Mantagua neutral white horizontal companion light is ideal for areas where you need a clear view of the floor, a step or a passage. The Wight vertical neutral white serves the same purpose in a vertical installation.

Warm white is more discreet and comfortable in living areas. The Houat warm white stainless steel is well-suited to interior ambiances, cabin accesses or areas where the light should remain welcoming. For a more noticeable night-time marking, blue or red versions create a visual reference without producing the same effect as a pure white light.

Colored models serve different purposes. The Houat blue stainless steel and the Wight horizontal blue are useful for ambient or deck lighting. The Houat red stainless steel may be chosen when a light better suited to discreet night-time movement is needed.

Horizontal or vertical format

The horizontal format is suitable for steps, risers, skirting boards, bulkheads, lockers or areas where you want to direct light laterally onto a surface. It is often chosen to mark a path without directly seeing the light source. The vertical format is more natural on a bulkhead, cockpit wall, companionway or an area with limited mounting space.

In the Wight range, horizontal and vertical versions allow for a consistent style while adapting the orientation to the area. The Wight vertical blue illustrates this need when a vertical installation is more logical than a flat or lengthwise mounting.

Interior and exterior installation

A companion light can be installed indoors or outdoors depending on the model and exposure. On a boat, even an apparently protected area can be exposed to moisture, condensation, spray or repeated cleaning. Therefore, check the waterproofing, body material, cable entry quality and electrical connection protection.

For exterior areas, choose an installation that limits direct impacts, water accumulation and wire stress. A flush-mounted or surface-mounted luminaire must remain accessible for future inspection without requiring heavy dismantling of furniture or deck panels. While LED low power consumption is an advantage, it does not replace proper electrical protection.

Wiring and control

Companion lights are often installed in multiple locations. In this case, decide whether they will be controlled together, by zone, via a dimmer or a dedicated circuit. A cockpit lighting circuit does not always serve the same purpose as a companionway or cabin light. Planning this logic from the start avoids poorly placed switches or unnecessarily lit areas.

Check the supply voltage, cable cross-section, polarity and circuit protection. On small LED lamps, a corroded or poorly protected connection can cause more issues than the lamp itself. Connections must be insulated, secured and protected against chafing.

Complementary collections

To design the boat's overall lighting, also see the lighting and spotlights collections. Companion lights do not replace work lights or deck spotlights; they are primarily used to mark, orient and secure movement.

Skysat advice

First choose the location, then the format and color. A successful companion light should illuminate the passage rather than the crew's eyes. Before ordering, check the mounting surface, beam orientation, water exposure, available voltage and how the areas will be controlled on board.