Skip to content
OceanSphereDEENPL
OceanSphereENGINES
Request service Request a part
Library› Navigation› Signaling & Visual› Searchlight
Signaling & Visual

Searchlight

A searchlight is not a navigation light and carries no COLREGs status; it is a directional high-intensity beam controlled manually or remotely for search, rescue and close-quarters work such as berthing or man-overboard recovery.

150models
Francis Searchlights
Knowledge

What to check on a Searchlight.

150 models from Francis Searchlights in Searchlight. Below: the full model list.

What sets a searchlight apart from navigation lighting

Navigation lights are fixed, low-intensity, and their arcs and colours are defined by COLREGs so other vessels can read a ship's heading and status at a glance. A searchlight is the opposite: a narrow, high-intensity directional beam aimed deliberately at a target, whether that is a person in the water, a berth fender, a channel marker in fog, or another vessel during an approach. It has no fixed carriage requirement under COLREGs and is operated on demand rather than left running.

Searchlight arrangement
Side view of a ship's searchlight: reflector and lamp behind protective glass, mounted on a trunnion for elevation and a rotating base for training, operated from a remote control unit.

Legend

  1. Housing
  2. Beam
  3. Parabolic reflector
  4. Protective glass
  5. Lamp / LED source
  6. Remote control unit
  7. Elevation trunnion
  8. Training base (rotates)

Main components

Lamp head

Xenon, halogen or increasingly LED source in a sealed, weatherproof housing, mounted on the bridge wing or monkey island with a clear forward and lateral arc.

Drive and control

Motorised pan-and-tilt mechanism with a joystick or remote control unit on the bridge; larger vessels run a slaved control at each bridge wing position.

Read the full guide

Power supply

Dedicated feed sized for peak lamp draw, since xenon units in particular draw a heavy start-up current that can trip an undersized breaker.

Selection criteria

  • Beam range and intensity needed for the vessel's typical operation -- offshore support and SAR-capable vessels specify longer range than a coastal ferry.
  • Lamp type: xenon gives the longest range but shorter lamp life and high replacement cost; LED units trade some peak range for much longer service life and lower running current.
  • Remote control integration with the bridge console, particularly relevant where the searchlight is expected to work with radar or thermal camera cueing.

Regulations and class

SOLAS does not mandate a searchlight on most vessel types, but it is a standard fit on passenger ships, offshore vessels and anything with a SAR role, and class societies that certify a vessel for such service will check the searchlight's beam performance and remote control function as part of that notation. Where fitted, class surveys treat it as bridge equipment subject to periodic function testing.

Typical faults

  • Lamp failure from vibration fatigue, more common on xenon sources than LED and worsened by mounting positions exposed to engine or hull vibration.
  • Drive motor seizure from salt ingress into the pan-and-tilt gearbox when door seals age and are not replaced on schedule.
  • Glass or lens pitting from prolonged UV and salt exposure, reducing beam intensity gradually rather than causing an obvious fault.
  • Control cable corrosion at deck penetrations, producing intermittent or sluggish response at the bridge control.

What to look for in a supplier

  • Certified beam range and intensity figures, since manufacturer claims vary widely and are not always tested under comparable conditions.
  • Housing ingress protection rating suited to the mounting position, particularly for units on an exposed monkey island.
  • Spares availability for the lamp itself, which is the highest-wear component and the one most likely to need replacement mid-contract.

Test the searchlight's remote control from every bridge wing position it is meant to serve, not just the main console -- a slaved control that only half-works is a discovery best made in daylight, not during a night SAR call.

Models

Models in this type.

The best-documented model of each manufacturer first, then the next — 100 of 150 models in Searchlight. Every row links to full specifications, documents and service notes.

Showing only Francis Searchlights. Show all manufacturers
All manufacturersFRANCIS 373WISKA 142Perko 73Den Haan Rotterdam 38Glamox 35SEIMI 35Alphatron 17ACR Electronics 14Phoenix Marine 13JRC 10Furuno 6Uflex 3
Sort by:Best documentedNamePower (kW)
Francis SearchlightsFH300 300 mm Xenon Francis SearchlightsFH500 500 mm Xenon/LED Francis Searchlights240v Black Halogen Searchlight Francis SearchlightsA2059 Francis SearchlightsA2060 Francis SearchlightsA2084 Francis SearchlightsA2085 Francis SearchlightsA2198 M12 Cabin White Francis SearchlightsA2200 MK1 Deck White Francis SearchlightsA2204 M12 FBM Cabin Black Francis SearchlightsA2587 Francis SearchlightsA2591 Francis SearchlightsA6056/A Francis SearchlightsA6138 Francis SearchlightsA6144 Francis SearchlightsA6161 Francis SearchlightsA6162 Francis SearchlightsA6245 Francis SearchlightsA6246 Francis SearchlightsA6247 Francis SearchlightsA6261 Francis SearchlightsA6262 Francis SearchlightsA6263 Francis SearchlightsA6264 Francis SearchlightsA7298 Francis SearchlightsA7328 Francis SearchlightsB7168 Francis SearchlightsB7174 Francis SearchlightsC02193-00 Francis SearchlightsC02681-00 Francis SearchlightsC02682-00 Francis SearchlightsC03194-01 Francis SearchlightsC05971-01 Francis SearchlightsC05973-01 Francis SearchlightsC06779-00 Francis SearchlightsC09901-01 Francis SearchlightsC15557-00 Francis SearchlightsC15790-00 Francis SearchlightsC15920-00 Francis SearchlightsC16878-00 Francis SearchlightsC16930-01 Francis SearchlightsC20174-01 Francis SearchlightsC20175-01 Francis SearchlightsC20176-01 Francis SearchlightsC20177-01 Francis SearchlightsC20189-01 Francis SearchlightsC20281-00 Francis SearchlightsC20569-00 Francis SearchlightsC20881-00 Francis SearchlightsC21140-00 Francis SearchlightsC21141-00 Francis SearchlightsC21728-01 Francis SearchlightsC22268-01 Francis SearchlightsC23277-00 Francis SearchlightsC23433-01 Francis SearchlightsC23619-01 Francis SearchlightsC24597-01 Francis SearchlightsC24706-01 Francis SearchlightsC24889-00 Francis SearchlightsC25988-00 Francis SearchlightsC26664-01 Francis SearchlightsC26665-01 Francis SearchlightsC26666-01 Francis SearchlightsC26751-01 Francis SearchlightsC26815-01 Francis SearchlightsC27192-01 Francis SearchlightsC27203-01 Francis SearchlightsC27288-01 Francis SearchlightsC28009-00 Francis SearchlightsC28264-00 Francis SearchlightsC28385-00 Francis SearchlightsC28997-01 Francis SearchlightsC29811-00 Francis SearchlightsD14795 Francis SearchlightsD1823 Francis SearchlightsD22559 Francis SearchlightsD4604 Francis SearchlightsD4695 Francis SearchlightsD9843 Francis SearchlightsD9848 Francis SearchlightsD9848 12v 100w Francis SearchlightsD9850 24v 100w Francis SearchlightsD9851 Francis SearchlightsFB280D 115 Francis SearchlightsFB280D 24v Black Halogen Searchlight Francis SearchlightsFH380C Francis SearchlightsFH380CP Francis SearchlightsFH380D Francis SearchlightsFH380DP Francis SearchlightsFR230 Francis SearchlightsFR280 Cabin HV Francis SearchlightsFR280 Cabin LV Francis SearchlightsFR280 Cabin Pedestal HV Francis SearchlightsFR280 Cabin Pedestal LV Francis SearchlightsFR280 Deck HV Francis SearchlightsFR280 Deck LV Francis SearchlightsFR280 Deck Pedestal HV Francis SearchlightsFR280 Deck Pedestal LV Francis SearchlightsFR560RC Francis SearchlightsFSP 127
By manufacturer

Manufacturers.

All 39 manufacturers with models of Searchlight. Names with a manufacturer page open it; the others open a search across the full library.

All manufacturers
Show all 39 manufacturers
Related types

Also in Signaling & Visual.

The other equipment types in this category.

Daylight Signaling LampFlag Signal EquipmentFog Horn / Sound SignalNavigation LightNavigation LightsSignal LightSound Reception System
Would you like to know more?

One request. A person reads it and replies by e-mail.

Tell us the manufacturer, the model and what you need — a part, a service call, a second opinion. A person reads every request and replies by e-mail.

No details at hand? A photo of the rating plate or the part is enough — simply attach it to the request.

Request a partRequest service
Frequently asked

Three things people ask first.

Is Searchlight data free?

Yes. Every model page, every guide and every datasheet for this type is readable without an account. An account adds saved searches and requests, nothing is taken away.

My model is missing — what now?

Send us the nameplate. We identify it by hand, add it to the library, and if you need a part or a service, the request is already on our desk.

Can you source a Searchlight part?

Yes. Tell us the manufacturer, the model and what you need — a person reads every request and replies by e-mail.