Cabin Headliner-deck clearance 10M

[Albert Taylor]

I’m thinking about installing recessed led puck lights that are 1/2” deep x 2 3-4” diameter to improve the dismal lighting the bulkhead mounted spotlights provide.
Is there this much clearance? If not I’m not opposed to putting in a riser ring under the light so it would stick out less then the originals over the stove and nav table.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

The gap between the headliner and the inner skin of the deck is inconsistent on my boat and probably from one boat to another.  In some places you probably have close to 1/2" from the inner surface of the headliner to the inner skin, in others more like 3/16".   You could get an idea by probing above the lights over the galley and nav station (if you have those?).  The wires run in the space between the headliner and inner skin.  I can have a look at mine next time I'm there...

Dan Pfeiffer

[Peter Trunfio]

Al,

Several years ago (10?), I replaced the three dome lights in the galley/nav area on my 10M with these Dr. LED Dome lights: 

https://www.doctorled.com/p24.htm

I put the 2 x warm white (i.e., low & high) under the bridge deck, above the galley sink, and above the galley counter.

I put the white/red light above the nav desk.

The two lights in the galley went in no problem (i.e., plenty of space between the inner shell and the coachroof.

But if I remember correctly, there was a slight problem with the light over the nav desk. The lights have a “flush” backing plate. And the hole in the cabin liner was small…just enough for the wires.

Point is, there wasn’t room for the connector on the dome lights because there wasn’t no “recess” for it to sit in.

I got a small hole saw and drilled a larger hole in the cabin liner so I could a) attach the wires and, b) recess the connector between the cabin liner and the dome lights.

Just be careful…as I recall, I was terrified that I’d punched a hole in the deck with the “center” drill bit on the hole saw.

If I were you, I would take all three existing lights of and, as Dan suggests, “prob” the “depth” between the cabin liner and the deck.

Hopefully your only issue is trying to bore out the hole above the nav desk to accommodate the wiring connector.

YMMV…

PMT

Peter M. Trunfio

S/V Annandale

Pearson 10M

+1.917.640.6450 (c)

On Fri, Nov 28, 2025 at 6:52 PM Albert Taylor <awtay...@hotmail.com> wrote:

I’m thinking about installing recessed led puck lights that are 1/2” deep x 2 3-4” diameter to improve the dismal lighting the bulkhead mounted spotlights provide.
Is there this much clearance? If not I’m not opposed to putting in a riser ring under the light so it would stick out less then the originals over the stove and nav table.

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[Al Taylor]

Thanks all. 

Good tips. I’m also thinking of putting one or two lights in the center of the cabin along the centerline. Trying to figure out switching. 

These are the ones I’m looking at. 

On Nov 28, 2025, at 5:44 PM, Peter Trunfio <peter....@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Dan Pfeiffer]

I think the bigger challenge will be snaking the wires to the lights on the center of the overhead.  At least with 3W LEDs the wires can be small.  Here is a link to a photo I took while fixing rotted core around the mast partners.  You can get some idea of the gap between the headliner and the inner skin from this and it is on the order of 1/8" here (filled with epoxy).  So maybe 5/16 or 3/8 from inner face of liner to inner face of inner skin? 
http://dan.pfeiffer.net/10m/partners_20200614_192223.jpg

And here is a photo of the gap between the liner and the cabin side where there is no coring.  Here the gap is filled with thickened epoxy for the installation of a new port:
http://dan.pfeiffer.net/10m/ports_gap_fill_07.jpg
Might be 1/2" of space here. 

More info on partners repair here:
http://dan.pfeiffer.net/10m/partners_repair.htm

More on port installation:
http://dan.pfeiffer.net/10m/port_replacement.htm



Dan Pfeiffer

On 2025-11-28 7:26 pm, Al Taylor wrote:

 

Thanks all. 

Good tips. I'm also thinking of putting one or two lights in the center of the cabin along the centerline. Trying to figure out switching. 

These are the ones I'm looking at. 

 

On Nov 28, 2025, at 5:44 PM, Peter Trunfio <peter....@gmail.com> wrote:

Al,

 

Several years ago (10?), I replaced the three dome lights in the galley/nav area on my 10M with these Dr. LED Dome lights: 

https://www.doctorled.com/p24.htm

 

I put the 2 x warm white (i.e., low & high) under the bridge deck, above the galley sink, and above the galley counter.

 

I put the white/red light above the nav desk.

 

The two lights in the galley went in no problem (i.e., plenty of space between the inner shell and the coachroof.

 

But if I remember correctly, there was a slight problem with the light over the nav desk. The lights have a "flush" backing plate. And the hole in the cabin liner was small...just enough for the wires.

 

Point is, there wasn't room for the connector on the dome lights because there wasn't no "recess" for it to sit in.

 

I got a small hole saw and drilled a larger hole in the cabin liner so I could a) attach the wires and, b) recess the connector between the cabin liner and the dome lights.

 

Just be careful...as I recall, I was terrified that I'd punched a hole in the deck with the "center" drill bit on the hole saw.

 

If I were you, I would take all three existing lights of and, as Dan suggests, "prob" the "depth" between the cabin liner and the deck.

 

Hopefully your only issue is trying to bore out the hole above the nav desk to accommodate the wiring connector.

 

YMMV...

[Al Taylor, P10 #174]

As to drilling a hole saw to make room for the light, I could drill a guide hole in plywood then remove the pilot drill bit and then drill the headliner while holding the plywood guide in place.

Drilling a long straight hole in the midline between the headliner and the deck is the biggest challenge. I'll have to noodle on that a little.

[Dan Pfeiffer]

When you drill out the 2" diameter hole for the light you will see a gap between the headliner and inner skin of the cabin top.  I would not be surprised if you could push a fish tape through that gap out to the side and reach it from above the outboard edge of the headliner.  I think the way it was installed is they set it on the upside-down deck with dollops of adhesive (probably resin/glass from a chopper gun) to hold it in place.  This would allow some time to tweak the position before it set. 

Here is a set of photos of a P33-2 being built and you get some pretty good ideas about the methods.  I think they were very similar for the 1970's boats. 
http://dan.pfeiffer.net/pearsoninfo/33-2/037/037.htm

Dan Pfeiffer

On 2025-11-29 6:26 pm, Al Taylor, P10 #174 wrote:

As to drilling a hole saw to make room for the light, I could drill a guide hole in plywood then remove the pilot drill bit and then drill the headliner while holding the plywood guide in place.

Drilling a long straight hole in the midline between the headliner and the deck is the biggest challenge. I'll have to noodle on that a little.

On Friday, November 28, 2025 at 5:44:56 PM UTC-5 Peter M. Trunfio wrote:

Al,

 

Several years ago (10?), I replaced the three dome lights in the galley/nav area on my 10M with these Dr. LED Dome lights: 

https://www.doctorled.com/p24.htm

 

I put the 2 x warm white (i.e., low & high) under the bridge deck, above the galley sink, and above the galley counter.

 

I put the white/red light above the nav desk.

 

The two lights in the galley went in no problem (i.e., plenty of space between the inner shell and the coachroof.

 

But if I remember correctly, there was a slight problem with the light over the nav desk. The lights have a "flush" backing plate. And the hole in the cabin liner was small...just enough for the wires.

 

Point is, there wasn't room for the connector on the dome lights because there wasn't no "recess" for it to sit in.

 

I got a small hole saw and drilled a larger hole in the cabin liner so I could a) attach the wires and, b) recess the connector between the cabin liner and the dome lights.

 

Just be careful...as I recall, I was terrified that I'd punched a hole in the deck with the "center" drill bit on the hole saw.

 

If I were you, I would take all three existing lights of and, as Dan suggests, "prob" the "depth" between the cabin liner and the deck.

 

Hopefully your only issue is trying to bore out the hole above the nav desk to accommodate the wiring connector.

 

YMMV...

PMT

Peter M. Trunfio

S/V Annandale

Pearson 10M

+1.917.640.6450 (c)

 

 

On Fri, Nov 28, 2025 at 6:52 PM Albert Taylor <awtay...@hotmail.com> wrote:

I'm thinking about installing recessed led puck lights that are 1/2" deep x 2 3-4" diameter to improve the dismal lighting the bulkhead mounted spotlights provide.
Is there this much clearance? If not I'm not opposed to putting in a riser ring under the light so it would stick out less then the originals over the stove and nav table.

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[Dave Cole]

I dropped a couple of my overhead light two years ago.  Im not sure there was 1/2" from the face of the liner to the inside of the cabintop.  You might want to make sure you have space.  

Dave 

10M #26

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