I tried one of the 12-element bars and could not read the markings on
my meter less than 2 feet away. In the shop, they made a nice circle
of light (apparently aimed, somewhat, as it wasn't flat) about 15 feet
away.

If there were a way we could mount them so they'd shine directly over
our shoulders, I have no doubt that they'd work for us. However, our
aft cabin doesn't lend itself to that without surface wiring -
something Lydia (at least for now!) isn't willing to accept. We took
down some gooseneck halogen fixtures - similar to
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|65136|328878&id=206684 but
halogen - which were that way (and which were marginally effective for
reading - perhaps with some other LED array in that bulb's place it
woul be different) because she both hated how they looked and the
surface conduit leading to them.

Meanwhile, I've ordered in a roll of red rope to play with. My first
and easy decisions are for over the sink (under the cabinet, so out of
sight) and inside the rim of the control panel. I'm still wrestling
with how to utilize it in the cockpit - but if it proves as bright as I
think it will, perhaps just outlining the binnicle, facing forward,
will be more than enough. I'd still like to be able to run it up the
bimini bows (two runs) in amber, but haven't yet figured out how to
make the wire come out without some significant surface run (without
cutting through the cap rail, which I *really* don't want to do!). As
the 12V is special order, and they just happened to have a roll of red
which was mis-shipped for another order, I considered this an
opportunity to get familiar with rope lighting.

I'll come back with a different topic name when I've gotten some
experience, as, at least so far, it appears none here have any (that
was the original question, recall) :{))

L8R

Skip, refitting as fast as I can, but going home for the long weekend

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain