Congratulations to Dan — Winner of Black Oak's March Giveaway!

Every month we run a giveaway for one of our 20" Double Row Light Bars. For March, that person is Dan — Rear Commodore at the Naples Sailing & Yacht Club.

Already Making Waves at the Marina

Dan's setup has been doing the selling itself. After he shared his photos from the water, Chris P. went ahead and purchased the same system. Bob H. has requested an identical setup for his 67' Grand Banks that's currently under construction.

At Naples Sailing & Yacht Club, it's become a conversation piece. A lot of boats in that marina run FLIR systems — but as Dan puts it, most owners never actually use them. Once members got a look at Dan's photos, several of them started asking about switching.

Why He Made the Change

Dan isn't guessing about FLIR. He owned one — a 2017 model — and came to the same conclusion a lot of boaters do after living with one for a while.

"Most owners don't use them. I personally had a 2017 FLIR that was essentially useless. Once members saw these photos, several said they want to replace their FLIR with a Black Oak camera."

The Setup and the Problem It Solved

The installation is on an Intrepid 400 Cuddy with Isinglass enclosures. If you've run Isinglass at night, you already know the problem — visibility gets bad fast, and bad visibility at night on the water isn't just inconvenient, it's unsafe.

Dan and his son did the install themselves. It took a few hours, but he says it was easier than expected.

He paired the Nitron XR1 camera with a Black Oak IR Light Bar, then added two square Black Oak LED spotlights mounted just above the bar that he can activate on demand. The combination, he says, works flawlessly.

The photo in this post was taken at Keywaydin. The outer tree line is roughly 1,000 feet away — and without the camera, Dan couldn't even see the bow of his own boat.

What It's Changed Day-to-Day

For Dan, the biggest shift is simple: he and his wife don't have to plan around sunset anymore.

"My wife and I love staying out late and going to dinner by boat without worrying about racing back to the marina before dark. As a working executive, being able to safely extend our boating time into the night has been invaluable."

And it's not just a nighttime tool. He's started keeping the camera tilted forward during the day too, so he and his family can sit back and monitor what's directly ahead in the water without constantly leaning over the helm.

Honest Feedback

"I 100% recommend this setup to anyone who runs at night or wants to safely expand their boating time after dark."

Congrats, Dan

Thanks for the thorough writeup, the honest feedback, and for sharing your setup with the club. The fact that your photos have already moved product and have a 67' Grand Banks spec'd out with the same system says more than we ever could.

Want a shot at next month's giveaway? Send us your photos, your setup details, or tell us how you're using your Black Oak gear — and you could be featured right here.