Dutchman Martyn Castelein, an authorized surveyor of vessels based in Taiwan, has designed a waterproof light-emitting diode light for use on yachts.
Castelein first came to Taiwan in 2004 to work with local shipbuilders on building ultra luxury yachts. He fell in love with a Taiwanese woman and ended up getting married and settling here. His waterproof LED light has attracted big yacht builders like Horizon Group and others. As a result, the light, made with Dutch technology and Taiwanese manufacturing skills, is being successfully sold both at home and abroad.
As most LED lights are not waterproof, there have been instances in which the lights onboard newly built boats have been damaged during the process of transport. There are other cases in which these lights, used as step lights, go bad each time the area is mopped. As a result, this type of waterproof LED light specially designed for boats was a success from the moment it hit the market.
Castelein said in the past, LED lights were rarely used on yachts as they were not waterproof and broke down easily. He decided to become involved in the development of an improved LED light with a totally waterproof encasement, which helped overcome the problem of lights frequently burning out in a highly salty and damp environment.
His wife JoJo also remarked that after they demonstrated the light in front of customers and showed that the LED light could be completely immersed in water and still function properly, orders from the United States, Norway, Greece and other nations began to pour in.
Castelein remarked that the energy efficient waterproof LED lights produced specifically for high-end yachtss are made using stainless steel of a high purity. He was adamant in sourcing all materials for the lights, he said, including the light sockets and the drivers, from Taiwanese manufacturers, enabling the waterproof LED lights to be completely made in Taiwan.
While most LED lights have a luminance temperature of over 60 degrees and a lifespan of between 2,000 and 10,000 hours, Castelein explained, his invention has a luminance temperature of under 50 degrees and a life of up to 50,000 hours, with a bright emission much like natural sunlight.
(This article originally appeared Aug. 26 in The Liberty Times.)