Rewiring - post up your wiring

[MikeTan]

Hello,

 

i am am keen to rewire my 30 yo Caribbean runabout. Looking for inspiration on how other have done ii so post up pictures of your work or that of your boat. I am very new to boating so keen to know what wires (copper vs marine tinned), how you attach wires to the fibreglass (dop of silicon?) etc etc.

 

MT

[zmk1962]

Hey @MikeTan you're question is so broad that it would take a book with several chapters to start to address it - and I don't think anyone will have the time to write down the shopping list of options that you can pick and choose from.

Perhaps break it down for yourself (and us).   Consider what exactly you want to rewire at this point in time and start to develop your own design for the Caribean - write down a list of what you want the wiring to support on your boat and then we can discuss each item as to what it needs to basically work and what options you have to optimise it.

Also think about how you want the wiring to work: do you want a central switch panel for all devices, a central fuse or breaker box etc etc.

So as a starting point are you talking about stripping out all the wiring out of the whole boat and starting fresh on:  

• engine starting and control looms (how many motors),
• bilge pumps (manual, auto switch or both),
• navigation lights,
• deck lights,
• live bait tank,
• radios,
• sounders etc. 

Are you considering multiple batteries - how do you want to run with them. Are you considering having the ability to charge the batteries when back at home - additional charging circuit?

Are you considering heavy current draw devices - electric marine toilet, anchor winch, electric thrust motors ?   

Etc Etc etc.

For each of these, if you use the search facility you will find a wealth of info and topics that have already been covered in FishRaider. 

Yes tinned marine wire is recommended for marine applications.

Cheers

Zoran

[MikeTan]

Hi Zoran,

Thanks. I would like to rewire following:

Bilge pump

Navigation lights

Cabin lights

Horn

Radio

Fish finder

Ciggie sockets

Deck lights

 

Keen to reuse the preexisting fuse and switch combo panel.

 

What size wires to use, where do u get them , how do you attach wire to sides of internals without drilling.

 

Keen to also see pics of how others have tidied up their wirings.

 

MT

 

 

 

 

[antonywardle]

Hi

 

I thought I had written this up a while ago but I can't find it. It might have been a series of PM's with another member.

Anyway, I have a Caribbean Safari, 4.98 m and I redid the wiring on that.  

First thing was two batteries, a starter, I went HD 4WD because it was cheaper than a marine battery and I think that it would handle the same amount of punishment. P,us it was a much better price. Second thing was a "house" battery. This s for all of the toys to run off. They have numbers on them like 120 A/H which means that it can run a device that draw 1 amp for 120 hours. Next thing was  a VSR. This connects the starter battery to the house battery and allows it to charge when the motor is running and the starter battery is full. It only goes one way.

Next is the 1 -2 both off switch. I usually leave mine on 1 or off. I can start the boat off the house battery when 2 is selected, but this would only be if there was a problem with the first battery. 

Next thing was the wiring. I used tinned wire from the house battery to the switch panel up the front. This needs to be heavy duty and capable  of carrying enough current to supply all of your toys. This is where is gets a little mathematical.

Add up the currant that all of your devices draw. For Example (these are made up numbers, you need to check your own equipment)

1 bilge pump 2amps

1 27 m/hz radio 5 amps

fishfinder 5 amps

lights 1 amp

nav lighs 1 amp

Now add all of these numbers up and you get 14 amps. So the cable from the house battery to the switch panel must be able o carry 14 amps. You can then google 14 amp  AWG. AWG means American wire gauge and this will tell you that you need AWG 14. This means that you can't add any extra devices, so probably a better thing  o do is to put in a heavier gauge of wire to start with. like AWG 10 which can carry 30 AMPs. You put an inline fuse of 14 AMPs s that if one of your devices draws too much power, that blows, and it saves your wire from melting. You'll need to figure out the size of the wire you need. AWG will tell you the thickness of the copper, but most people that sell it will tell you the size of the cable i.e. sheath and copper, so you need to check what AMP's the cable you buy can actually carry. 

I also installed a bus bar near the switches up the front and all the toys negatives run to that. I found it relatively straight forward to do, but I have a wife who is an electrical engineer and if I had something that I didn't understand, then I would ask her. I work with computers, not electricity,so check all the numbers yourself. 

Hopefully this will help you make a start and decide if its something you can do yourself

BTW, 14 AMPs on a 120AMP battery will run for about 8 1/2 hours before its dead. Remember to charge your batteries before and after a trip, and consider carrying a portable jump starter!

 

good luck!

 

Edited December 25, 2018 by antonywardle

[zmk1962]

Nice one @antonywardle !   Lots of great information there.... 

Cheers Zoran

[MikeTan]

Thanks Anthony.

i still would like to know what everyone uses to hold the wires against the internal fibreglass ... dob of silicon?

[Fab1]

11 minutes ago, MikeTan said:

Thanks Anthony.

i still would like to know what everyone uses to hold the wires against the internal fibreglass ... dob of silicon?

Anthony,theres 10 million different ways to hold wire up along your gunwhales etc if you dont want to put holes in your boat ranging from a dob of silicon to the various clip on clips to self adhesive ones to home made ideas like a length of conduit split and glued in place etc.

I've used pretty much all of them over the years for different applications in boats,trailers,cars etc.

 

On my old glass boat i had stainless clips clipped on to the underside edge of the gunwhales like these.

Go on google and type in wire clips etc and a million different possibilities will come up.

Cheers.

[Fab1]

When you do your wiring try to solder your connections as much as possible,use tinned wire also and use heat shrink tubing over the soldered joins for better results than using spade terminals etc.

[Croydon]

I recently did a rewire on my barcrusher.  During the research I found some great how to info on a site called New Wire Marine.  Its a US site but informative and easy to follow.  Worth a look.  Cheers

Dave

[MikeTan]

Thanks Champs.

[antonywardle]

My 1- 2- both-off switch was screwed in to some wood that was glued to the side of my boat, so no holes there. The support was a combination of existing leather straps, and some 40 mm down pipe that I glued/screwed in and then I could just pass the wire through.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by antonywardle

[wrxhoon1]

You need a 1-2 all off switch that you run the batteries pos through, this should be same gauge as the starting cable going to the engine. 

On modern boats you use a 40 amp breaker close to the switch then run a suitable wire ( awg 8 or bigger) to the helm. Then use  a fuse block or preferably circuit breakers . Depending on what items you run choose the correct fuse for each circuit. Run the pos on a switch for every circuit you have . run the negative on a block usually mounted under your dash or other suitable place. Make sure you have spare fuses/circuit breakers for additions  in future.  10- 12  should do all you need . Use tinned wires everywhere, go heavier rather than lighter gauge this way you don't need to buy many different wires, probably two lots of red and two lots of black.

As for saddling the wires under the gunwale  why not cable tie it to the steering and or control cables.

[Fishop]

On 12/26/2018 at 6:02 AM, antonywardle said:

 

Next is the 1 -2 both off switch. I usually leave mine on 1 or off. I can start the boat off the house battery when 2 is selected, but this would only be if there was a problem with the first battery. 

@antonywardle I have read conflicting information regarding the 1, 2, 1+2, off isolator switches and a VSR.  Some people say you need a second switch to join the two batteries if your starter battery goes flat.  Some people have said you don't.  It sounds like you didn't have to in your explanation above. 

[antonywardle]

HI

for me, I have two switches, but this is used as an off switch isolate all of the toys from the house battery when parked at home. 

The single switch will mean that the engine can be started from either switch, the only thing you don't get is the VSR charging the other way if you are running on the house battery. You can charge both batteries after the engine has started by swapping the switch to both. I very seldom have the switch on anything else other than 1. Also, when I've put my battery charger on, I've seen the VSR switch on with the start battery is full, so I'm guessing that something is happening,even though its a smart charger. 

A lot of the old guys at the fishing club have trouble with this concept to. They are used to going out one 1 and then coming back on 2, but they don't realize that technology has moved on. Even a smart charger, they don't believe that you can leave it always on. All I can do is tell them, its all changed!

 

Edited December 27, 2018 by antonywardle