Wiring spaghetti

[rigspelt]

Most boats that I've seen have only one switch, and I think they usually feed both the engine and the distribution panel from the "common" terminal. At least that's how they seem to work.

When we got this boat 3-4 years ago prior to our 2-year refit project, the wiring was original. It had obviously worked fine for 34 years for at least 3 previous owners, but there were some oddities from the 70s that were very different from the way things are done today. For example, most of the house circuits were fed from the ammeter way back in the cockpit to a single post on the engine space bulkhead, and distributed from there! The archives have a great schematic for C&C boats from that era: http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1341 . That old way of doing things worked, but did not allow for adding the new toys that came along in later years.

POs had plunked in new appliances over years, tapping into various power sources and grounds here and there over the years. The only two bolts in the engine's cooling passage side plate that broke off when I removed the plate had been used to attach a ground wire to the block for some appliance. Of interest, most of that 34 year-old non-tinned copper wire was shiny, and the plastic covering moderately flexible, except in places closer to heat and moisture. I still recall the joy of literally pulling all that stuff out during the refit, not quite understanding the pain of installing all the new wiring, but the peace of mind since then has definitely been worth it.

[ndutton]

Very interesting Rigs.

My education in such components was 40 years ago and I tend to use what I know hence my ignorance of newer devices. Appreciate the information.

[ndutton]

jpian,

Any progress on the wiring de-tangle? How did it go?

[jpian0923]

No real progress. Still on my list though. Did replace the 2 24DP batteries and cleaned up all the connection attached to them.

Everything still works, and with the great weather...I've chosen to sail everyday instead of work on it.

[ILikeRust]

I don't recall ever seeing a dumb question on this site.

OK, if you'd like, I'm sure I could come up with one.

[ILikeRust]

I spent all day today mostly hunched over my boat's engine (and dripping sweat on it), hooking things back up. I also crawled around in the aft quarter berths, under the cockpit. What a royal pain. It's so tight and awkward under there.

Anyhow, one thing I keep finding is old, abandoned wires. Every time I encounter one, I pull it out.

Today I found probably 25 or 50 feet of coaxial cable, connected to nothing. It ran from above the port quarterberth, across the bulkhead behind the engine, to above the starboard quarterberth, where there was a coil of probably 20 feet tied up with a wire tie, and then forward a few feet to where I'm guessing there used to be a radio or something because there I found a couple more cables with connectors on them that look exactly like what I used to have on my old CB radio back in the 1970s.

Which gave me two more wires to trace and pull out next time I'm back on the boat. At that point, I said, "oh *%&^" and decided to deal with it later.

I also found a red stranded wire of about 8 gauge in size, that was just hanging there with a bare end of wire sticking out. Haven't found the other end of it yet.

The wonders of a multi-owner, 43 year-old boat evidently will never cease.

[jpian0923]

I think I jinx myself.

The weather went south today.

Also, I lost my prop today!

Looks like a great opportunity to do some re-wiring.

[ILikeRust]

How did you lose your prop?

[jpian0923]

Backed out of the slip fine yesterday. Went to throw it into forward and it kept going backwards. After docking, went under the boat...no prop! Holy cow!

[ILikeRust]

Yikes!

Did the locking nut and cotter pin just let go? Hope it didn't do any other damage.

[jpian0923]

No damage. No cotter pin, no nut, no prop. Just a bare prop shaft waiting for a new prop.

[ILikeRust]

Wow. Bizarre. Maybe some prop pixies swam up and stole it when you weren't looking...

[jpian0923]

The way I see it, they saved me some work getting it off. I was thinking new prop anyway, since I was only getting 1400 RPM at WOT.

I'm glad they did it just out of the slip and not in the bay or ocean.

I had my ex-girlfriend and two teen girls on the boat with me. We ended up scrubbing the deck and hull above waterline, for fun! They actually enjoyed it.

[sastanley]

Jim, you sound like me. I re-wired my mast 100% last year, but I still have 'jumper' wires from the mast bus bar hanging around the cabin to the batteries when I need things like an anchor or steaming light..

I'd simply rather be sailing at this point.

[Mo]

always something.

Shawn,

Too bad about japians prop...that just screws a weekend. I had my steering go out on Aug 24...didn't get the part for 13 days...wasn't a happy camper. Just puttered around the garage and the boat for near two weeks itching to get off the dock.

Electrical is not my cup of tea. I have a new panel in the garage, gauges and all, waiting to go in the boat. Weather was so bad this year I only got to the basics. I look at all the wires coming out of it and loose interest. I do have a buddy, aircraft tech, who offered to put it in over a case of beer...we'll get to it some day. My old one looks just that...old and decrepit.

I can look after engine electrical, my lighting etc, even re-wired the mast as you did. Can't say I have allot of "I wonder what that was" wires hanging around but every now and then I see one. I wonder what I'd be doing if I didn't have a boat.