I've owned my 1977 catalina 30 for nine years now and it's only this season that I've begun to experience this starting problem. Key the engine and you hear the solenoid click but the engine wont crank. At first I thought it was the starter solenoid -replaced that- then I found loose connections at the instrument panel. Fixed those and the problem seemed to be resolved but it still didn't start as forcefully as I thought it should. then one day after running the engine for a long time(fishing) it just up and died. no power to the instrument panel at all. no clicking sounds when keying - nothing. Jumped the starter motor and it spun but solenoid wouldn't engage. I was at a loss for a solution. Then it occurred to me that in order for the ammeter to work, all the power must flow through it. So I tried bypassing the ammeter by removing the red wire (from the back of the ammeter) and piggybacking it to the orange one and BINGO! It starts like never before. it was the ammeter itself all along causing the high resistance.
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