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sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts
Initially Posted - 09/19/2006 :  13:17:08  Show Profile
I have the picture of the power vent for the 79 and the wiring was installed with all connectors crimped and soldered and was told that soldering caused a problem later. What is correct?
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John P
Captain

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USA
324 Posts
Response Posted - 09/19/2006 :  13:39:29  Show Profile  Visit John P's Homepage
I have read that electrical connections should be crimped and soldered on a boat. However, there are zero soldered connections on my '84 that I have seen.
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Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts
Response Posted - 09/19/2006 :  14:38:34  Show Profile
Jim,
I am sure there must be a down side to crimp/soldering a connection but cannot think of what it would be. If you solder a connector on I don't think you even need to crimp it. The least favorable solution is to crimp only. I usually solder all wires together and only use connectors at terminal blocks. Using connectors to connect wires together is asking for trouble in short time. My boat is in salt water 24/7 though. A properly flowed solder connection is as good as it gets.
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atgep
Master Marine Consultant

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1009 Posts
Response Posted - 09/20/2006 :  07:49:17  Show Profile
A proper crimp is superior to solder. If done right, the crimp fuses with the wire and is impossible to pull out. Solder will stiffen the joint and can cause the wire to break at the joint. It is not a bad connection, but not the best choice for a high vibration area.

Tom.
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jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts
Response Posted - 09/20/2006 :  09:33:43  Show Profile
Absolutely, crimping (properly done) is superior in the long run to soldering in the sailing environment.
Jerry
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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts
Response Posted - 09/20/2006 :  09:50:31  Show Profile
All wiring on a boat that will be exposed to a saltwater environment should be 'tinned' wire. (wire coated with solder full length). It ain't cheap, but it's the right stuff.

Ordinary copper wire will eventually corrode (under the insulation) for its full length... it will turn blackish-green, the resistance goes way up and it becomes very brittle.

Properly crimped connections made on tinned wire are pretty skookum. ('skookum' is a PNW Indian word for strong, robust).

The vibration problem exists to a certain extent in any connector as the point where the fitting and wire meet concentrates stress... the wire can flex, but the connector doesn't. Wires should be restrained by bundling and attached to surfaces near the connector to prevent vibration fatigue issues.

All the above said, the wiring on my C25 doesn't exactly pass muster. It's on the list as one of those 'someday' projects along with a hundred other things. For a bluewater boat, having proper wiring is mission critical.
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PZell
Admiral

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USA
548 Posts
Response Posted - 09/20/2006 :  11:58:41  Show Profile
Personally, I never can get those crimp thingies to hold the wires properly, guess you just gotta have the touch. So I usually solder. But, if you can't solder properly that ain't much good either.
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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts
Response Posted - 09/21/2006 :  07:29:54  Show Profile
I have always thought it is a shame that the Catalina factory did not use marine grade tinned wire on their trailerable boats. Especially considering that they sandwich the wires between hull and cabin liner, making it impossible to replace them with the same routing. History has proven that fiberglass boat hulls last many decades if given even minimal care and maintenance; unfortunately cheap vinyl clad lamp cord, which is what my '89 is wired with, does not. I don't suppose that using marine grade wire would have added more than $10~$15 to the production cost of a C-22 or 25, yet it would have eliminated untold misery for the long term owners of these thousands of boats, especially the boats kept in salt water marinas.
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.