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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Electrically challenged

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StSimon
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/25/2006 : 12:36:23

I am rewiring as much of my C25 as I can and moving the distribution panel to starboard. I pulled out the old portside bulkhead and replaced it with a new one sans cutouts.

When I pulled out the spiderweb it was in a horrendous state. Some of the insulation was missing and looked very dangerous.

Here's my question. If there is no grounding system on our little boats why is the 120VAC wire a 2/1? Mine has white (hot), black (ground?), and green (neutral?). What is the point in having two lines running back to the negative bus bar?

Also, I read in the Capri manual they have a GFCI installed. Mine does not have one. I asked a friend and he said there was no need for a GFCI with my system. I'm confused. Should I install a GFCI on the first outlet in line?

Thanks,

Fair winds,

Andy, Breakin' Wind, 1984 C25 SK SR

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2006 : 13:35:35

Hi Andy, I am not expert, but there are two grounds one for the ground and one to ground out housings and such. But the green and black ultimately end up as a ground. I picked up a great book, which I left on the boat so I can't give you the name, but it is the very basics of sailboat electrical systems. The name is something simple like Wiring for Sailboats.

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2006 : 13:56:07

Don’t Confuse AC with DC or you might wind up flat on your backside.

Black is Hot
White is Common and is grounded at the panel. (IE your AC panel If you are still using an older throw arm switch for the main you really should swap it out. Most Marine AC panels ground this for you. Be sure to read the schematics)

Green is ground.
Red is Hot – probably don’t have this.

Almost any other color is probably also hot. (treat all wires as hot until you know otherwise)

Most likely, your outlets on the boat will be wired with the home equivalent of 12-2 wire (in the marine world this would be 12-3 because they count the ground wire) This will have a Black a White and a Green Ground.

A GFCI would not hurt. But I don’t think it is necessary if you use the right panel.

Also if buying a new AC panel make sure your panel has a reverse polarity indicator.

Edited by - Champipple on 10/25/2006 13:56:47

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2006 : 13:57:36

Hi Andy and Dennis,

Be very careful with what you are doing. Do not - repeat DO NOT!! mix and match 120VAC with 12VDC circuits. The AC ground is not the same as the DC ground. If you connect the 120VAC with the 12VDC circuits, you could easily have 120VAC charging through the 12VDC circuit. Burn out electronics and become very dangerous.

The 120VAC circuits should be connected through a breaker panel and to the shore power supply. Don't use any ground for 120VAC within the boat.

12VDC ground on our 25 footers can be a buss bar that then is connected to the negative side of the battery bank.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2006 : 14:05:33

check this out

http://www.practical-sailor.com/newspics/charts/878marineac.pdf

It might be of help

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3485 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2006 : 22:06:25

I am not that electrically savvy but seem to recall that GFCI outlets should be installed even if the AC outlets are protected by a circuit breaker. I may have read that in the 12 Volt Bible. I think that my marina also requires GFCI outlets on boats before they allow hook up to shore power.

When I looked over my two AC outlets, they are in parallel with the one circuit breaker on the panel with the polarity light. If the outlets were in series, then one GFCI outlet is suffiicent for the circuit but since mine are in parallel, I replaced both outlets with GFCIs. The GFCI outlets were slightly larger than the existing outlets and this initially caused some fit-p problems. I used a rechargeable Dremel tool to slightly widen the outlet hole in the fiberglass. I did not have to replace the outlet box behind the fiberglass but...it was a tight fit. I did this project just a couple of days before we spent our first overnight at a nearby marina. That was also first time I checked out if the outlets received juice and that the new battery charger I wired up worked.

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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.