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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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New Switch Panel

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3464 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/06/2007 : 09:08:12

Okay..winter is upon us...though it is going to be 73 degrees today in Northern Va area ! I still have to finish up the electrical work from last Spring when I had the mast wiring replaced, installed a new antenna, wind indicator, combo staeming/deck light housing and replaced the anchor light with an OGM LED anchor light. I just finished winch maintenance and so...I have to stop procrastinating and get on with replacing the wiring in the cabin to hook up with a new deck connector to the mast wiring and then lead to a new more conveniently located switch panel which I have decided to relocated on the fiberglas section above the drawers, in front of the galley sink. That way, I can reach the switches when solo sailing to turn on the rigging lights or the steaming light without leaving the cockpit area (and then searching for the switch under the steps).

Yesterday, I ordered mast wiring (14/5) from genuinedealz.com. They were selling Anchor brand mast wiring with 5 wires (need only 4) in a round PVC sheath for $.73/ft which was better than what I could find on bestboatwire.com.

After researching all the potential switch panels, I decided on a BEP 901H which has 8 circuit breaker switches arranged horizontally 4 + 4.
These switches have a slightly smaller footprint than the Blue Sea equivalent. Also, what I like about the BEP Model (made in New Zealand by the way) is that the face plate is slightly raised where the switches are toggled. This to prevent accidentally brushing alongside them an inadvertently flipping a switch. That was one concern I had with switches located in a relatively accessible area even though I check that all switches are off when leaving the boat anyway.

Question I have is: Boaters World was selling the BEP Switch Panels and Boaters World is on the Links page of this forum. I used the link to access Boaters World and ordered that way. So...

!) Does the forum get a kickback from Boaters World or are they another one of the companies just listed for reference but no benefit derived ?
2) Most times when a store is also located in your home state, you wind up having to pay state taxes. I noticed that they did not add tax onto the order and since the purchase was over $100, there also was no shipping charge. Isn't tax an automatic when there is a store in the state ? We have a few Boaters World in VA but not so conveneint to where I live - West Marine more convenient but does not carry BEP and besides, most panels you have to order anyway since the stores have few on display.

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2007 : 12:39:26

1. Yes, boaters world is one of our affiliate prorams. Click on the Boaters World link on the links page and we will get a few percent.
2. Tax most likely should be charged. If Boaters world is a franchised operation there might be some sort of a loop hole since each location is actually a different company. (that is to say the company, probably the main headquarters, could be fulfilling the order and they don't have a VA location, just VA franchises) A tax lawyer would have to chime in on that because I am just surmising.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3464 Posts

Response Posted - 01/07/2007 : 20:26:39

I ordered it thru the links page, so hoipefully the Association eventually gets some precentage benefit. I jumped the gun a bit and started cutting my first horizontal cut on the fiberglass panel in fron of the sink. I used a rechargeable dremel tool with a small diamond wheel cutter. The cut was about 10" long and the Dremel wheel was just deep enough to cut thru the fiberglass thickness for the first 6". Shining a light inside the cabinet, I can see that the light can be seen faintly in the last 4" of the cut meaning the Dremel wheel probably missed cutting completely through by a sliver. Once I get the panel, I'll cut the rectangle out completely to exact measurements needed.

Question: I know others have mentioned that you can't rethread a new wire to replace the old one leading to the mast because of the way the cabin top was fiberglassed and basically encapsulated the original mast wire. So...I am going to string the new wire back to the head area and then....well that's my question...what is best way to get to the deck fitting from there ? My thought was to use my electric drill with an extension drill bit (~10") and then from the cabin top with deck connector removed, drill at an angle to get the hole to penetrate the cabin in the Head area forward of the bulkhead. That sound right ?
(My thought is if I drill straight down where the deck connector is that would wind up being too close to or into the bulkhead. But at an angle, I then would be in the Head area.)

(Right now, my new wiring from the mast is connected using clamped connectors to the old cabin wiring. The old wires were not long enough to connect to a new deck connector so that is why it was mechanically joined temporarily till I could finish this job. The deck connector hole was filled with 3M sealant to prevent water leakage and so far is intact and has not leaked.)

Edited by - on

SEAN
Admiral

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USA
772 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2007 : 10:11:38

How about adding 12" of wire with a but connector ?

And are you talking about at the bottom of the mast , the through hull connection ?
There should be a water proff Quick release connection there.
Thats a c250 I dont know for a c25

Edited by - SEAN on 01/08/2007 10:14:46

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3464 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2007 : 11:58:56

I agree that the easiest thing would have been to connect a 12" extension but....I had a local yard guy doing the work and although i was assisting, i was not there the day that he took ff the connector and then temporarily clamped it with a mechanical fitting and then temporarily sealed it with 3M. he indicated that he did not confidence that the old wires would remain intact because the portion up near the deck connector was oxidized or whatever. Probably if i had done it myself, i would have been satisfied to just reuse the old wires. When I take off the sealant and see what's doing in there, I may reuse the old wire but right now my plan is to go new all the way - Just have to get the new wire to line up with the hole when I attach the new deck connector.

I know others have also replaced the inside cabin wiring. i may start a new posting to see if i can get a hold of those to tell me how they drilled the new hole. I think it should go fairly easy but...as you know some jobs don't turn out that way.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2007 : 14:09:13

Hi Larry, when I rewired my boat, I did the same thing....snaked it through to the head, then I just run it up the bulkhead and across the overhead using screw in hoops every 10". I did this for the anntenna and lights. For the antenna coax, I drilled a hole at the base of the mast large enough for a the butt connector ( which is inside the cabin a couple inches) to go through for trailering. I used the same location as the stock panel. Before I replaced it, I found that my tiller lock would hold the boat in the right direction long enough for me to go below....then latter in the summer, I found that if I dropped to my knees and poked my head throught the companion way, I could reach the panel on the Port side and the AM/FM/CD on the Starboard side. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2007 : 15:09:37

Dennis, get a rivit gun and fill in the old holes in the mast, I know they are small but thats the first place its gonna start to fail.

Hyjack over

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2007 : 16:53:22

Good point CS. I built a plane out of Aluminium ten years ago and still have the gun and asorted sizes of pop rivets. Cheers.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3464 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2007 : 17:08:10

Dennis,

Thanks for info ! If you had no problem with your coax cable drilling thru the cabin top, then I should have no problem either except...I can see that your connections are forward of the bulkhead. I have a deck connector that is adjacent on the port side of the mast for the wires in the mast. The deck connector fits onto what seems to be a base molded by Catalina. I bought a new connector of same configuration, so I intend to use same hole not wanting to drill a new one. But what I suspect is under that hole is the bulkhead separating the head from the main cabin so that is why if I want to utilize the same hole, I will have to drill inside the hole and angle the drill bit forward so that I hopefully come out in front of the bulkhead.

I have to take another look at where my coax antenna cable comes out in the head area. The location is also not as far up front as it is on your photo and unfortunately my website does not show that area. My coax goes thru a hole located just in front of the deck connector but it is just slightly in front of the deck connector (still adjacent to the mast on the port side) and...I cannot remember if where it comes out in the head area if it was visible or if it was snaked a bit before it became visible. I remember seeing the cable also held with those plastic connectors screwed in along the bulkhead in the head area.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 01/08/2007 : 17:46:01

I had the same hole Larry, and in only routed the coax into the core material and did not go through. At the time I was installing the mast plate and knew I would have pullies interfering with the coax and wire if I stuck with that same location....so I moved to the front of the mast. Cheers and good luck.

Edited by - on

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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.