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Wiring questions (long)

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/31/2007 : 21:31:45

Rita & I just spent an hour or two doing some maintenance on our 250 and while poking about in the battery compartment some questions came up. What looks like the original wires from the battery disappear into the overhead directly behind the battery panel, right on the centerline. Running down the stbd side is another run that appears factory that supplies power to the stern light, and then there are several runs to the charging circuits for the solar panel, an interior cigarette lighter adapter, & alternator that are definitely not factory and are on my short list to replace.

My question is, where do the centerline main power lines go? I'm presuming that they head to starboard and run along the hull/deck joint. I can see up into the joint a little bit from the berth and think I see them, but it could also just be the line for the stern light. Can anyone confirm this? They look like 8 gauge wire, but there were no markings on them to confirm this either. Does anyone know what gauge the originals are?

One of my projects for next winter is to install a two battery system in the bow, has anyone attempted to route 6 or 8 gauge wire through the hull/deck joint along the starboard side to the V-berth area? If it's as open up forward at the joint as it is in the stern, this looks possible to me, if a bit fiddly to do. I've read Paul's account of installing VHF cable to the transverse tunnel in the overhead, I just wonder how much more difficult it'd be to go forward and if there'd be enough room.

I plan to use Paul's approach to reroute my VHF cable when I replace my radio sometime in the future. Currently the cable is running along the centerline of the boat exposed and I hate it, plus the deck fitting leaks. When I fix the deck fitting I just want to do the run up the deck/hull line and leave an extra pull line with it so I can easily get my wiring at least to there.

I also plan to put in a single AC circuit for running a charger and dehumidifier. My current plan is to install one of the [url="http://www.amazon.com/MARINCO-200BBI-OEM-Inlet-Black-Marine/dp/B000J1AVKO/ref=sr_1_5/002-6368511-9368024?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1175394293&sr=8-5"]Marinco 120VAC[/url] inlets in the same general area the two DC charging inlets are (right below the stbd catbird seat), put a GFCI outlet on the blank panel above the aft berth on the starboard side and then make a run along the starboard side to another GFCI outlet in the neighborhood of the breaker panel above the galley. This will only be energized while the boat's parked next to my house, or at least that's the plan.

I'll be using marine components for all of this stuff, no wire nuts, no solid wire, etc.

I'm really just looking for an answer to the original question about where the original wiring goes, the rest was me just doing a stream of thought about the wiring upgrades I want to do. Of course comment is always welcome.

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - delliottg on 03/31/2007 21:33:39

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2007 : 06:25:45

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">[i]
One of my projects for next winter is to install a two battery system in the bow, has anyone attempted to route 6 or 8 gauge wire through the hull/deck joint along the starboard side to the V-berth area? If it's as open up forward at the joint as it is in the stern, this looks possible to me, if a bit fiddly to do. I've read Paul's account of installing VHF cable to the transverse tunnel in the overhead, I just wonder how much more difficult it'd be to go forward and if there'd be enough room.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I installed two batteries up front as you are looking to do. I made my cable run from the panel then behind the cabinet into the sink compartment and down to the front left corner of that cabinet. I drilled a hole into the starboard seat compartment and ran the lines forward through there. It is open to the front bow. The cable is heavy and insulation is very strong, so I am not worried about damage to them inside the seat compartment. I keep extra life jackets in there anyway. The wire fits very nicely in the bottom groove and is where my dealer installed the forward depth transducer wire run. You could also use a small lenth of PVC conduit if you want to cover.

Here is a link to my installation:

http://www.elmhurstprop.com/webbat/Photos.html

Edited by - on

mjnee
1st Mate

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USA
36 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2007 : 14:29:31

Is it necessary to have a switch between batteries? I've read something about switching one to the other for charging purposes. Is this part of your setup?

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2007 : 16:07:38

I plan to wire the two batteries in parallel with no switch. Since I don't have an electrical starter, there's no need for a starting bank and hotel bank. My entire load is hotel. I'll purchase and install both batteries at the same time, so I don't need to worry about them having significantly different working lives and the problems associated with that.

Does anyone know the answer to my original question?

Edited by - on

CaptRon400
1st Mate

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USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2007 : 16:14:51

The advantage of a switch (1-2-both-off) is that you can separate the batteries and if one goes bad it won't take the other with it. A bad battery (shorted cell, depleted, etc.) will feed off of the other, sometimes with disastrous consequences (especially with high amp-hour larger house banks).

If you install the switch, I'd alternate their usage.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2007 : 16:50:28

David,
the two cable from the battery go from the +ve and the -ve battery terminals and then as you indicate, dissappear into the fiberglass below the stbd cockpit locker then fwd to the electrical panel aft of the galley.

If you remove the trunk panel (the whole panel that goes from port to stbd in which the pull out battery access panel is fitted) you can crawl around in the back there and actually see where the cables go. I'm 6' and 180lbs and had no real trouble getting my head up into the area. There is a poly tube running for-n-aft on JD in that area but it's not used, I guess it was used as a stiffener when they built the boat.

On JD I installed a off,1,both,2 battery switch and ran new lines to the contral panel from it. (it's installed in the stbd cockpit locker, but I like the way someone installed it on a spilt trunk panel.

My original battery cables were held in place with silver duct tape, it's still there, presumably while they painted on the resin to hold them in place.

Hope that helps.
Paul

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 04/10/2007 : 22:54:26

The poly tube is were Catalina ran the propane hose from the starboard cockpit tank locker, then down through a stainless pipe to the stove. The pipe on the left is the hose pipe the one on the right I added to run my electrics through.

Is this what you are talking about when you say the aft trunk?

Edited by - on

Capt. Kurt
Navigator

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185 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2007 : 10:59:37

Nice setup on Pretty Penny II...

Edited by - on

Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2007 : 16:20:36

Hey Jerry! My wife Bonnie says she overheard someone in the next cubical at her work mentioning your name and the MUG Race. Small world isn't it!

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2007 : 21:48:24

Yes sir, that was James Lyons. He asked if I knew you and said he worked with Bonnie. He will be sailing the race with Tom and I, so if we have wind like last year I won't have to drop the drifter and reef as early.

Edited by - on

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