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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Deck Plug Wiring

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Jeff_Clarke_bankone.com
Deckhand

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17 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/03/2010 : 20:54:06

Need the connector deck plug scheme for my Mast Wiring. Last season I lower my stick and forgot to disconnect…Doouuu

ripped the plug wires out of the connector. In the Tech Tips section - Windblown Any Paras submitted wire diagram for the plug unfortunately the jpeg picture is missing. Does anyone have the diagram?

Jeff Clarke
Hailey’s Comet FK 85

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 04:54:40

This is the image from the tech tips for post 1988. My boat is a 1984 and it was wired the same way.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 06:52:14

Jeff, don't be too surprised if you find the wiring corroded. I had to run new wire to the deck connector.

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limey156
1st Mate

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89 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 08:41:15

i am trying to hunt down why my mast light is inop, and i think i figured out that the power is making it to the deck/mast connection and no further. i was hoping that wasnt the case :( any info on running replacement wiring? can i buy a run of wire with a cannon plug already on it to plug into the deck connection?

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 11:08:28

Also don't be surprised to find the wiring doesn't match with what they're supposed to light. I had to replace my 4-prong deck plug and ended up reworking the wiring behind the switch panel because few of the switches matched the light the circuits were supposed to activate. I bought my boat new so it was very frustrating to turn on the mast head light and have the deck light illuminate. Like the proverbial "car built on Friday", my boat must have been wired on Friday as well.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 12:56:05

I find electrical to be so easily confused on the sailboat that I photograph the panels before I begin a job.
I've been doing electrical AC for years. Above is the front on the left and back on the right of my panel.

Then I review it and get it straight in my head before I start.

For Instance, the diagram Catalina posts above indicates I might have:

green-ground
white-bow
yellow-deck
orange-anchor.

I can look at the back of my panel and see:

1. Green is ground ( to the grounding buss bar at the bottom. )

2. White is Bow - 4th down. ( which I call Steaming on the switch )

3. Yellow Deck ( I don't have a yellow wire or a deck light )

4. Orange Anchor - 5th down ( the anchor light )

SO... I know my green ground is grounded, orange and white is powered and labeled properly.

I turn on the switches, go the back of the panel and check with a 12volt tester to see that I have power from the far right plug for each circuit to ground.

That tells me the fuse and switch are working.

Then I go to the plug on deck and check each one from power to ground ( white to green, orange to green ) to see that I have power there.

Then I go to the fixtures and see that I have power there and what the voltage drop might be.

Some people start by checking continuity for each circuit to ground.

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redeye
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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 13:14:01

I also just noticed they specify on the schematics the grounds as 10 gauge, and they might should be, but there is no way those are 10 gauge on mine. Same gauge as the other wire, 14 I think.

No big deal, just funny.. typical changes from design to application.

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/05/2010 : 04:15:43

In order to test the mast wiring alone, I made up a 12 volt test battery by taping together two 6 volt lantern batteries and connected them in series. Works fine.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5376 Posts

Response Posted - 06/05/2010 : 20:34:25

Ray,
I replaced my cabin lighting ground wire with #10 wire so that I'd be able to run them all at the same time, and not get a huge voltage drop in the starboard cabin light and the quarterberth light.

I did not, however, replace the green mast ground wire.

Since you <i>EITHER</i> use the anchor light <i>OR</i> the steaming light, but not both, you won't need #10 wire.

My decklight switch is completely unrelated to the mast wiring. I use the switch to run my stereo and to power a cigar lighter outlet I've mounted in the coaming. I use that outlet to run an overhead LED light in the cockpit at night while on the slip or on the hook.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5376 Posts

Response Posted - 06/05/2010 : 20:57:31

Limey,
Since the power seems to be stopping at your deck receptacle (female), I would check the top of the deck plug (matching male) to see whether the wires have broken off inside the plug. Mine were very weak and nearly twisted off.

You can open the back of the plug by removing any tape that might be holding things together and firmly twisting counterclockwise the top or back of the plug. It will unscrew and reveal four sockets with tiny setscrews where approx 1/4" - 3/8" of wire goes into each socket. One of the wires was very fragile on mine, so I loosened the set screws, pulled out the wires (after carefully marking down the color code positions), stripped the insulation back another 3/8" and reinserted each wire into the socket and tightened the set screw.

9 times out of 10, you will not have to replace the wires. Once you've redone the connector, gently re-assemble the back and screw the plug back down in to the receptacle and give the lights a try.

Also, sometimes the pins connecting the receptacle to the plug have oxidized. Use a bit of sandpaper to clean those.

If you've done all that, then your most likely next problem is a bad light bulb or two. After that, a bad lighting fixture (corroded or bad connections up above). You can check this using the continuity setting on your voltmeter. If you read 10 Ohms or less, you've got continuity, or you can test using a 12V battery. Two 6V lantern batteries in series are fine, as is a 12V battery booster.

You might also try a 9V transistor radio (rectangular) battery instead. No need to worry about the (+) and (-) terminals if you're checking incandescent bulbs.

Just be extra careful not to short the battery out inadvertently.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2010 : 03:46:31

<< replaced my cabin lighting ground wire with #10 wire - Bruce Ross >>

That sounds like a great idea. Now that I understand a voltage drop of less that 9 volts causes led lights to go out I have a better appreciation of the need for a bigger ground wire.

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limey156
1st Mate

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89 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2010 : 10:19:43

voyager, thanks for the tips. i noticed the screw off back to the male side of that cannon plug, guess ill go disassemble/play with it some more next time im out there. already roughed up the pins on the connector to no avail. i am confused exactly what is going on with my mast, do we(I) only have one light on our mast, on the fwd side just above the spreaders? or is there another light amongst the clutter at my masthead? see pics below...

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2010 : 10:27:32

I don't see any masthead light. Must have gotten broken off.

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skrenz
Captain

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USA
351 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2010 : 11:10:27

The light at the spreaders is the "steaming" light and should be on when your sailboat is under power at night. The light at the top of the mast is the anchor light and should only be on when you are at anchor. Looks like you don't have an anchor light. There are other options than taking the mast down today and adding that anchor light (see earlier post on fixing an anchor light). The simplest way to meet this requirement is to raise a bright enough battery operated light - must be visible 2 miles like the rest of your lights and 360 degrees around- via a halyard to the top of your mast for anchoring.

So to reiterate:
When sailing OR motoring at night you need your red and green bow light and your white stern light.
When motoring, but not sailing, at night you also need your steaming light.
When anchored at night you need only the anchor light.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2010 : 11:38:08

I think I can see the bottom of the post that was your masthead light.
Two bolts in it.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2010 : 11:41:35

Sorry, mixed terminology... Top Mast light or Anchor Light is the light at the top of the mast.

The Masthead light, or steaming light is the one in the middle of the mast.

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limey156
1st Mate

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89 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2010 : 11:42:03

sounds good skrenz, i think i will just keep a light on the boat and raise it with the main/spinnaker halyard if i spend the night on the hook. any suggestions on a good model, bright enough while being small, weatherproof, and have good battery life? probably spend just a couple nights a year at anchor.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2010 : 11:45:58

http://www.rei.com/product/799802

I'm using something like this. They now longer have the exact model I bought. Leds, batteries last a long time on low.

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limey156
1st Mate

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89 Posts

Response Posted - 06/07/2010 : 12:10:22

ah i have the Coleman, fluorescent equivalent to that, which uses 4 d cell's. good idea.

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