Association Forum - Electrical panel

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Electrical panel

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

jaydon
Navigator

Member Avatar

USA
156 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/25/2015 : 16:48:45

I hope this is not too silly a question. I have been through my manual without help.
On the electrical panel, what is the 'service' circuit supposed to be?
I haven't looked behind the panel to see exactly what is there now, but what was the intent?

And, I haven't been down in the 'dumpster' yet, but is the panel wiring really accessible from there without having to remove the panel?

Also, I have not hooked up shore power, but what would the correct position of the 110 switch be? There is a warning light for reverse polarity, but no identification for which position the switch should be in. Is it an on/off switch? It goes either left or right. Which is which?
Thanks for reading and for any help.
Jay

Jay
South County RI
Cat 25 SR/FK/Trad
#5645
Wind Dancer

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5369 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2015 : 06:13:31

Jay
There are no stupid questions (I think that's what my ninth-grade algebra teacher used to say!)
The switch panel in Passage has the following labels, starting at the bottom:
Service - this turns power on for all the other switches. It's redundant to my main rotary power switch.

Cabin Lights - turns on power to all cabin lights. I have a single circuit (that connects to each fixture) that runs from the panel along the port side under the hull-deck joint, then goes around the forward part of the vee berth, then follows the starboard side of the hull-deck joint down into the quarterberth. I added a reading light way down under the Qberth.

Anchor Light - it runs up to the mast

Deck Lights - it wasn't hooked up to anything when I got Passage. I connected it to my FM Radio/Stereo and a 12VDC outlet on deck to power my handheld GPS. Maybe I should also connect it to the VHF but that's directly connected to the rotary on/off switch.

Bow light - for the steaming light

Running Light - for the red/green bow marker and stern white

Accessories- for my compass light, depth meter and paddle wheel knot meter.
Your setup could be different

Yes you can access the back of the panel from inside the dumpster but watch out you don't get in there and not be able to get out. I'd peer in there with a flashlight to inspect it but would not work on it from there. The panel comes off into the galley when you unscrew it. Be careful when you pull it open since you may have short wires that may pull out of their receptacles.

On shore power, call an electrician. Too dangerous to mess with, IMHO

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 09/26/2015 06:37:35

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2015 : 06:20:57

On my panel, The original Catalina panel, The service toggle turns on all of the other switches. Kinda like the main switch. When I leave the boat I turn it off this way I know that everything that runs through the other switches will be off and I didn't leave anything on that I didn't want on. I can also leave certain switches on that I want to power up like Chartplotter,Water pump,Depth etc so when I come to the boat I only have to turn the service switch on to power those on without having to do individual switches. On the shore power that is a 30 amp breaker that should trip if there is a problem in the 110 shore power. In my boat it has a tenancy to get corroded from the salt environment and gets a crunchy feel when I flip it but I don't use shore power. It does need to be replaced if it doesn't flip back and forth smoothly. They are easily replaced with just 2 wires on the back and 2 screws holding it to the panel.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 09/26/2015 06:39:11

jaydon
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
156 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2015 : 11:12:58

Thanks guys about the service switch.
As for the shore power, fist thing will be GFCI outlets in place of the original factory ones.
I will have a tester handy, also.
Still wish I knew what the switch did and what it's for. It's not labeled, so I don't know if it's on/off or what.
Jay

Jay
South County RI
Cat 25 SR/FK/Trad
#5645
Wind Dancer

jaydon
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
156 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2015 : 11:56:41

Wait a minute. That switch is the circuit breaker? Just like the house; it will trip?
I must be a dummy. HaHa
Jay

Jay
South County RI
Cat 25 SR/FK/Trad
#5645
Wind Dancer

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2015 : 12:04:05

quote:
Still wish I knew what the switch did and what it's for. It's not labeled, so I don't know if it's on/off or what.

Jay, as I said above the switch is really a 30amp circut breaker, It works like a circuit breaker at home and will trip off if something is wrong in the circuit. It can be used as an on/off switch for the 2 outlets. Depending on the switch manufacturer it usually has "On" and "Of" printed on the toggle itself but it is usually a standard that pushing any switch to the right is the "On" position . You can see the "On" printed on my switch in this photo. If it doesn't you can plug into shore power then plug something into an outlet and flip the switch to see what way is on/off.

]
This is what they look like

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 09/26/2015 12:08:46

jaydon
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
156 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2015 : 15:37:58

Scott, thanks.
I'll be checking it tomorrow.
Your second panel, do you run that off the service connection or separate off the battery?
Jay

Jay
South County RI
Cat 25 SR/FK/Trad
#5645
Wind Dancer

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2015 : 19:35:51

Jay, The second panel runs off the first original panel and is powered on or off with the original "Service" switch. Both panels will power on and off with that switch. I added the second panel simply to give me more separate circuits for each device instead of doubling up devices on the original panel. Catalina only gave you one spare circuit (Accessory) to add devices to. Its nice when I leave the boat I only have to throw the one service switch and everything that I want off goes off. No forgetting a light or device to kill the battery. On the new panel I always have the VHS,Depth sounder,GPS,Water pump in the "on" position so when I get on the boat for a day sail I only throw the one service switch and all those devices are powered up.

Scott-"IMPULSE"87'C25/SR/WK/Din.#5688
Sailing out of Glen Cove,L.I Sound

Edited by - islander on 09/26/2015 20:12:54

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5369 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2015 : 19:46:35

The other purpose of the AC breaker is to sense if the power leads are reversed (hot & neutral switched). On my old dock the shore power was incorrectly cabled. Always popped my power breaker. I thought there was a problem with it but in fact it was working right. When I moved the following year, the circuit breaker worked correctly.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

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.