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Bow Light Electrical Short

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jkey6
1st Mate

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71 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/17/2003 : 01:47:29

Hi Guys,

I recently lost my bow light (Yr. 2000 C250WK) when returning late one night. I thought that I had simply burned a bulb.

Upon further inspection, I found that the power wire to the bowlight was discolored and brittle. (This is a year 2000 boat).

Apparently there was a short in the wire about an inch before the termination with the light, at a bend, where the wire snakes back into the rail....

I think I should replace the wire, all the way back to the panel.

Couple of questions:

1) Has anyone else had this problem?

2) Any suggestions how I am going to get the wire back there? The existing wire is completely concealed, other than the portion visible after I removed the bow light. The wire is brittle to the point where it disappears into the rail. I tried to pull some wire out but apparently there is no slack or the path has it bound.

Any and all ideas are appreciated.

JKEY

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2003 : 15:29:45

If one of the wires is ok... you might have a work around. Use the good wire for the 12 volt positive. Then ground the light fixture to the pulpit and then run a new ground wire from a pulpit mounting bolt to a DC ground point somewhere. Insure that the good wire does not have any short to the pulpit prior to wasting any energy (pun not intended) on this course.

Arlyn C-250 W/B #224
<img src="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/rr4.jpg" border=0>
N/E Texas and Great Lakes

[url="http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/"]Arlyn's C250 Mods n Cruising Stories[/url]

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2003 : 16:51:49

Boat 12 VDC negatives are not usually "grounded" to the hull, pulpit, keel or other metal on board. This opens you up to galvinic corrosion. Larger yachts have bonding systems (tieing together all through hulls, keel bolts, etc into a special circuit).

Doesn't matter too much if you are dry stored and a fresh water boat. Still, I wouldn't do it.

Just strip back the wire far enough to find good copper. Crimp on new wire. Liquid Electrical Tape is a miracle product.

<img src="http://www.indiscipline.org/cat25/pictures/icon.jpg" border=0>Indiscipline 1978 FK #398

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Al
Captain

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USA
269 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2003 : 17:32:38

I agree with Jim. Just crimp on a good (tinned) connector and use tinned wire from the connector to the socket. I'm not familiar with how the wire's routed, but if it's inside a rail, it's protected from flexing even if it's brittle. And I suspect the brittleness may just be from the heat in the area of the short, before it actually shorted (but I may be reaching a bit, there...)

Al Maniccia
SeaWolf C250WK #698
Marina Del Rey, CA

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Bryan Beamer
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1038 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2003 : 17:42:30

There is a hand hole in the front of the v-berth behind the little fabric pocket that snaps to the hull. I don't know if the wires run thru there but I have seen the vent and fill hose that go to the water tank in there and since they go to the anchor locker the wires going to the bow running lights might be there as well. Again I don't do if they are there or not but it is worth a look.

Bryan Beamer
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d607b3127cce8d07b033366e0000003180" border=0>
Daylight Again
C250wk #495
2003 National Champion

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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.