Offshoreonly.com - Wiring/rigging an empty hull

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Wiring/rigging an empty hull

I bought a project boat ( Carrera SS7M) . The boat is pretty much empty except for an interior . There is some old disorganized wiring and a decent looking mercury 9 pin harness . Before I start installing the engine and drive I wanted to get the wiring
“ designed “ and installed . I am confident in my wiring skills and I do know it requires patience for a nice result . I’ve used the search button and read some posts , but I have some unanswered questions . I will probably have more questions as I go but I will start with a few questions I’ve been thinking about . It’s going to be a single engine / dual battery/ one switch setup . One of my questions is about the best way to run the main power supply to the trim tabs ( k-planes) and trim pump . Do I use a bus bar setup ? I’m imagining I run a heavy positive cable from the battery switch to the bus bar and then it splits off to the 3 pumps? Or do I run 3 seperate heavy gauge wires to the pumps?-Any rigging pictures anybody would like to post would be nice . Is there an excepted practice of how the offshore boats usually rig and wire the power to the pumps ? Thanks for any info . Mike

I use a Busbar like you mentioned with an appropriately sized circuit breaker for each pump.
Blue Sea has some nice components , You can also look at these suppliers.
Waytek , Delcity , I buy alot of my relays and harness supplies from them .
Ebasic power will have unterminated , engine and boat side harnesses with moulded plugs if
you want to redo that side also .
Depending on your Accessory amp loads , we also run a 8 or 6AWG Hot and Ground to the helm
into a Fuse Block for the accessories.

Forgot to add , With the Fuse or Circuit breaker , you are not protecting the device . You are protecting the wire , so in event of a short or overload it will not melt the wire.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunnitagain (Post 4666737)

Thank you , that is great info . I hadn’t even thought of circuit protection for those power wires to the pump . I will also be rewiring accessories ( lights/ bilge etc ) so I will run a power ( with a breaker ) and ground to a fuse box / busbar at the helm?

I run at least 8AWG , hot and ground to a buss bar style fuse box under the dash. I put a breaker , on the hot up to the dash of around 30Amp or so . ( That way if something shorts , it wont melt the wire behind the side panels , control cables , so on so forth! ) Blue Sea and Bussman make a nice multi fuse box with a hot and ground bar in them.
The Trim and Tab pumps usually have fuses right on them ( little square thing the power wire bolts to ) , but they need a breaker at the busbar also.
I hate to see glowing wire in a Bilge ! Some may do it differently but Ive had good success with that method.

Compliments of (Scream & Fly)

Enjoy...

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunnitagain (Post 4666758)

Thanks again , this will give me a good start.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cougarman (Post 4666770)

Compliments of (Scream & Fly)

Enjoy...

Thank you Cougarman , I forgot to search over at S&F.

And I would run at least an 10 ga. common ( black ) wire completely around the boat. and up size every wire that has a decent load. ( bilge pumps, hatch lifts, blowers )