I’m preparing for summer cruising of the islands, which includes anchoring. For 20 years I’ve accomplished it with my windlass control at the bow, a Quick (not wireless) hand remote console. The set-up works fine except when I need to weigh in windy (> 15 kt) conditions without crew aboard. In those stronger winds it gets dicey weighing with no crew at the helm. So I’m installing a wired control console at the helm (i.e., run cabling). Day 3 starting today!
My a priori knowledge of boat electrical wiring is quite basic. Yet, I’ve arrived to the point where I’m ready to connect the helm wiring to the rely at the switch panel. The way it works: I switch on at the panel then go forward to use the Quick console to power the windlass. (No foot switch there.) After today I should be able to switch on at the panel and control the windlass (up, down) from either the bow or the helm. My main objective is to able to remain at the helm while weighing with the windlass so I can apply engine power and steerage as needed, naturally. However, a foot switch at the helm rather than the hand console is probably preferable.
Why has it taken a 3-day period? First, figure how to do it starting with a morass of unlabeled wires and cables behind the switch panel, identify and then acquire the proper cabling via Amazon (after learning to read “cablese”), get the other connectors (a couple of trips to the electronics store 6 miles away), test connections at the relay w/o sparking anything, and then run the cabling.
Any suggestions or comments?
My a priori knowledge of boat electrical wiring is quite basic. Yet, I’ve arrived to the point where I’m ready to connect the helm wiring to the rely at the switch panel. The way it works: I switch on at the panel then go forward to use the Quick console to power the windlass. (No foot switch there.) After today I should be able to switch on at the panel and control the windlass (up, down) from either the bow or the helm. My main objective is to able to remain at the helm while weighing with the windlass so I can apply engine power and steerage as needed, naturally. However, a foot switch at the helm rather than the hand console is probably preferable.
Why has it taken a 3-day period? First, figure how to do it starting with a morass of unlabeled wires and cables behind the switch panel, identify and then acquire the proper cabling via Amazon (after learning to read “cablese”), get the other connectors (a couple of trips to the electronics store 6 miles away), test connections at the relay w/o sparking anything, and then run the cabling.
Any suggestions or comments?
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