Anchor light 423....

[NYSail]

so my bulb was burned out..... climb up and find I'm getting no power..... have power at the breaker. question: is there any electric buss for wires going up mast? Inside boat, the wires are all jumbled and no buss other than the wind instrument. Haven't pulled wires out of mast yet. Would think there would be incase one wanted to remove mast.

Thanks!

 

[DougM]

Not sure about yours, but my 323 has a junction box under rhe access panel just forward of the mast compression post with wire numbers 4, 5, 6, and 7 and a common ground. Either 5 or 6 is the anchor light, the other is the steaming light. Down light for the deck, if you have one, should be on 7.
Those conductors go back to the Wago panel , and the wires from there connect to the individual breakers on the DC panel. You say that you have power at the breaker, did you check to determine if the switch is actually functioning, and that you in fact have power past the breaker? Sometimes the toggle switch is not making the connection.
If you have the manual for your boat, it is possible to trace the exact connentions in the electrical section.

 

[Ron20324]

On my B323 I freed up a circuit breaker (or 2?) by using the a single (#7) 12v to that junction box as the one hot feed. Switches in the overhead panel select anchor/deck/steaming light.

 

[DougM]

On my B323 I freed up a circuit breaker (or 2?) by using the a single (#7) 12v to that junction box as the one hot feed. Switches in the overhead panel select anchor/deck/steaming light.

Ron, did you mean that you put a sub panel in the overhead forward of the compression post, then just used one switched hot lead from the original 12 volt panel? Not a bad idea...everybody was always hitting the wrong switch on the nav station panel anyway..
Did you run a heavier hot lead, or did you assume what you had was sufficient? Had an LED anyway in one of the mast lights?

 

[NYSail]

Yea there is no junction box for electric wires.... for wind there is. Would o lay be logical to have a junction box. It is actually a mess..... looks like someone with little patients or pride did the work wiring the mast.

 

[Ron20324]

Ron, did you mean that you put a sub panel in the overhead forward of the compression post, then just used one switched hot lead from the original 12 volt panel? Not a bad idea...everybody was always hitting the wrong switch on the nav station panel anyway..
Did you run a heavier hot lead, or did you assume what you had was sufficient? Had an LED anyway in one of the mast lights?

Not a sub panel, just wire connection. Yes, just used ONE of the OEM hot leads from the breaker panel. Taped off the other one or two. You could put a SPST switch for each light. I used a DPDT for the anchor and steaming, as I'd never use both at once. The deck light is on another DPDT so I'd have an extra pole/contact if one of the others ever dies. All in all, I suggest three SPST. I used ones with the light in the handle to show when on. Just drill holes in that overhead wood panel to mount them.

Not sure how many B's are wired as follows, but certainly some of them are. As long as the panels are down, ::: The switches for the salon and galley overhead lights are on the stbd side behind the seat, up high. Crew can never find them, While I had the wood panel down for the mast lights, I put in a DPDT rocker switch with a light in it so you can find it in the dark. Throw the switch, one light come on. Throw it the pother way, both come on. Same routine for the galley, but I placed the switch so you can reach in from the cockpit/companionway, and without seeing the switch, just reach on and slap the ceiling and you'll hit it on. Great when returning to a dark boat on a dark night.

 

[DougM]

Ron, I like the DPDT approach!
Was trying to trace wires yesterday. connected to the "spare" breaker. Must not be too important because I have never really had the breaker switched on They bypass the Wago panel, completely.
Trying to chase numbered wires doesn't go so well when you're less than 24 hours past cataract surgery. everything is still a little blurry.

NYsail, Really? no junction box? what do you have to do when you drop the Mast? Cut the wires? All my mast wiring is routed so that it exits the mast above the deck and goes below through weatherproof fittings. Simple matter to disconnect when the mast cones down. Just a few minutes to re connect when it goes back up.

 

[NYSail]

Ron, I like the DPDT approach!
Was trying to trace wires yesterday. connected to the "spare" breaker. Must not be too important because I have never really had the breaker switched on They bypass the Wago panel, completely.
Trying to chase numbered wires doesn't go so well when you're less than 24 hours past cataract surgery. everything is still a little blurry.

NYsail, Really? no junction box? what do you have to do when you drop the Mast? Cut the wires? All my mast wiring is routed so that it exits the mast above the deck and goes below through weatherproof fittings. Simple matter to disconnect when the mast cones down. Just a few minutes to re connect when it goes back up.

Doug... tell me about it. Very strange indeed. Guess none of the previous owners (2) dropped the mast?? Unless everything is cut outside at the deck and tucked in the mast...... that would be nuts. My vhf radio connection and tv antenna connect outside. I am planning on a full excavation of the wires this weekend. Boat is new to me this season and finding all the hidden little gremlins keeps me awake at night reading. Also, I have to replace the weatherproof fittings as a couple of them leak. One other crazy thing, not only the wires a jumbled mess in the cabin top before going through the deck, the wires are covered with a black tar like goo that is real nasty. I'm going to have some fun this weekend!!

 

[NYSail]

Ok so found the splices.... in cabin. A complete mess with a tat like stuff all over the wires. I started splicing and cleaning wires this weekend. And untangling..... Don't need all this wire so will trim some off. And also found my anchor light..... had corroded off. Replaced. However there are two hot wires that go up that I can't trace or figure out yet.... one has a constant voltage of .3 even when I turn off D.C. Panel. Not good I don't think

 

[DougM]

there could be two 3 conductor wires going up the mast. One will go all the way to the masthead with red and black used for the anchor light, and white unused . The second would go up to the steaming light using red and black (common ground) and white for the deck light if equipped.

 

[NYSail]

Yes... I traced the anchor light... reattached, the steaming light and the deck light. There is one more going up that I could not figure out.... I could not power up via any breakers and had a constant .3v regardless of turning dc main ofF. Next time up top I will look specifically for extras. Just kind of shocked at the jumbled mess of wires and splices

 

[NYSail]

Electric buss

 

[jssailem]

Don't you love those European block connectors. What possibly could go wrong?

 

[NYSail]

I can deal with the connectors (change them)...... it's the black tar like stuff stuck all over the wires. It's like a bad joke.

 

[jssailem]

So true. Supposed to help in sealing water out.

 

[DougM]

Have the same gooey mess on my boat. Looks like the factory tried to use liquid electrical tape to stick the wires to the cabin top when the liner was assembled to it.
That junction block in the photo contains the common ground. look at the red and the white to the right of the common. It almost looks like they are touching, and there could be a wire "whisker" there that is the source of the voltage trickle.

 

[jssailem]

NYSail. Here is the finished wiring on my compression post after the mast refit last year.

 

[NYSail]

Now that's pretty! I plan to rewire my mast over the winter. My antenna is just twisted together with a piece of black tape over it.... the deck connections for my vhf and antenna look just as shabby...

 

[MitchM]

it's always a good idea to clean and polish and be sure your circuit has a good ground before doing major re wiring work. if you can beg buy or borrow a VOA meter with a clamp on dc amp read out function it will make your task much easier.