bow navigation running light = out

Jul 1, 2013
15
Catalina 28 (Hull #32) East Patchogue
Catalina 28 - 1990

My bow navigation running light does not light. The bulb is fine. When I throw the DC breaker for Navigation light on, the Stern navigation running light illuminates so I know the breaker is good.

Therefore, I believe the problem is simply in the wiring or connection points for the wiring.
The problem is following the wires and discovering the connections points.

The bow navigation running light seems to run through the bow stanchion (port side) and then through the deck (I think).
It then seems to run down the cabin interior port side at the seam between the ceiling and the port wall.
This run of wire is rather difficult to follow since it is tucked up into the seam.

1) Anyone know how the bow navigation light wiring actually runs?
2) Anyone know where the Stern and Bow running lights connect together (hot side and/or ground)?
3) I imagine everything (bow navigation light, interior lights, etc) on the port side uses a common ground. Anyone know if that is true?
4) Anyone know of a general electrical wiring diagram for Catalina 28?

thanks, Ken
 
Oct 9, 2008
1,739
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
You probably have the Aqua Signal 25 fixture. Infamous for losing connection due to corrosion, either at the wire tips or the bulb connectors. Emery the connectors, and restrip the wire ends. -then hit the ends with a multimeter.
Also those bulbs can get finicky with age. Try a new bulb as well.
 
Last edited:
Jul 1, 2013
15
Catalina 28 (Hull #32) East Patchogue
Pretty sure that is NOT my problem.
I used a digital volt meter right at the Aqua Signal 25 => no power.
Then I disconnected the wires at the terminal block at the Aqua Signal 25 => no power from the wires.
I then put the existing bulb across 12V => it worked fine.

I will try running a long temporary wire from Ground of the DC distribution panel.
I will also try the +12V leg.
However that will only tell me which wire is the problem.
I think I really need to find the junction point of Stern light and Bow light.
 
Jul 1, 2013
15
Catalina 28 (Hull #32) East Patchogue
You point about the wires themselves corroding is a good point.
I will try emerying them and re-check for voltage.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Start with simple work to complex.
  1. Connectors at the light fixture most exposed.
  2. Connectors at the panel most vibration.
  3. Trace wires from panel to any junction i.e. seperation forward wiring from stern wiring (your junction). Test continuity.
  4. Check corroded connections more likely issue and easier to check than broken wire.
  5. When all else exhausted then I fall back to possible failed wire and resort to wire replacement.
Best of luck. Electrical issues while not difficult can be very frustrating.
 
Sep 14, 2014
1,251
Catalina 22 Pensacola, Florida
Get 25 foot roll of 14 gauge in red and black. Put a alligator clip on one of each. Make a jump connection from the ground on the panel to the back or bulb clips on light. Check if switch turns on light. Repeat using red to jump the positive side of that run. Lastly hook up both jumpers and see what happens. This will tell you if its a wire problem and if its just one or both. Color code in catalina for running is black and red. I did this and found wires good just had to clean the clips on the reverse festoon bulb holder in the fixture.
 
Sep 15, 2013
707
Catalina 270 Baltimore
I would make absolutely your light fixture is not the problem before tearing into your wiring. Your wiring is for the most part protected and less likely to be the problem. Check and see if you have any slack behind the fixture. If so pull it out and check behind it. I would hang a bucket under it to catch any falling hardware (just ask). It is possible the connectors are corroded and corrosion can even travel down the wire from the fixture. Start from the bow and work your way aft. That's what I would do.
 
Oct 3, 2011
825
Anam Cara Catalina 310 Hull #155 155 Lake Erie/Catawba Island
I would also add make sure you clean the connections for the bulb and that is NOT burned out, sounds simple but easy to overlook.
 
Jul 1, 2013
15
Catalina 28 (Hull #32) East Patchogue
I have trouble shot the problem to the point where I know the GROUND path is broken.
If I run a separate temporary Ground from the DC panel to the bow light, it work fine.

Finding the break is the hard part. I know the bow light wires enter the stanchion but after that it gets difficult.
I think the wiring path is what my picture lists as "PATH 1". After that, I believe it enters the interior of the boat.
Any insight would be appreciated.
 

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Oct 9, 2008
1,739
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
I have trouble shot the problem to the point where I know the GROUND path is broken.
If I run a separate temporary Ground from the DC panel to the bow light, it work fine.

Finding the break is the hard part. I know the bow light wires enter the stanchion but after that it gets difficult.
I think the wiring path is what my picture lists as "PATH 1". After that, I believe it enters the interior of the boat.
Any insight would be appreciated.
On my Capri 26 (pic 1, sister ship), which is not far removed from the 28 interior, the wiring was behind the teak trim piece running horizontal under the deck. Under the trim is a vinyl panel running the full length of the trim. You can see it under there in the pic. Remove the vinyl panel to reveal the wiring.
Yours might have 2 trim pieces, (pic 2) one mid-hullside and the other under the deck like the 26. Look under the top one for the removable vinyl.
 

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Jul 1, 2013
15
Catalina 28 (Hull #32) East Patchogue
Wow, the interior does look similar. The Cat 28 does have a little wall which creates a V berth room in the bow.
I did remove the teak trim at the top of the wall. I helped a little but the wiring is still tucked up higher and it seems to be kept there with a little wire clamp (not really sure since I can't see),
I am thinking I might have to remove the whole bow pulpit and just run a new set of wire. Ugh!
 
Jan 28, 2017
76
Catalina 30 Mk II Yorktown, VA
I am in the middle of the same thing on my C-30. I have had the pulpit off twice to explore a connection just below the deck and the light fixture off several times to make sure it was not the problem. The bulb tests out OK. and the stern light works. Below the connection beneath the pulpit the wires connect to the line that runs around the boat and feeds the deck lights and has a separate live line for the cabin lights. I have been told that the hardware used to make branch connections from the main wire is not the greatest and can be a problem. Trouble is that the connection in question is somewhere forward of what can be reached from the v-birth and I cannot find a way to access it. I plan to see if I can fish the wires from the pulpit back to the v-birth where I can work on them, test the circuit and make a fresh connection if this proves to be a problem. Maybe this would work for you.
 

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,009
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
if your 12 v hot is exposed enough, you could get a dc clamp on ammeter and test where the amperage drops to significantly less than the light bulb needs to light, or zero. a pinch in a wire can turn into a break and then there's no power to the light bulb. on my old chevy van, the reverse light passenger side was not lighting . comparing the amp draw of right to left reverse bulbs, the amps coming in to left were dramatically smaller. sure enough it was a pinched hot branch supply wire off the main hot 12v wire powering both driver and passenger side reverse. jumping a new hot to serve that side worked.
 
Sep 14, 2014
1,251
Catalina 22 Pensacola, Florida
Yep and this is what one of the wire connectors junctions look like in a factory installed cat 22 junction
 

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Jan 28, 2017
76
Catalina 30 Mk II Yorktown, VA
if your 12 v hot is exposed enough, you could get a dc clamp on ammeter and test where the amperage drops to significantly less than the light bulb needs to light, or zero. a pinch in a wire can turn into a break and then there's no power to the light bulb. on my old chevy van, the reverse light passenger side was not lighting . comparing the amp draw of right to left reverse bulbs, the amps coming in to left were dramatically smaller. sure enough it was a pinched hot branch supply wire off the main hot 12v wire powering both driver and passenger side reverse. jumping a new hot to serve that side worked.
T
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Franz, How about trying (what seams to me) the simple approach. Check for continuity of ground at the bulb fixture. Check for power at the fixture. If both not ok move to where you can access the wires easily and check again. Once you find a point that is working, then you have isolated the area of the failure. I would then try to fish new wires through the failure point.
In my working on my 1974 boat electrical, I have found lighting failure to be associated with:
  1. Corrosion of connections
  2. Chafed wire shorting out
  3. Loose ground wire due to bad terminal
You just have to inspect connections/wires, identify the issue and pull new tinned wire to replace what is bad on an old boat.
 
May 7, 2006
245
Catalina 28 Mark 1 New Bern
I have trouble shot the problem to the point where I know the GROUND path is broken.
If I run a separate temporary Ground from the DC panel to the bow light, it work fine.

Finding the break is the hard part. I know the bow light wires enter the stanchion but after that it gets difficult.
I think the wiring path is what my picture lists as "PATH 1". After that, I believe it enters the interior of the boat.
Any insight would be appreciated.
krivalsi if you look on the catalina28 Yahoo group you will find a write up about how a sister ship solved the problem and tracing the wires