I bought a 1975 Catalina 22 last summer and redid the exterior teak last winter. This winters project is to update the electrical system. Its been quite a few years since it had a battery hooked up to it at all. I removed the electrical panel and it was original to the boat (still had the original inspection sticker on it too!). My original plan was to use the old wires to pull through new wire but it seems the wires are fiberglassed into the hull. I've tried pulling on them and nothing moves. Any advice on electrical would be great! The boat itself hasn't had much work done on it in the past 20ish years but the hull is in excellent condition.
Electrical System Help
- Thread starter Captain Wind Song
- Start date
I ran into the same problem, found that the 14 gauge wire they glassed in carried a current just fine. The red wire is for running lights and is paired with a black ground. The blue is for the cabin lights sets, with a black common ground. You can actually see the joiners they used up in corners of cabin just under the deck on outer sides. Here is a pic of one of the splits of the red, black and blue series. Its on the right which actually on the left looking upwards into the corner laying on your back on the strb setee.
I'm still using the original 30 year old wiring on my 87' as well. I've added to it, and the sections of the original wiring I cut out looked practically brand new under the insulating plastic coating. You might just replace the panel and fuses, and tie into the old existing wiring for the running lights, etc.
On the other hand, at least on my new design 87', it would be fairly simple to re-run the wiring in most places, as it is just basically jammed up under the teak trim, which would be fairly easy to do it the trim is taken off first. If you look at the underside of the stantions, it is pretty easy to access the wiring for the stern light, (and I assume the bow light) and it could be pulled through if you wanted to replace that.
On the other hand, at least on my new design 87', it would be fairly simple to re-run the wiring in most places, as it is just basically jammed up under the teak trim, which would be fairly easy to do it the trim is taken off first. If you look at the underside of the stantions, it is pretty easy to access the wiring for the stern light, (and I assume the bow light) and it could be pulled through if you wanted to replace that.
Hardhead, I did the same in my 83 to add some extra wiring not on the original boat like masthead and vhf antenna, and you can pull the teak trim off just below the window and stuff wire in the chase behind it with little or no problem. see below
Jacktar did that expose any ot the original wiring when you took that trim off? My boats always been in saltwater and I would like to look at and much of the wire as possible before putting a current through it.
I completely removed the headliner on my Catalina 22 because it was not attached to the hull except at the mast and where it was bolted to the deck. The wiring was run all over the place and one of the fitting bolts was thru one wire to the mast.
Run all new wire in new raceways that are reliable and simpler to troubleshoot. Running new wire in the cabin seats was easier than trying to keep the wire under the toe rails and then finding I had to move them for installation of new deck hardware.
Run all new wire in new raceways that are reliable and simpler to troubleshoot. Running new wire in the cabin seats was easier than trying to keep the wire under the toe rails and then finding I had to move them for installation of new deck hardware.
Actually if you put a voltmeter across the wire ends at the end of the run and compare to that at panel or battery you get a real time idea on how good the original wires are without having to dismantle most of the boat. If the drop is small, .2 to .4 volts you are doing well for a 20 odd ft run of 14 gauge wire. You lose that much just running lights on battery for 20 minutes or so anyway. So mellow out, load the grog chest and go sailing, its more fun that way.
Well I haven't looked at the wires or gone sailing recently due to work and weather problems. And now its almost the end of the season 
so all days will be spent sailing and wiring can wait till winter.
so all days will be spent sailing and wiring can wait till winter.