I purchased solar panels to install on my Bimini of my Marlow Hunter 37. My plan is to run the wiring behind the cockpit speaker panel and feed the wires down the arch on the port side and to the main power panel area.
Any tricks to feeding the wires down the arch?
Is there a wire run or conduit down the port side that supplies the speaker and light wires to the arch that is easy to access?
If you've done this on a H38, H39 or MH 37/40, is there anything you would do differently?
I did this last summer on my '07 H38. Panels are mounted above the rear of the bimini and over the davits behind the boom. I built a frame with 1" tube and triangulated it well, mounted the panels to that, about 2" above bimini.
On my boat the wires in the traveller arch come up the starboard side from inside the ceiling panel in the aft cabin through a hole in the base plate of the traveller arch into the tubing. First, I assumed there would be a similar hole on the port side tubing base plate and attempted to run the wires that side. I was wrong. It has to go down the port side.
I have 8awg from the panels (in series, 2 leads), I run down the edge of the bimini, and attach the leads using waxed lacing cord and little 1/4" snips of rubber fuel injection hose as standoffs. The leads some down the tube into the space above the aft cabin ceiling. Then aft to the stern locker, down the bulkhead and back under the aft cabin bunk following the route of the cockpit shower hoses.
From there it goes across to port, passing through where the macerator and shower pump is, underneath the port hanging locker, under the shower pan, and finally under the nav station seat. My controller, ANL, and breaker are all mounted there.
I used a metal fish tape to push some masonry line through first, then used the masonry line as a pull cord.
