I bought a used and neglected 2001 WWP 19 that had not been on the water in at least 10 years. Other than dirt and grime and some rotted lines and missing stays, It was in good condition. I have been rehabbing it and have sailed it 3 times. I have encountered a problem with the electrical system. It appears to be in working condition in terms of wiring and fuses, yet I cannot get it to work. I traced and tested as many of the circuits as I could, including some continuity testing with my multimeter, but to no avail. Nothing comes on. It is almost as if there is a hidden switch somewhere. The previous owner had passed away, and I bought it from his son, and he had no idea about the electrical system. Anybody have any great ideas about this that I can try before I take it to a marine shop?
Electrical issues West Wight Potter 19
- Thread starter Steve LD
- Start date
Early in my boat restoration days...I once replaced a BRAND NEW LED bow light that stopped working. I had taken voltage readings all up and down the circuit... And the second new LED did not work either so I replaced all of the wire back to the battery. And it still did not work...
Next thing I did was post my problem here and someone said it sounded familiar and to check for any signs of corrosion on the battery terminal. Yep.. it was that simple. I had $pent a lot of time on that one and it was a 2 second (free) fix.
Alternatively... on a 19 foot boat what electrical do you really need? And how often do you sail or anchor out at night? You could just scrap the electric system and get some of these...
... for the occasion night sail
... and some of these to light the cabin when at anchor (at night)
and then an anchor light to hang on your boom...
You might want to keep your existing battery to run a bilge pump... but you could get a kayak hand bilge pump and just scrap the entire electric system all together... keep it all real simple and go sailing.
Next thing I did was post my problem here and someone said it sounded familiar and to check for any signs of corrosion on the battery terminal. Yep.. it was that simple. I had $pent a lot of time on that one and it was a 2 second (free) fix.
Alternatively... on a 19 foot boat what electrical do you really need? And how often do you sail or anchor out at night? You could just scrap the electric system and get some of these...
... for the occasion night sail
... and some of these to light the cabin when at anchor (at night)
and then an anchor light to hang on your boom...
You might want to keep your existing battery to run a bilge pump... but you could get a kayak hand bilge pump and just scrap the entire electric system all together... keep it all real simple and go sailing.
While you traced wires and tested continuity, did you assure that the battery(ies) was charged and/or connected?
I'm just starting from basics, but would not one have checked voltage before continuity?
Thanks for the input. It was a new & fully charged 12v battery, voltage on the battery over 13v, terminals clean, connected to the system, but no voltage along the several circuits I tested, as far as I could reach them. Some of the wiring passes into channels and becomes difficult to reach, and some of the items it powers are sealed so could not test between, say the fuse clip and the item terminals. Yes, I could buy battery powered LED lights, but the 12v also powers a depth finder, as well as the cabin , bow, mast, and stern lights. Don't have big plans to go on trips where I would anchor overnight, but would like it all working so I could consider that in the future. And how many times do mariners misjudge how long they will be out or have some sort of breakdown and need those lights?
Is there a circuit breaker panel anywhere? A battery cut off switch? Bus bar? What electrical components do you have on the boat besides lights? Those are nice quality boats.
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just thinking... if nothing works, then the problem is probably between the battery post (neg or pos) and the distribution panel power side. could be a wire that has internally corroded or a connector that looks ok but is loose or corroded.. don't forget that the ground side can be a problem too.. disconnect the battery and pull the distribution panel loose so you can get to the back where the wires are.. re-connect the battery and using a voltmeter start looking for where the power is and isn't.. Ya would probably want to use a temporary ground for the meter that goes directly to the battery so you can be sure that the readings are genuine and aren't telling you a fib!
Are these channels big enough for mice? You may have rodent sabotage. You might have to pull the wires out and replace them.
Just off hand it sounds like you do not have a short circuit causing no voltage at the fuse bus because if you did you could smell it. First verify that you have voltage coming off the battery and going to the fuse block input terminals. If there is no voltage replace the wire between the battery and the fuse block with new wire. Worst case you could cut the plugs off of that 12 foot extension cord you're going to power up the Christmas tree with and put alligator clips on the ends for a temporary power source until you get it all figured out. After doing that check one fuse and circuit at a time. Keeping in mind the caveat, no power means dead battery OR open ground.
It is a small boat with minimal wiring that is decades old. Consider just ripping all the old stuff out and installing new. In the long run this will take less time. If you pull wires out, be sure to run messenger lines when you pull them so it is easier to pull the new wires through.
Thanks for the reply. Have not found a circuit breaker, but there are 2 fuse panels, and all the fuses are good. Besides lights, I have a depth finder and a large compass that I believe has a light for nighttime visibility.
Thanks for the input. I have a 12v power supply that I tried without sucess. I will check the things you recommend.
That would be a last resort, but may become necessary.
Not sure if mice could get in them. Some of the wiring looks like household electrical cable.
Marine grade wire is finely stranded and tinned. Household wire is solid or if stranded (THN) the strands are not fine. Boat wiring is subject to more vibration and movement than houses and more than cars which also use thicker strands in they wires. Copper will work harden from vibration and movement and could potentially break. Marine wire also has the advantage of being easier to snake because is it more flexible. The crimp connectors used in marine wiring will not work on solid wire. They may look like the connection is good, however, the crimping will not be secure.
Marine wire is tinned to reduce corrosion, this is less of an issue in a freshwater boat than in salt water, but it can still occur. Salt and water migrate up the wire between the wire and the insulation and cause corrosion several inches (or more) inside the wire. Corrosion can cause the connections to fail and does increase resistance in the wire.
If indeed the wire is household wire, it should come out.
I'll attach a link to the owners manual for your boat, on page 64 is a wiring diagram that may be helpful. Small outboard boats will often have an inline fusible link near the battery terminal, none is shown on diagram but I'd check the positive lead closely for one that may not be obvious.
https://www.potter-yachters.org/P19_Manual/P-19_Manual.pdf
https://www.potter-yachters.org/P19_Manual/P-19_Manual.pdf
You could try a jumper wire from the battery to the fuse block. If it powers up then the problem is between battery and block. Disconnect battery first and just use jumpers. Or smaller test battery. You can keep testing and isolating by using this alternate power source.
One second thought, a volt/ohm meter should help just the same.
One second thought, a volt/ohm meter should help just the same.
Thanks for all these great ideas. I do already have the manual and wiring diagram. I’ll look at the wiring closely to see if is marine grade and try the jumper wire suggestion.