Electrical panel on macgregor 25

[Martin15377]

Hi !I bought a 1986 Macgregor 25, in very good shape except for the electrical panel, which is a mess. The 3 switch panel is intact, and the wiring seems ok, but nothing is connected behind the panel. All I have is a big bunch of blue and white plugs that seems all attached to eachother, and I have absolutely no knowlege about electricity ! Anyone have a drawing or picture on how to connect everything at the right place ?Thanx

 

[Justin]

basic

as it gets.If you are electrically challenged, I highly recommend you find someone to help that isn't. Besides point to point connections, electrical work has many demands in terms of soldering, crimping, routing, gaging etc.This link may help but you really want to plan for expansion too

 

[Martin15377]

Thank you

Thank you for the diagram !

 

[Bob McL]

a word of caution

When working on the wiring and making crimped connections - be sure the wire is tinned as a minimum. I would solder every wire/terminal connection before connecting to a buss bar or other termination. Most problems I have found in boat wiring have been traced to crimped only terminals. Corrosion builds between the copper wire and terminal after a while. The next problem is a corrosion buildup between the terminal and the meter, switch, light, or buss bar, etc termination. These connections will need to be undone and lightly cleaned then reassembled: usually it is just a screw that connects the terminal. Use a good quality wire of sufficient size to carry the current.

 

[John S]

Soldering

Bob has some good recommendations. I think that correctly soldering a terminal end on a wire seals up the wire from wicking moisture into the connection area. Adhesive lined heat shrink is very good for sealing the area as well. If possible, use ring terminals for connection strength and strain relief. Support all wiring at least every 18 inches. When I solder, I crimp first to hold the terminal in place. After soldering, I install adhesive lined heat shrink tubing. When all is finished, I spray Boeshield on the exposed metal parts.In any wired circuit, the total power cost is going to include the resistance of every connection, wire run, load item, switch etc. These add up and become much greater when corrosion is added to the mix. That means that your 2 amp accessory might really require substantially more power to run if the actual wiring has undue resistance. Do the best you can do from the start, you will still have increased resistance over time, but minimize the entropic effects by making each connection carefully.Just because a panel came from Macgregor, does not mean that it is worth a damn! If the connections on your electrical panel include any slide connectors, then either replace the panel or at a minimum, solder the slide connector. If you have any accessories installed besides the stock three circuits, then you have outgrown your basic panel.Finally, consider labelling your wiring. It is a good practice and aids future troubleshooting. If you decide to replace the stock lamp cord wire inbetween the liner and the hull, you can attatch marked tape at various points to indicate the wire's function.I just finished a total rewire job on a 26D that required 180 feet of 2 strand wire in 14 gauge. I fished all of the wires, none are exposed, none are lying in the bilge. I used a fish tape and pulled all of the wires between the liner and the hull. I replaced the stock fuse panel with a real resettable circuit breaker panel. All wires are labelled and crimped, soldered and adhesive lined heat shrunk with ring terminal ends.

 

[Chris & Lenore - Mac 26S - teliki]

Corrosion control tip

Definitely agree with soldering, especially if not using tinned wire.In addition, use a thin film of dielectric silicone (found at automotive suppliers - typically for spark plug boots) on all connections - slide on, screw on, device connectors, bulb sockets etc.It excludes oxygen and reduces or eliminates corrosion issues. There is still "metal to metal" contact as the connection is made i.e. no increase in resistance.I've used this in many harsh environment situations (salt water) and have never had corrosion related failures.Use it on your trailer too (connectors and bulb sockets) - nice to not worry about the lights working.I originally heard about this from an electrician who works on salt water drilling platforms. He also used it on the bare wire before inserting into a crimp on connector (as opposed to soldering), claiming it was rated the same as soldering. Apparently, it's difficult to solder while hanging off certain areas of the drill platform.Personally, I prefer solder wherever possible.Chris

 

[Chris & Lenore - Mac 26S - Teliki]

John - Boeshield question

John,I'm sure Boeshield and dielectric silicone perform pretty much the same but have you ever disassembled a bolted/screwed connection (where you have used Boeshield)? Since it's a penetrant, it may be an answer for another project of mine where I don't want to disassemble a system that currently works. I do want to prevent further corrosion and the idea of spraying it onto the assembled connections is attractive.The system is used in fresh water but will see occasional salt water use. Looks like a few minutes with a spray can might eliminate problems from the few drops of salt water that will inevitably find their way in.Thanks,Chris

 

[david22333]

Boat re-wiring

Abby Normal;Your "related Link" did not work for me. Could you advise how to find more details. Would like to rewire my 26D but never done anything like that and little reluctant. I can see how you used a positive and negative strip. Seems simple enough. Are you concerned about open contacts? Loose objects contacting the strips? Thanks

 

[caguy]

Here is a real simple one sent to me from

Macgregor. It is for a 26 but it is the same for a 25. Frank