I need information on setting up my 25 Mac with new wiring. If I'm using a 2 stroke motor with no charging capability, what should I do? I have a general idea using a deep cycle battery with a charger. I would like to plug into shore power when traveling. I need to wire my lights fore and aft, and mast, interior lights and a radio. Also, maybe be able to plug in a TV as well or a small fridge. Any help here would be great. Thanks, Jerry
Electrical system
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Electrical Demands
Depending on your use, a smallish (20 watts maybe) solar panel could probably keep up with running lights and interior lights. Maybe even some radio use. Use LED bulbs for the interior lights where you can. If you install just one battery you'll need to budget the power usage so that you don't end up underway at night with no power for the lights. TV and a fridge are going to need more juice. If you are going to hook them up to shore power only you'll need to run wiring for an AC circuit. As for where to start, is the boat already wired? If not you could start at somewhere like Blue Sea Systems (bluesea.com) and figure out what components are available and go from there. It's nearly impossible to give much more than general advice without knowing more.
Depending on your use, a smallish (20 watts maybe) solar panel could probably keep up with running lights and interior lights. Maybe even some radio use. Use LED bulbs for the interior lights where you can. If you install just one battery you'll need to budget the power usage so that you don't end up underway at night with no power for the lights. TV and a fridge are going to need more juice. If you are going to hook them up to shore power only you'll need to run wiring for an AC circuit. As for where to start, is the boat already wired? If not you could start at somewhere like Blue Sea Systems (bluesea.com) and figure out what components are available and go from there. It's nearly impossible to give much more than general advice without knowing more.
Assuming you don't have anything
or had an engine with a charger and now do not. To set up a charger (and other stuff) you will need a shore power cable (20/30 amp) an outlet for the boat to plug the cord into. Some marine AC wire. 1 double or 2 single circuit breakers 20/30 amp and an additional circuit breaker (various sizes) for each load or set of loads you would use together. If you want the full skinny on wiring an AC circuit for the boat drop me an email at roosaw@varizon.net and I can get you pointed in the right direction.
or had an engine with a charger and now do not. To set up a charger (and other stuff) you will need a shore power cable (20/30 amp) an outlet for the boat to plug the cord into. Some marine AC wire. 1 double or 2 single circuit breakers 20/30 amp and an additional circuit breaker (various sizes) for each load or set of loads you would use together. If you want the full skinny on wiring an AC circuit for the boat drop me an email at roosaw@varizon.net and I can get you pointed in the right direction.
Thanks
Yes there is some wiring in there. The running light wires are there, and the mast has a wire going to the top, but stops at a old light that has the lens and bulb missing and the insides are bad. I will try to use the wires that are there but I would like to wire for 110. The electrical panel is there with wires out the back, but I need to test to see if they are ok. The boat sat for 8 years in the weeds, so I probably should replace right? Thanks, Jerry
Yes there is some wiring in there. The running light wires are there, and the mast has a wire going to the top, but stops at a old light that has the lens and bulb missing and the insides are bad. I will try to use the wires that are there but I would like to wire for 110. The electrical panel is there with wires out the back, but I need to test to see if they are ok. The boat sat for 8 years in the weeds, so I probably should replace right? Thanks, Jerry
Electrical bugs x 2.
Hey Mac, I see you list your location as Keuka. I assume it is Keuka Lake in NY? I more or less grew up there on the West side, about 1 mile North of the old Gold Seal Winery (parents still have a place there; Dr & Mrs. Brent Penwarden). Anyhow, I am in the same boat, so I am curious about this thread. My '84 Catalina has some serious electrical gremlins that need to be booted and think that some new components are in the immediate future.
Hey Mac, I see you list your location as Keuka. I assume it is Keuka Lake in NY? I more or less grew up there on the West side, about 1 mile North of the old Gold Seal Winery (parents still have a place there; Dr & Mrs. Brent Penwarden). Anyhow, I am in the same boat, so I am curious about this thread. My '84 Catalina has some serious electrical gremlins that need to be booted and think that some new components are in the immediate future.
Hey John
Hey John, I thought you grew up in Hornell!! ha ha, Jerry Mac here. Contact me at jmcaneney@infoblvd.net
Hey John, I thought you grew up in Hornell!! ha ha, Jerry Mac here. Contact me at jmcaneney@infoblvd.net
How to ground
I also am setting up a shore power system in my Lancer 28 with 2 stroke outboard. The thing I am not sure about is how and where to run the ground. If anyone has ideas on how to ground the system I am interested That will be one of my winter projects at Mooney Bay Thanks John Z
I also am setting up a shore power system in my Lancer 28 with 2 stroke outboard. The thing I am not sure about is how and where to run the ground. If anyone has ideas on how to ground the system I am interested That will be one of my winter projects at Mooney Bay Thanks John Z
Mac 25 Wiring
I accepted when I bought my Mac 25 a couple of months ago that I might have to do "some" wiring. I accepted that would likely be the reality with any boat I would have bought. Upon getting it home and hooking up the battery, I discovered I had cabin lights and that was it. The stock three switch panel in mine had breakers instead of fuses and the breaker on the nav lights wasn't working and seems to be toast. The PO had also added a car stereo in the cabin, a switch for DC or AC power for the omni-directional antenna that came with it, a depth finder had been hard-wired and it looked like a few other things had been hooked up and removed over the years using overlay splices (I don't know whet else to call the splices that clamp on to a wire in the middle). There were also several different un-marked wires that led to the battery. The end result is an electrical system that looks like spaghetti with a mis-wired stereo and depth finder. My next purchase now that the weather is cooling off and I can stand to be in the cabin for awhile is to overhaul the electrical. Here's what I'm planning- only two wires to the battery, probably 10 ga. run to a battery master switch for the eventuality of using two batteries. From there bring a pos and neg into a new West Marine six switch panel. Circuits will be: bow and stern lights; mast light; cabin lights; stereo; GPS & Depthfinder; auxilliary outlets (cigarette lighter receptacles- I have one mounted forward and another by the companionway). I'm going to leave the bilge on it's own switch as it is now. I've got an automatic pump with manual over-ride. That will wire to the mains from the battery on the battery side of the battery main switch for obvious reasons since I leave the boat in the water. The existing wiring to the lights appears to be fine, I'll test for shorts and resistance first though. In order to accomodate the circuits where I have multiple lights or functions, I'll use bus bars so I don't have to piggy-back splice anything and trouble-shooting, IMO, will be easier down the road. I will also likely add a solar battery tender at some point in the future. For now, I've got shore power and can charge the battery sufficiently. I'll likely also add a volt meter between the battery switch and the distribution panel. DC is easy to wire.
I accepted when I bought my Mac 25 a couple of months ago that I might have to do "some" wiring. I accepted that would likely be the reality with any boat I would have bought. Upon getting it home and hooking up the battery, I discovered I had cabin lights and that was it. The stock three switch panel in mine had breakers instead of fuses and the breaker on the nav lights wasn't working and seems to be toast. The PO had also added a car stereo in the cabin, a switch for DC or AC power for the omni-directional antenna that came with it, a depth finder had been hard-wired and it looked like a few other things had been hooked up and removed over the years using overlay splices (I don't know whet else to call the splices that clamp on to a wire in the middle). There were also several different un-marked wires that led to the battery. The end result is an electrical system that looks like spaghetti with a mis-wired stereo and depth finder. My next purchase now that the weather is cooling off and I can stand to be in the cabin for awhile is to overhaul the electrical. Here's what I'm planning- only two wires to the battery, probably 10 ga. run to a battery master switch for the eventuality of using two batteries. From there bring a pos and neg into a new West Marine six switch panel. Circuits will be: bow and stern lights; mast light; cabin lights; stereo; GPS & Depthfinder; auxilliary outlets (cigarette lighter receptacles- I have one mounted forward and another by the companionway). I'm going to leave the bilge on it's own switch as it is now. I've got an automatic pump with manual over-ride. That will wire to the mains from the battery on the battery side of the battery main switch for obvious reasons since I leave the boat in the water. The existing wiring to the lights appears to be fine, I'll test for shorts and resistance first though. In order to accomodate the circuits where I have multiple lights or functions, I'll use bus bars so I don't have to piggy-back splice anything and trouble-shooting, IMO, will be easier down the road. I will also likely add a solar battery tender at some point in the future. For now, I've got shore power and can charge the battery sufficiently. I'll likely also add a volt meter between the battery switch and the distribution panel. DC is easy to wire.
Hey John Z
I keep my boat stored during the winter at Montey's Bay, but in the summer, I keep it at Chazy Yacht Club in the river. I too plan to do some electrical upgrades this winter. Maybe we can compare notes/knowledge.
I keep my boat stored during the winter at Montey's Bay, but in the summer, I keep it at Chazy Yacht Club in the river. I too plan to do some electrical upgrades this winter. Maybe we can compare notes/knowledge.
Re: rewire
Hi Mac. I have about the same situation as you. I boughr a Oday 25 ( my first sail boat )and it needs to be rewired. Not being able to find any diagrams on line, i sat down with my auto garage mechanic and we drew a diagram. DC is fairly easy to do. I have no high tech equipment so i thik it will work.
Hi Mac. I have about the same situation as you. I boughr a Oday 25 ( my first sail boat )and it needs to be rewired. Not being able to find any diagrams on line, i sat down with my auto garage mechanic and we drew a diagram. DC is fairly easy to do. I have no high tech equipment so i thik it will work.
AC grounding
I believe the best (safest) AC wiring set-up would include the green wire being routed through a galvanic isolator prior to being routed to an AC distribution panel that is separate from your DC distribution panel. The green wire would then be grounded to the panel with the panel then grounded to your main ground source, the same place your DC panel is grounded ( usually engine, keel, or both). All three wires then go to the AC receptacles with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter(s) [GFCI] in the AC circuit(s). The best source of information I’ve found about this is in an article titled Marine Grounding in the West Advisor section of West Marine’s website. [see link] It was originally published in Practical Sailor. Hope this helps.
I believe the best (safest) AC wiring set-up would include the green wire being routed through a galvanic isolator prior to being routed to an AC distribution panel that is separate from your DC distribution panel. The green wire would then be grounded to the panel with the panel then grounded to your main ground source, the same place your DC panel is grounded ( usually engine, keel, or both). All three wires then go to the AC receptacles with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter(s) [GFCI] in the AC circuit(s). The best source of information I’ve found about this is in an article titled Marine Grounding in the West Advisor section of West Marine’s website. [see link] It was originally published in Practical Sailor. Hope this helps.
I disagree
The BEST protection is to get a fish zinc, splice it to the green wire just behind the shore plug and throw that zinc overboard with enough wire so that it touches bottom. Any incoming current will be grounded before it gets to your boat, and any outgoing current will be grounded before it reaches any other boat. The iso only protects against 1.2 volts (or something real close to that) and it doesn't protect the dock from your boat...if anything, it makes it worse for the other boats by sending out a charge. The other advantage of doing this is that you don't need to ground the AC to the DC ground (the engine) so that protects your prop from the #1 cause of electrolysis on it.
The BEST protection is to get a fish zinc, splice it to the green wire just behind the shore plug and throw that zinc overboard with enough wire so that it touches bottom. Any incoming current will be grounded before it gets to your boat, and any outgoing current will be grounded before it reaches any other boat. The iso only protects against 1.2 volts (or something real close to that) and it doesn't protect the dock from your boat...if anything, it makes it worse for the other boats by sending out a charge. The other advantage of doing this is that you don't need to ground the AC to the DC ground (the engine) so that protects your prop from the #1 cause of electrolysis on it.
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