Electrical Wiring inside Steering Pedestal - any good design ideas?

[Swedegeek]

My 1998 Hunter 340 has a set of electronics that are 14 years old - approaching antique status in the marine electronics field. I'm looking at a major refit next winter.

There's a big steering pedestal on this boat, so there's a fair bit of area in the pedestal for the components (VHF, chartplotter, autopilot, AIS unit, engine instruments, etc). Unfortunately, access to the inside of the pedestal is lousy. The existing wiring is a mess - more like a spider web than a proper wiring installation. Normally I would use a terminal strip to secure wires for the new installation, but I can't figure out a good way to mount it that gives me access to attach wires.

Has anyone found a good approach for wiring inside a pedestal such as this?

Thanks

 

[Mike Oldak]

I just added a new pedestal to my H34 with a new NavPod. I had to drop the ceiling panel in the aft cabin in order to access the pedestal and to run new wires up for my new Axiom.

I like to phyiscally connect all wires and then solder them and apply a shrink tubing.

 

[Swedegeek]

An entirely new pedestal? That sounds like a lot of work, even without the electronics & dropping the aft cabin ceiling. Did you fabricate the pedestal yourself? Is it fiberglass? Aluminum? Is it a replacement of the existing, or an additional one? If an additional one, where is it mounted?

Frankly, I didn't think of designing/fabricating a new pedestal - seems like a lot of work, but it would certainly make the cockpit easier to move around in. And it could be designed to better mount the electronics. For cost reasons it presumably would incorporate the existing steering system & engine controls, unless during the design process it became apparent that replacing them was necessary or an advantage.

 

[Mike Oldak]

Sorry, I meant to say pedestal tubing. I replaced the loop with one that coukd hold a Navipod. But approach was the same. I ran the wires from aft berth ceiling up through the.base of the pedistal into the tubing.

 

[Mike Oldak]

Of course you can always build a nice teak casing around the existing pedestal and then not have to reinvent the mechanism.

Mike

 

[Swedegeek]

Yeah, I guess I could... But that would violate one of my basic rules about boats: no exterior teak to maintain. And then I'd have to get access thru both the existing pedestal (with poor access) AND the teak casing. Of course, before installing the teak casing I could go at the existing pedestal with a sawzall to create better access holes...

But the pedestal is fine - its the access that's bad, and I've got a lot of wiring to do inside the pedestal. I was hoping to find a way to do the wiring that would simplify the issue. I suspect I'll end up with a wood block with a big terminal block on it epoxied to the inside of the pedestal, and a couple of 8" dia. round deck access plates put into the sides of the pedestal for better access. There are swing-up cockpit tables on the sides of the pedestal which would cover the access plates, so it won't be too noticeable & unsightly.

I was hoping someone would have a slick trick for installing the wiring.

Thanks to all for your response.

 

[Mike Oldak]

i'm not sure about your desire to use a terminal block. I find that adding "connections" adds weak points. I try to run wires without any breaks in the line that could corrode adding resistance or even interrupt power or data.

 

[jssailem]

@Swedegeek I think I discovered the issue. Your profile says you are “in Washington, an Experienced sailor, retired engineer, surveyor, naval architect”. With all that going for you tinkering with your boat, taking it apart and putting back together is just a genetic trait you have to embrace.

If you had binnacle like this (found on a 1998 Hunter 340 listed for sale) you’d have all the real estate you need to install a clean wiring module.

Having surveyed boats, do you find most of the wires running up to helm displays in conduit? The binnacle guards often used at the helm as grab bars serve my boat as the wire conduit. If you choose to install your electronics in a “NavPod” then you’ll have space to terminate the wires out of the conduit and build a proper wire harness to your displays.

NavPods can be purchased new or you may find one at a consignment shop that you can repurpose for your boat.