How scared should I be?

Jan 15, 2014
79
Morgan 323 Portland
1986 Morgan 323. I know these original electrical system components aren't ideal and could likely benefit from an upgrade. But given boat priorities and a lean budget (thanks to Covid-19 economics), just how scared should I be? Note no imminent problems or malfunctions that I'm aware of.
 
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
I had a 1987 Hunter 31 that did not have any electrical issues during the time I owned in 2008 - 2010. Make sure your batteries are fully charged, charger is in working order, all the electrical systems work and fix them as soon as any one of them fail or show sign of failure. An electrical/electronics inspection would be useful for a "health check" when you have the funds. I just recently had an electrical health check by a marine electrician and discovered the after-market charger and battery cable system installation (by a previous owner) for $120 charge and found some wiring anomalies so will fix them this month. You might find the article entitled "10 Electrical Problems Every Boater Should Watch Out For" helpful:

 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I know these original electrical system components aren't ideal and could likely benefit from an upgrade.
Hello Ziggler. Is the Morgan a new to you boat?

Assuming this is the case, 34 years old is not bad. Mograns are good boats with a decent history of caring their owners out into the water and back home again.

Let's make this realistic. Decide on haw you want to use the boat. Will she be a day sailer, or do you plan to cruise the Ocean into the vast Pacific NW waters of Washington and British Columbia?

As a day sailer you can likely run the Columbia and not need to much in the form of electrical systems. As you start to spend more time on the boat as sleep overs your demands will increase. I suspect your actions to modify the boat, as in upgrading the electrical systems. will evolve.

You can do this in phases. Likely you want to have a reliable engine. So, let phase one be the basics. Assess the engine starting and charging systems. Make sure the wiring is proper and that the connections are solid. Place on the "inspection and assessment List" Alternator, Starter, Battery, and Charger.

That is how I started. I worked on the backbone of the boat. I also made sure I could take the boat out on the water and enjoy the experiences I had dreamt of, which caused me to buy the boat.

As you phase in the new items, do it with an overall plan. That way your not buying things, spending money then regretting the action because it doesn't fit.

Good luck
 
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capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Our Pearson is 39 years old and most of the wiring is that old. It would be totally impractical to rewire the whole boat.
Some things, like battery cables and high load circuits get rewired, but our push is more towards lowering the amperage in the circuits. Every time we replace an incandescent, compact fluorescent, or halogen bulb with an LED one, we cut the amperage in the circuit greatly. Newer electronics and electrical items often are much more efficient and consume less power.
I should think being scared is a bit over the top, but attention to your shore power wiring (if you have it) would be one thing I would consider upgrading first. Bilge pumps next.