While digging around my electrical system in regards to the recent thread "Will Non-bonded Anodes Sacrifice": Another related item for which I've looked on-line but haven't yet come across a clear description:
- I've got a 1980 built sailboat and don't know if PO's have made changes to the OEM grounding arrangements.
- A somewhat large diameter wire (sorry not precise here as to the gauge until I remove access panels from the cabin floor) leads from the mast conduit to a keel-bolt. I have a lead keel. I don't observe any specific wire from the keel that connects to the engine block or electrical panel. Of course, the shrouds, boom, etc are therefore bonded to the keel. Without some real detective work, I really don't know if somewhere along these "connections" I have a link between the keel and the engine block. The condition of the wire between the mast and the keel bolt is unknown. But I can see a bit of the bare wire that is connected to the forward-most keel bolt. Very tarnished. (A weather note: Lightening events along the bay in San Francisco/Marin County CA are extremely rare - chance in a zillion compared to east/midwest/gulf boats.
- The battery minus terminals and the electric panel DC minus bus bar all are wire-connected to a single bolt on the engine block.
My question is: Is this grounding arrangement normal? Should the mast-to-keel grounding be further bonded to the engine block? I so, what gauge wire?
- I've got a 1980 built sailboat and don't know if PO's have made changes to the OEM grounding arrangements.
- A somewhat large diameter wire (sorry not precise here as to the gauge until I remove access panels from the cabin floor) leads from the mast conduit to a keel-bolt. I have a lead keel. I don't observe any specific wire from the keel that connects to the engine block or electrical panel. Of course, the shrouds, boom, etc are therefore bonded to the keel. Without some real detective work, I really don't know if somewhere along these "connections" I have a link between the keel and the engine block. The condition of the wire between the mast and the keel bolt is unknown. But I can see a bit of the bare wire that is connected to the forward-most keel bolt. Very tarnished. (A weather note: Lightening events along the bay in San Francisco/Marin County CA are extremely rare - chance in a zillion compared to east/midwest/gulf boats.
- The battery minus terminals and the electric panel DC minus bus bar all are wire-connected to a single bolt on the engine block.
My question is: Is this grounding arrangement normal? Should the mast-to-keel grounding be further bonded to the engine block? I so, what gauge wire?
