Hi, I have a 1985 Mac 25 and when I bought it about a month ago I discovered that the wiring job was just terrible.I am about to strip out all of his wiring and do it right but this is my first boat and first attempt at wiring a boat. I bought a book on wiring for 12v boat systems so that should guide me most of the way because I do have a basic knowledge of electrical systems, but if anybody has any advice or pitfalls to avoid when doing this please let me know! Thanks in advance, Stuart
Suggestions for a new electrical system
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as little as ytou can get away with
on a 25 ft. use as little electricity as you can get away with. You should have nav lights, vhf radio. Everything else is icing on top.
on a 25 ft. use as little electricity as you can get away with. You should have nav lights, vhf radio. Everything else is icing on top.
If you want it to last..
Be sure and use marine grade wire. Marine grade wire is easy to identify because when you strip it back the wire is sliver in color not traditional copper color. marine wire is tinned to reduce corrosion & oxidation common with bare copper. Also use good quality connectors, breakers and the proper gauge wire for the job. On a 25 you'll have very little wiring but it still pays to do it right. Anchor & Cobra Wire Co. both make tinned wire and are reputable. Some of the cheap stuff is very large strand and does not have the quality of the Cobra or Anchor stuff. Remember more individual strands equals better quality wire. I have heard, and it's been confirmed, that certain Home Depots in Florida actually sell Anchor products for a lot less than West Marine and I see that you're in Florida so I'd start there for Anchor products. Oh and spend some money on a good crimper & a multimeter you'll be glad you did..
Be sure and use marine grade wire. Marine grade wire is easy to identify because when you strip it back the wire is sliver in color not traditional copper color. marine wire is tinned to reduce corrosion & oxidation common with bare copper. Also use good quality connectors, breakers and the proper gauge wire for the job. On a 25 you'll have very little wiring but it still pays to do it right. Anchor & Cobra Wire Co. both make tinned wire and are reputable. Some of the cheap stuff is very large strand and does not have the quality of the Cobra or Anchor stuff. Remember more individual strands equals better quality wire. I have heard, and it's been confirmed, that certain Home Depots in Florida actually sell Anchor products for a lot less than West Marine and I see that you're in Florida so I'd start there for Anchor products. Oh and spend some money on a good crimper & a multimeter you'll be glad you did..
Wiring
The posts before are correct. Use only marine grade wire. You should also solder all connections, terminals and splices. I solder all the connections, cover them with liquid tape and before it dries slip on some heat shrink tubing. This may seem to be overkill, but a connection made this way will last a long,long time.
The posts before are correct. Use only marine grade wire. You should also solder all connections, terminals and splices. I solder all the connections, cover them with liquid tape and before it dries slip on some heat shrink tubing. This may seem to be overkill, but a connection made this way will last a long,long time.
In addition, make a plan
before you do ANY work. Draw it up, just like in the books, and make sure you're following it, and make adjustments as you go. Plan it out, do it, and document it, so you know where everything is and should go, and does go.
before you do ANY work. Draw it up, just like in the books, and make sure you're following it, and make adjustments as you go. Plan it out, do it, and document it, so you know where everything is and should go, and does go.
Wiring a 222
I'm just wrapping up the electrical system on my '72 222. I'm using a five circuit Perko panel mounted just portside of the winch with an ammeter mounted beside it. 1) Nav lights 2) Anchor lights 3) Radios 4) Cabin lights, TV, CD 5) Spot light I have a clear lexan cover mounted over the panel to avoid water or foot damage, but it is a handy place for me, and I can shut off the boys' noise from my bunk. Now if I can just find an inverted mount compass to put on the cabin top..... Nebo
I'm just wrapping up the electrical system on my '72 222. I'm using a five circuit Perko panel mounted just portside of the winch with an ammeter mounted beside it. 1) Nav lights 2) Anchor lights 3) Radios 4) Cabin lights, TV, CD 5) Spot light I have a clear lexan cover mounted over the panel to avoid water or foot damage, but it is a handy place for me, and I can shut off the boys' noise from my bunk. Now if I can just find an inverted mount compass to put on the cabin top..... Nebo
One more thing
One thing I like to do is mount a terminal block in an easily accessible location, and tie all my grounds there. You will find that with time, the ground will more than likely be the one that gives a problem. You can mount a terminal block, tie all your ground leads to it, and paint the whole thing with liquid tape. Again, it may be a little overkill, but can save you a lot of headaches later on.
One thing I like to do is mount a terminal block in an easily accessible location, and tie all my grounds there. You will find that with time, the ground will more than likely be the one that gives a problem. You can mount a terminal block, tie all your ground leads to it, and paint the whole thing with liquid tape. Again, it may be a little overkill, but can save you a lot of headaches later on.
Label it....
Label all wires on both ends. Thomas & Betts makes labels for electrical uses, available at most Home Depots or electrical suppliers. They are available either numbered, or with a white area to write on and clear tape to cover it so the markings don't go away. If you use numbers, permanantly attach a list somewhere on the boat. This might not sound real important right now since you know what goes where, but in 2 or 3 years when you've started to forget, it could save you in an emergency.
Label all wires on both ends. Thomas & Betts makes labels for electrical uses, available at most Home Depots or electrical suppliers. They are available either numbered, or with a white area to write on and clear tape to cover it so the markings don't go away. If you use numbers, permanantly attach a list somewhere on the boat. This might not sound real important right now since you know what goes where, but in 2 or 3 years when you've started to forget, it could save you in an emergency.
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