Wire run through cabin deck to electrical panel

bradm

.
Oct 7, 2021
13
Catalina 309 Wickford, RI
Does anyone know of a good path to run a wire through the cabin deck to the electrical panel on our 309s? I'd like to start somewhere just inside the dodger, ideally near the starboard dodger frame mount point. It looks like drilling through the cabin deck there gets the wire into the hollow space between the deck and the cabin liner. But, judging by sound while tapping around, this hollow space does not seem to extend down the sides, so there isn't an obvious path to the electrical panel in the cabin. Has anyone fished out a route? Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Jun 4, 2009
92
Catalina 309 Swantown Marina Olympia, WA
The best way is to drill into the space inside the cabin liner then fish it back behind the the stern wood bulkhead then across to the steering cable hole in the bulkhead the forward to the pedestal then up to the panel. You will have to remove the cable cover in the aft cabin. Also make sure you secure the wire along the path so it does not get snag on any moving parts such as the steering cables. There is a conduit in the pedestal to fish the wire thru. That was the best way I found to do it.
 

bradm

.
Oct 7, 2021
13
Catalina 309 Wickford, RI
Oops, my original post wasn't clear: I want to get to the electrical panel inside the cabin (not the instrument panel at the helm.) Edited to fix this. @tahomathundr thanks for the reply seems like the path I need is in there. Could you elaborate how/where to get out of the space inside the cabin liner? Is there space along the companionway?
 
Last edited:
Jun 4, 2009
92
Catalina 309 Swantown Marina Olympia, WA
You should be able to fish the wire forward between the headliner and the inside of the hull. If I remember correctly there is a bundle of wires that go forward to the fuse panel already installed in that area. Sorry I went in the wrong direction on my first post.
 

bradm

.
Oct 7, 2021
13
Catalina 309 Wickford, RI
Finally found a wire route for the dodger solar, with the help of an inexpensive endoscope. This route allows you to run wire from the dodger to the nav station electrical panel without penetrating the headliner. From the aft berth, there is a path from the starboard wire raceway upward into the space between the inner and outer deck panels. Start searching upward from just forward of the interior light (red arrow). This space leads all the way to the dodger support bracket. I chose the flat spot nearest this bracket, just behind the port light, and used the new DS-HD6-BLK double wire cable seal from Scanstrut.


The whole assembly is concealed by the dodger side window, making a nice compact installation. The finishing touch will be to fix the missing dodger studs that are presently covered with duct tape :(

Hope this is helpful to another 309 owner.
 

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