Would appreciate some help with finding the path for wiring a SiriusXM antenna from the starboard stern and for wiring the solar panels I'd like to install on the arch.
Wiring SiriusXM antenna or solar panels
- Thread starter rmerl1223
- Start date
Very nice! Sounds like you're getting ready to do some proper cruising.
Shore power comes in at the starboard stern, so near there seems like a logical place to consider. I'm pretty sure the arch wiring (speakers and light) comes in on the starboard side as well. I believe most of this as well as the engine control wiring is routed under the starboard lazarette down over the holding tank and comes to the centerline where it is routed in a conduit on the port side of the propellor shaft channel (or whatever that's called). You can see the black wiring conduit above the holding tank in the photo below. There's a little bit of access in a little cutout in the lazarette, but you'll need to remove the center panel in the aft berth to get good access for the rest. And I hope you're limbered up, because you'll probably have to do a little boat-yoga.
Shore power comes in at the starboard stern, so near there seems like a logical place to consider. I'm pretty sure the arch wiring (speakers and light) comes in on the starboard side as well. I believe most of this as well as the engine control wiring is routed under the starboard lazarette down over the holding tank and comes to the centerline where it is routed in a conduit on the port side of the propellor shaft channel (or whatever that's called). You can see the black wiring conduit above the holding tank in the photo below. There's a little bit of access in a little cutout in the lazarette, but you'll need to remove the center panel in the aft berth to get good access for the rest. And I hope you're limbered up, because you'll probably have to do a little boat-yoga.
Thank you very much jdrutten, but: (1) I don't have lights or speakers on the arch (yet), though I can envision a path to the starboard lazarette, and 2. when I couldn't find/snake the path from the starboard lazarette forward (like where I assumed the 110 volt wires went), I tried the holding tank route from the starboard side to no avail, but I have not tried access from the port side as you've recommended and will try that route when I return to the boat in a few days.
That surprises me and could potentially be an issue. I haven't actually messed with any of the arch wiring, but can only imagine that it travels through the stainless arch tubing where it meets a hole in the hull at the starboard attachment point. If there's no arch wiring, there might not be a hole for the wiring. But that seems unlikely. I have to assume there's a hole there where you could pull your solar cables through. You might possibly get better access to the arch hull hole by removing the engine control panel.
Could you explain what the issue was with the holding tank route? As shown in my photo, that's definitely where the flexible plastic wire conduit runs. You'll almost certainly need to rig up some leader lines and use one kind of snake or another to get access to those confined areas. You might also want to get one of those relatively inexpensive little borescope/endoscope cameras on amazon or ebay or whatever, to help you see what's going on in there.
And just to clarify, when I mentioned the port side, I was referring to the interior center channel under the access panels under the cushions in the aft berth. You should be able to find the main conduit tube under the port side access panels. I would guess the arch hull hole is on one sider or the other, but probably not both, and also probably on the starboard side where there's at least the lazarrette and engine panel access.
Yes, I understand jdrutten where you're referring to, and will check-it-out (i.e., teat-apart the aft berth) later this week. I was previously unable to use the chase tube on the starboard side of the holding tank or the chase tube under the pedestal. I have recently purchased one of those expandable fiberglass "snakes," and will give it a try for the antenna and solar panels. Thanks again.
I snapped a shot of the wiring coming out of the aft starboard arch support tube in case it helps.
Thanks for showing me the way to pull the wires, jdrutten. I knew the fuel and waste tanks were behind that panel in the aft cabin, but I had not previously taken it apart. [BTW: my boat doesn't lights or speakers in the arch (yet), so there's no wires coming out either (yet).]