All I wanted was working bilge pumps

[phatdaddy]

hey, at least you know its right from now on, better find out now than when you really really need a bilge pump. the absolute 2 worst things about boating is wiring & trailers. posi-lube torsion axels, and aluminum I beams have taken care the trailer issues and tinned wire & heat shrink have helped the other.

[RidgeRunner]

I agree with Phat on that one.
I went overboard on my re-wiring of the Wellcraft. I ran duplex wire to everything except the wires in the t-top. The wires were glassed into the backside of the liner when it was upside down. Bilge pumps got the fancy 3-wire 14 ga for the auto switches, if the batteries are hooked up, they are ON, everything else is on breakers, color coded and everything terminates to distribution blocks. Just about anything 12V can be powered from the transom of the V, I ran 1/0 Marine Tinned Wire from the console to the transom. Now, I need a new switchplate, I have run out of switches, how deep do you go? Sometimes you just got to step up, sometimes you need to step back. (Not with bilge pumps) Anyone that owns a boat had better get used to the idea of having a project every now and then. If you are done working on it, may as well sell it. Modify or Die.

[bradford]

"Nothing works on an old boat except it's owner."

"No such thing as a FREE boat"

[Shrek]

RidgeRunner, I did a similar thing. I ran 8 gauge to power the new fuse block (in console) with a 30 amp breaker 4 inches from the battery switch (on transom) for both the fuse block and the jack plate. Then everything got safety wire, duplex, triplex, or quadplex, depending on the application. Rather than color code, I used a sharpie to label the jackets on the safety wire; I did color code from the fuse block to each switch however.

I'm now in the process of hooking everything up and tidying up the harness and looming everything, then securing it to the boat. Tonight I wrapped up the back of the boat. Bilge pumps, float switch, bait well inlet and circulation/drain pumps, Faria fuel flow transducer, speaker wires, stern light, wash-down pumps all wired, shrinked, loomed, and secured to the boat.

Tomorrow, I have to hook up the macerator pump for the forward fish-box, the courtesy lights in the console, bow light, and if I have time, I'll install the Faria fuel flow meter and the new Mercury oil pressure and water temp gauges, rewire the fuel gauge, and install the new to me Navman chartplotter.

If I get that done, then Friday night will just be looming and tidying up and putting the console back together. Then shake down and testing for numbers for a reprop with the jack plate installed.

[smkinnan]

yeash, we ended re-wiring everything as well. Once I got started it wasn't so bad. Ran all new battery cables. I feel lots better now knowing that everything is fresh. It's amazing what ONE bad wire can do to mess up your day. The other thing is, in relative terms, wiring is much cheaper then most other things in the boat.

[RidgeRunner]

Shrek you got game. SMKINAN I agree about the cost, plus it is something that anyone can do, if they choose to take the time.

[Shrek]

So after last nights grind, I only have to wire in the chartplotter and the courtesy lights and shrink, loom, and secure my new wiring harness. I'm so glad this is almost over. I'm looking forward to running the snot out of this old girl this weekend, get the numbers for the new prop, and catching some specs and redfish. I've only put a few specs in the boat since I've had it, so I'm averaging about $2,000 per pound for fish right now. I'm fixing to drop that average this weekend.