# Wiring Help



## regrap (Aug 29, 2010)

I recently bought a 14 ft v that came with the trolling motor and 15 hp johnson. I bought a fish finder for it but I would like to clean up the existing wiring and throw in a fuse panel. It currently just has a battery that sits in a battery box in the back but I would like to put the battery on the front to redistribute the weight. I guess what I'm after is what is the beat way to keep the wiring clean, meaning I don't have wires strewn all over the boat and covered in painted duct tape. Is there a good way to hide them? What's the best way to keep all this clean? How would you build the fuse/switch box that it would all come into?

Thanks


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## jixer (Aug 29, 2010)

If you have a rib down the side, I just used 3/4 electrical pvc. Heated it with a heat gun and formed it to the shape of the boat, then attached it with 3m 5200 in a few spots so it wouldnt trap water. In the back I switched to 3/4 non metalic sealtight (It glues in pvc fittings) and used a weatherproof bell box for the junction of the trolling motor, fishfinder, and lighting switches. I built a battery compartment out front, but if I were going to leave it open, I would have ran the pvc to a pvc electical tub and put the fuse blocks in there.


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## Hanr3 (Aug 30, 2010)

Nice and clean install. 

I did my wiring when I remodeled the boat. 
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6902&start=40

Starts on page 5 of my build. 
I too used pvc electrical conduit, although I bured it under my floor. I also used a commercial fuse/switch panel and build my own box.


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## regrap (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks for the info. This has really been helpful. What is the best way to secure the battery up front? Would either of you suggest fabricating a battery box out of wood or aluminum, or would you just a stick with the typical plastic battery box?

Thanks for your help.


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## KRS62 (Aug 31, 2010)

regrap said:


> Thanks for the info. This has really been helpful. What is the best way to secure the battery up front? Would either of you suggest fabricating a battery box out of wood or aluminum, or would you just a stick with the typical plastic battery box?
> 
> Thanks for your help.



The guy I bought my boat from rivet a small piece of aluminum under the front deck and there are 2 strap holders to hold it down. I recently replaced some of the rivets and strap a holder. It works pretty good and takes a holds the battery in there well when the boat takes a beating when rough.

KRS


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## Bassman018 (Sep 4, 2010)

I have seen people use PVC tubes down the side of the boat and you can use one of these https://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10212443____SearchResults for the batteries I think that would make it really clean thats what I plan on doing for my boat when I start building.


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## regrap (Sep 22, 2010)

I'm still trying to get everything together to start the electrical on this boat, but it's been one busy summer. I think things are finally starting to settle down and I'll have some time to get this done. Just a couple of questions... If I put the battery up front and then run wire through the pvc would I have the positive and negative terminate at the switch panel or are you supposed to have them run into something else first? What gauge of wire should I use to run from the battery to the switch panel? Can I run wires from the switch panel to the troller motor? What gauge of wire would you use for your nav lights, fish finder, trolling motor, etc.?

Any ideas or pictures would be very helpful.

Thanks again!


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## Hanr3 (Sep 22, 2010)

Lets break the circuits apart into three groups.
group 1 is the Trolling motor, the recommended method is to install a circuit breaker at or near the battery, run bith a positive and negative wire straight to the trolling motor and make your connections. No switch, and no need to go to the panel for the other circuits. I also highly recommend you dont add any electronics to this wiring. The motor will make electrical noise and screw with your electronics. 

Group 2- is your safety devices, overhead light, bow light, bilge pump. 
The best way to rig your night lights (overhead light- commonly called an anchor light, its the one that must be 3' higher than the bow light and is located on the back of the boat) should have its own switch setting so you can turn it on all by itself while anchored for night fishing, or spending the night. This leave the bow light off so you it doesnt draw power.
The bow light must be on while the boat is moving. typically people install a three way switch, flip it one way and only the anchor light comes on, flip it the other way and both ligths come on, in the middle both are off. Me I put them both on the same switch, they both come on at the same time. There are advantages to wiring each light seperately, its a safety thing. If you lose power to one of the light sfor whatever reason, you will still ahve power to the other and thus other boats will be able to see you. I have each light on one fuse, however the wire running to each light goes from teh light back to the fuse. If I ever have a problem in that wire, I can disconnect it from teh fuse and keep the other light on. 

Bilge pump, should be set up to come on automatically, and it should also have an override switch. I have a fused power wire for the auto on feature, and a fused power wire for the override switch. Again its a safety thing.


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## Hanr3 (Sep 22, 2010)

Group 3- everthing else. Livewell pump, livewell airator pump, accessory outlets, general boat lighting, radio, fish finder, GPS, etc. To calculate the proper size wire to run from the battery to the switch panel you need to know the load of each circuit on the panel, most panels will have a maximum rated load, wire according to that. 
All of the wiring in group 3 can be accomplished with 16 gage unless your boat is more than 20' long, except the wire feeding the switch panel. A #10 or #12 should be sufficeint. I used 25' of trailer wiring for all my group 3 wiring needs. It's $10 for 4 conductors 25' long. Each wire is color coded, and they are attached to each other, make running them much easier. 

you need a fuse or circuit breaker for each circuit. I would put the livewell, and airator pumps on thier own circuit, motors draw more power when starting than they do while running. 
I would put the fishfinder on its own circuit, they get goofy when you introduce them to "noise" in the electrical. Noise comes from motors. 

This is getting pretty confusing isnt it. 

Its really simple if you think of each device and it circuit one at a time.
Simple cicruit= battery, wire, fuse, switch, device (light, Fishfinder, motor, etc). 
Power runs from positive to negative. One wire brings the power and the other returns it to the battery. The fuse protects things from starting a fire in case of a short, the switch allows you to control when its on/off. Its taht simple. 

I think its about page 5 of my build, build link in my sig.


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