Re-Wiring and unrelated projects

billbalme · #1 (**permalink**) 09-18-2008

One boat project leads to another... I'm planning to bring Toodle-oo! home for the winter in order to do some significant work on her - which will include tearing out the stand-up nav station and replacing it with a more usual version (thereby creating a sitting place and decent access to the quarterberth).

I have a battery and a voltage regualtor under the nav station - so they'll have to be relocated - planning to move all the batteries forward to the seat locker aft of the head. Moving the solar panel regualtor makes me think of upgrading the old (half working) Ampel battery monitor with a newer system - which means some significant re-wiring of the whole charging circuitry.

So then I think about rewiring the whole boat - I hate the spaghetti behind the main panel...

So... as I seriously think about re-wiring the boat, it strikes me that it might ease the whole project if I remove the floor - facilitating an orderly replacement of wire runs. Am I getting excessive?

Questions for the team:
1. Will removal of the floor ease the wiring process significantly?
2. How easy is it to remove the floor - in a manner which will allow it to be put back (It's in good shape) - or is it glued down as well as screwed in place?
3. Once I've pulled the floor out, how many other projects am I likely to find?
4. How necessary is it to re-wire a 25 year old boat? (We're planning a circumnavigation starting in 2011.)

Appreciate your thoughts...

Bill
s/v Toodle-oo!
PSC 37 #148

pelen · #2 (**permalink**) 09-19-2008

Bill,

Removing the floor should not be necessary. You should have plenty of access through access hatches and can probably remove section over fuel tank. You may also take into consideration the distance from your charging source (alternator) and location of battery banks. I would keep batteries as close to source as practical. Good luck on your project!

John

arisatx · #3 (**permalink**) 09-23-2008

Hi Bill

Sorry I can't answer your specific questions - but on our 2000 PSC37, indeed the house bank is in the settee just abaft the bulkhead on the stbd side, and the starter battery is in the forward-most end of the rear quarterberth (just behind the nav station seat).

I'm guessing that it's desirable to have the starter battery closer to the engine due to higher current demands...

Are you tidying up or installing some new electrical gear / electronics?

You may already be aware of Ben Ellison's blog Panbo, which I've found to be a great source of information on marine eletronics and electrical systems.

Good luck and keep us posted on your project!

jnewcomer · #4 (**permalink**) 10-12-2008

A few re-wiring tips from doing an older C37 (1981).

Some of my original wiring was un-tinned copper and had turned green. I replaced all this. Any tinned copper wiring in good shape I left in place. All crimp and solder connections should be checked and redone if necessary. I recrimped all connections behind the breaker panel just for good measure (AC & DC).

Putting a hinge on the bottom of the wood frame around the breaker panel makes it a lot easier to open up the wiring space to work.

You can pull new wires through the PVC wiring channel in the bilge by running some 1/8" dacron lines first then gooping up the new wires with lanolin. When you pull a new wire through pull another line with it so you have a line in place to pull the next wire. I also relocated the house batteries forward as mentioned along with a Heart 1500 Inverter and ran all the cables and wires this way. I didn't remove any of the cabin sole but it is a long reach of the arm to steer wires around. One more small cabin sole access panel below the chart table would have made it a lot easier.

In the older C37's a group 24 starting battery in a battery box will fit under the chart table seat along with a 150A fuse. It's a little cramped but it works and it a pretty short run to the starter. I put a Perko vent in the forward face of this locker.

Hope this is of some use.

John Newcomer
s/v Pelagic (1981 C37)

billbalme · #5 (**permalink**) 10-21-2008

Anyone know how many Trojan 105 batteries would be able to fit into the seat locker jast aft of the head? I'm wondering if it would be possible to fit 6 there?

Bill

Freesail99 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-21-2008

Quote:

Anyone know how many Trojan 105 batteries would be able to fit into the seat locker mast aft of the head? I'm wondering if it would be possible to fit 6 there?

6? How much electronics and lights are you planning on putting in the boat and better yet, how do you plan on charging the 6 batteries?

billbalme · #7 (**permalink**) 10-22-2008

I currently have 2 8D's and a group 31 for the house bank. They're in miserable shape so I'm planning to replace and go with the Trojans - relocating them for various reasons. For the next couple of years I'll be coastal cruising, so figure 4 will fit the bill nicely, but when we head off, I figure more is better.

Charging them is an issue - I have a high output alternator, windbugger and solar panel...

You're right, it's probably overkill - but I'll figure out if 6 is even a possibility when I bring her home...

Bill