[L124C]

Found this connection lurking in my boat, beneath the switch panel. Any guesses as to what it might have been for? Maybe a Loran?

I found a disconnected brown wire in my battery compartment years ago. Tried to trace it and it disappeared beneath the motor. It didn't seem to affect anything, so I labeled it as unknown and let it be. Finally traced it to the connector in the first picture. Strangely, the installers ran the wire forward on starboard to midships, crossed to port (under the motor) and returned it aft (adding about 25 feet to the run) for no apparent reason. Seems like they were not aware of a channel under the sole which would have made it about a 8 foot run, with a lot less hassle!

I traced the other wires from the connector forward on port as far as time would allow and clipped them (creating the mess in the second picture), but still don't know where they terminate.

Any ideas on the connector?

 

[Group9]

I had a Loran, years ago. I don't remember it having that many wires (things weren't networked back then like they are now) but maybe it did. A stereo maybe?

 

[jimgo]

Was the connector just hanging out, or was it connected to something?

 

[L124C]

Was the connector just hanging out, or was it connected to something?

It was disconnected and laying on the bottom of the boat. Looks like they disconnected whatever it was attached to, removed it, disconnected the brown from the batteries and simply left the connector and wires where they were. All the wires in the second picture were connected to the connector when I found it. I cut them to ease removal. So far, I only know that the brown wire went to the battery compartment, so I assume it was a hot.

Come to think of it, the brown spliced to a black under the motor, so I think it was probably the thick black in the picture. So...it looks like they needlessly made the run so long they ran out of black wire and simply continued with brown for a hot, when there was another brown wire in the harness.
Imagine trying to troubleshoot the unit (whatever it was), seeing a brown and black at the harness, a brown at the batteries, and no black!
BTW, the unnecessary splice was in the bilge under the motor! Could you pick a worse place to splice a wire? I'm no ace electrician and hate to criticize others "work", but c'mon!

It will be interesting to see where the other wires lead.

 

[SVTatia]

That looks like a butchered engine electrical harness that connects to the instrument panel.

 

[L124C]

That looks like a butchered engine electrical harness that connects to the instrument panel.

Interesting. The boat has a Yanmar now, but the original motor was a A4, so it might make sense. What would the wire to the battery be for?

 

[Maine Sail]

Found this connection lurking in my boat, beneath the switch panel. Any guesses as to what it might have been for? Maybe a Loran?

I found a disconnected brown wire in my battery compartment years ago. Tried to trace it and it disappeared beneath the motor. It didn't seem to affect anything, so I labeled it as unknown and let it be. Finally traced it to the connector in the first picture. Strangely, the installers ran the wire forward on starboard to midships, crossed to port (under the motor) and returned it aft (adding about 25 feet to the run) for no apparent reason. Seems like they were not aware of a channel under the sole which would have made it about a 8 foot run, with a lot less hassle!

I traced the other wires from the connector forward on port as far as time would allow and clipped them (creating the mess in the second picture), but still don't know where they terminate.

Any ideas on the connector?

Looks like the infamous Westerbeke/Universal "trailer plug" for the engine harness..