Boat Updat Wiring Adventure

[Haughton]

I have a 1999 19' Pro Gator that I bought used around 15 years ago. It came with a flasher in the bow, eagle finder helm and a 12/24 65lb trolling motor. Good stuff for its day.

Jump to more recent years, replacing troller with a terrova 80lb, hds 7 gen 3 vs eagle, added a radio, added usb chargers, higher gph pumps...etc, I started noticing odd behavior, for instance, the hds 7 would randomly freeze or reboot(hot to the touch), radio gets hot and shuts off, usb randomly stop charging and random fuses blowing. Trolling motor will trip breaker if I run it long on high. Higher gph pumps didn't see much better even with bigger hoses and boat exit bung.
Not all the time, but often enough to be frustrating almost always later in the day.

Added 24v and 12v gauges last year to monitor voltages and both are at the bow, farthest away from batteries. What I found that if I turned on the livewell pump while the radio and hds is running, the gauge would drop over a volt. Later in the day it would drop 2 volts. For instance 12v to 10v.....not good. Or if I ran bilge and aerator together...

I like to fish from can't see to can't see, couple of trips a month. Not a tournament guy, but fun, chill, just happy to be on the water, unwind stress type fishing. Random, intermittent issues kinda take away from the stress relief.

It's time to do some electrical updates as the old wiring just can't supply the power needed to keep everything happy. Not to mention, not safe. Soapbox: Check your fire extinguisher.

Boat really needs carpet, but will have to push to next year. Feel electrical is now a priority. Soooo... bought a bunch of updates.

Replacing 8awg with 6awg for terrova with new 60amp breaker, had the old thermal type.
Re-purposing 8awg for power to new fusepanel and bow with new 60amp breaker.
3 new batteries with new connections and safety covers(didn't have before)
Terminal blocks and some hdpe boards that I will cut up for mounting. Using terminal blocks instead of butt connectors
New rocker covers as most have lost their print
New speakers
Copper dremel brushes to clean all connecting points, switches, gauges...etc. Don't want to grind them, just clean up surfaces.
Dielectric grease, THIN layer on connections to keep the corrosion down.
New ring and spade terminals for everything, they have glue lined 3:1 heat shrink
12awg wiring for most everything, switch jumpers, gauges...etc. overkill, I get it.

Td;Dr I'm updating electrical....would like to share that adventure

[Haughton]

Here is what I'll be dealing with.

Old fuse panel(being replaced) and just a lot of bad. Butt splices, taped up wires, cheap connectors with plastic insulation.....etc. hot mess and I will say I inherited some of this but some is self inflicted. Hey, I did buy a new horn.....just saying.

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Bow panel, just as bad. Yes, at one time I used speaker wire. My bad, let's fix it

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Speakers..
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Helm panel. Will have to pull it later for photo. Every time I pull the cover off the boat today, it rains. Put cover back on, it stops. Grrrrr.
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Here is most everything that I purchased
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Also bought a noco genpro 3 bank that replaced a dual pro 2 bank

[nicapopolis]

Awesome. Enjoy the project! I wired my brother's boat last year, did some wiring in my boat earlier this year and I might be buying a pond boat soon so probably more wiring coming up!

[Haughton]

Rain again today so just sittin on the patio watching videos and making new switch jumpers.

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[bqtoot]

I see you have some relays, terminal strips and fuse block. You making a relay board for your switches? Those really help to organize wiring and make them safer.

[Boostr]

This is what I have been doing the past 2 weekends. Definitely taking longer than I expected, but needed to be done. GLHF...

[Haughton]

Going to use three relays for the bilge and two livewell pumps. Pull back the wires for them now and use them to energize the relays. Then 10 awg to terminal blocks for them. Don't like butt connectors and it will be easier to replace pumps.

Thinking is this will totally remove them from taking power from other items except for the milliamps to run the coils. Leave those original wires in place just replacing their spade connectors.


Relay for main power(fusebox) instead of a battery cutoff with a breaker at battery.

Second relay for main power as backup, just in case. Both power relays on a main/off/aux rocker switch.

[Haughton]

This is what I have been doing the past 2 weekends. Definitely taking longer than I expected, but needed to be done. GLHF...

Thanks. Gonna take time. Only issue is that at 55, I'm not as bendy as I used to be. Nowadays, one wrong stretch and that weekend is done.

[bobcoy]

Wait till you are 75! You will really see what not bendy is. Don’t wait that long. Bob

[Boostr]

Thanks. Gonna take time. Only issue is that at 55, I'm not as bendy as I used to be. Nowadays, one wrong stretch and that weekend is done.

Pfft, I'm 50 and I'm at that point

[Haughton]

First task, use old trolling motor wire to pull new wire. Easy enough? Nope, about 3 feet in, it pulls apart and can't reach old wire and it won't push back. Now no way of getting new wire to the front.

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Bought this $12 25' tape and the better part of 20 minutes getting it to the front from back of boat. About 3 feet from back(where old wire got stuck) is a 1 to 1 1/2" pvc pipe that is glassed into the hull. Not sure why it doesn't extend all the way back...

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Attached new wire to tape

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Cut up an old metal hanger to attach wire to tape, generous amount of black tape and Success!! Appears I have enough 6awg left over, so I will use the extra for electronics/accessories on other side of boat to go from battery, to breaker, to fuse box at console...then use old 8awg from there to bow....Bonus!

[Haughton]

Time to put in new noco genpro 10X3.

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Found extra holes behind old charger that will need filled

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After cleaning up around the old holes with a razor blade and some sand paper. Will use this tool to chamfer the holes. This will give the epoxy some extra room to grab and I can wipe even with surface.

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Holes cleaned up. Ready for epoxy

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Look after marine epoxy added

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Used this hydraulic crimper to make a jumper for trolling batteries and wire to bow.

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Tinned connectors and glue filled heat shrink. Looks good so far

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Bow crimps

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After heat shrink

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Voltage check good. Plugged terrova in and no smoke, just the normal beep. Just what I wanted to hear.....

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Semi final look. Was able to use a ledge right above batteries for breaker. New battery straps installed. Need to get wiring off bubbler then trolling motor side is complete.


Will start on accessorie/electronic side next.
Is there interest in pics and such? Otherwise I can end it here.

Thanks for lookin

[Haughton]

Well crap. Went to plug in charger and I never hooked to batteries, and didn't install new noco plug by motor. More to do tomorrow

[Haughton]

Got to work on the boat some.

At the bow, have radio, switches, volt meters...etc. not bad but some shady crimps and speaker wire that needs addressed.
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Close up of a switch, years of buildup on terminals
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Another switch
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Hit them with a soft brass wheel. Don't want to grind but clean
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Tried to make neg and pos jumpers for switches, but couldn't get a double wire to work in the terminals. Sooo, everything is connected using terminal blocks. Just some epoxy to hold them in place
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Everything is still loose, but mostly complete for power/grounds. Little dielectric on terminals.

Next is running new 12awg wiring for each circuit from console to bow.

Once all wiring is complete, last thing will be to push terminals into place, arrange wires, tighten screws and wire tie up.

Bought some wiretie pads that I will epoxy into place to keep wires secure. Imagine what your wiring is doing when your slapping waves at wot.

[Haughton]

Behind the console switch panel... not bad, not good.
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Hmmm...5 grounds piggy backed together
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Removed 4000 wires ties and 30lbs of black tape, everything dropped down including old fuse panel.
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Sooo, ever have those moments where you think "What have I gotten myself into"? Sitting on passenger seat taking that picture, was a good example.

The picture above makes the task look complicated. It's not. If you are re-wiring your boat, remember that it is just wiring and switches. Generally speaking, each switch has a ground, power and result wiring. No ground if switch has no lighting. Result is something turned on or off(pump), or you energized a relay(tilt/trim). Easy enough, but gets tricky when you have multiple switches doing same function. For instance, livewell switch at bow connected to livewell switch at console.

If you choose. You could just do one circuit at a time to keep things straight in your head.
Not me, lol. Here is everything that I cut out so far.
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Looking better already
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Now it's time to figure out where to install new fuse panel, relays and terminal blocks

[wgammill]

That is tedious work but you are doing a great job. Really enjoy looking at these threads and seeing the craftsmanship you guys put into it,

[Haughton]

That is tedious work but you are doing a great job. Really enjoy looking at these threads and seeing the craftsmanship you guys put into it,

Thank you... hopefully a long lasting reward

[sfstorm]

Looking good.. Lots of work but the end result will be worth it. It's nice to know when you flip a switch that pump or light will work. Plus you will know where to look if there ever is a problem down the road. Keep up the good work and keep the pictures coming.

[Haughton]

Frustrating that steering wheel is in the way when working under the dash even though it tilts. I removed the steering wheel and thought, why not pull the whole dash.
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What a mess. There are splices every where.

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Never removed steering before. Removed last bolt and the steering cables and gear box promptly fell to the floor. Luckily, I was on my knees and not butt sitting, that would have hurt.

Installed two thermal blocks. Decided to do these behind switch panel to keep them out of the way.

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This will split pos/neg from battery to bow and to fuse box. Will also handle all grounds and power to switches. Will leave enough slack to be able to pull switch panel and work comfortably. Before. It wouldn't pull out very far

In the picture, the steering cables fell hard on newly installed terminal blocks. They will move back out of the way once steering is re-installed. Hey, the epoxy held....lol

During the re-wire, I'm trying not to make anymore holes in boat(screws), or use butt connectors or splices.

[Slicefixer]

"Sooo, ever have those moments where you think "What have I gotten myself into"?"
Great job so far!


Hehehe.....been "there," MANY times.....hehehe. The original electrical drawing/plan was expanded, considerably. Ended up being over 30 circuits wired/rewired.....and that was just the start of the rebuild journey.....addicting....😉



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