Wiring Set-Up - Suggestions

[Erik1990]

*Please be kind*

Hey guys. I mentioned in a recent post that I was finally repowering my Arima 16 Sea Chaser and I've finally decided on a motor. I decided on a Yamaha F70. It's going to be installed in January, and I'd like to make sure that my boat is in the best, or second best, possible order to have the engine installed electrically speaking.

This winter, I've prioritized the boat rewire, but most likely won't have enough time to complete it before the motor is installed. So, I'm looking for some immediate upgrades I can make now, so that I'm not putting my new motor/boat at risk. Forewarning, the electrical system is very rudimentary from what I've gathered.

The boats electrical system is powered by a 12v battery. When I bought the boat, every piece of electronics in the boat was hooked up directly to the post on the battery itself, including the negatives to the negative post. So, if the myriad of connections weren't removed, the battery would eventually die. I looked online and found a battery switch, installed that, and it's been working great. However, the battery switch is free floating. I've been doing a lot of research and I've come to realize that there are several issues with the way it's wired now, and a complete rewire is in store.

I need to know if there are any immediate safety related steps I can take now, so that I don't jeopardize my new motor. I don't plan on running the boat much until the rewire is complete. I've attached a diagram of what the current electrical system looks like.

[Fisherdv]

There needs to be fuses for all the wire runs. I would pull one wire run (fused as close as possible to the battery switch), to feed a helm Blue Seas fuse panel, and put a Blue Seas safety hub at the stern to feed the downriggers.

[AJFishin]

Congrats on picking a new motor, it's going to be worth it and then some!

Personally if you're starting on the rewire now, I would first gut the boat of all the old wire prior to your repower and once you get your boat back, then start with a fresh canvas and not rush or half ass it.
Between now and while your boats at the shop, I would carefully plan out your rewire, ask questions, buy all the needed items that go into a rewire, then be set up to do your complete job after you get your boat back from the shop. Once you have everything ready to go and you got your boat back, it should take about 3 days to do a basic rewire.
Imo, right now would be a great time to remove things you won't be using, address any issues on or in your boat prior to taking it to the shop like, cleaning it out, tightening screws, filling holes, etc.
Just my2cents.

[disposable]

Exactly^

[AlexB]

Oh man... You're in for an adventure. Check out my thread (Reworking my SC19's electrical system) - you'll find lots of good advice in there from the knowledgeable folks in this group.

Here's a before/after to give you a feel for what it takes to upgrade the super bare-bones Arima wiring to something that most folks would say is appropriate (i.e. two batteries, battery switch, appropriately sized conductors, charging relay, onboard charger, lots of fuses, etc, etc.). I'm almost done - just need to clean it up a little and make sure all the conductors are secured so they don't move around or vibrate too much.

I would strongly suggest tackling as much of this in one shot as possible rather than doing it in a piecemeal fashion. It's definitely challenging, and downright frustrating at times since you're working in such tight spaces. Better to do it once and do it right, if you ask me.

I ended up adding a Blue Sea Safety Hub 100 at the stern, along with a Blue Sea Add-A-Battery kit (battery switch and charging relay) and a negative bus bar. Up front, I swapped a Blue Sea fuse block in place of the rudimentary little fuse block that came on the boat. I also ran all new (larger) battery cables and new (larger) conductors to feed electronics, etc, up at the helm.

It took me quite a while to finish this, since I was just working on it 15 minutes here, hour there, etc... It would have taken a lot less time if I had been able to set aside a few days straight, but working in short stints minimized the frustration and gave my body a chance to recover from all the awkward twisted-up positions I put it in while running wires.

[Fisherdv]

May also be a good time to add a second battery.

[christianbrat]

May also be a good time to add a second battery.

+1 I agree. I run out on one, and then fish and run back in on another to keep them fresh (i have an ACR getting installed soon so that is to change) but I have used it camping, after drifting for a while with a few things powered on, and when i run my little 5hp kicker without an alternator and troll for hours.  its nice safety factor and helps lighten the load when wired with an ACR.

[Rk2fish]

Also if adding a second battery in a 16' SC, you might want to consider one up front to keep the weight down in back, especially if your planning on adding a kicker or bait tank.

[davidsea]

  Personal opinions on electrical systems:     On a 30 year-old rig, especially with the wiring you describe, I would replace every electrical device on the boat.   That would include lights, horn, wiper, bilge pump, switches, fuses....and ALL the wiring.  Trying to do a piecework rewire will be confusing and frustrating.  Dual batteries are a very good idea, and if you spend any time running where there aren't other boats nearby, just about a requirement.  Having two identical batteries - same size, type, manufacturer and age will make both of them work better and last longer.   Keep as much as possible out of the stern and up at the helm.  The only things I would wire aft are downriggers or a pot puller, run off a safety hub next to the battery.   Run a large-gauge power and ground (with a circuit breaker, not a fuse) forward to the helm, and do all of the fusing and switching there - that's usually the most protected place on the boat.   Install fuse block(s) at the back side of the helm-  in the cuddy - so you don't have to be a gymnast with a flashlight in your mouth to troubleshoot anything.    Each circuit should have its own fuse feeding the switch.   Have the ability to add at least 3 circuits without rewiring anything - for the stuff you haven't planned on but will absolutely need later.   BlueSea stuff is worth the extra money.   Don't use glass fuses anywhere, and import fuses are often junk - not a good place to cheap out.   Marine-grade (plated) wire is also worth the money.   Self-sealing heatshrink is your friend, as are quality crimp connectors.    m2c