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Restoring an 1989 Sport 13; wiring is coming up and would appreciate advice. This is what I've come up with so far...
on/off battery switch at the battery box, Blue Sea 30 amp fuss block #5025 under the console, Cole Hersee 3 position/ 2 circuit push/pull switch, bow & stern lights, maybe a rule 500 gpm bilge pump (boat will live on trailer mostly so may not need this), fish finder in the future.
The wiring will go like this?...
battery positive to battery switch, battery switch to positive on fuss block, positive to light switch then to lights, neg from lights to neg on fuss block back to neg battery.
Does that sound right?
Would like advice on wire guage and connecting the outboard (2006 Mercury 25HP Bigfoot). Wiring did come with the throttle/shift control (looks straight forward, cable w/ multi prong connector)but no instructions on how to connect to battery!
I did print the 'Typical electrical diagram' from this site.
I sort of have the same question. I would like to re-wire my 17 foot Montauk, and am looking for a basic diagram of how things should go with what guage wires. I am leaving the stern and bow lights as is.
Basically there are no wiring diagrams as most all Classics did not come with any wiring at all except if you ordered the optional Navigation lights on some models. Others, Nav lights were included.
There are a couple types of wiring run on a boat,
First the connection from the Engine to it's starting battery
The engine if it is electronic start usually has a direct connection from the engine to the battery. There is a wire harness connection from the engine to the key switch which will usually have a purple wire for power to things like instruments (tach, fuel..) that you normally only want powered when the engine it running.
You then have the connection from from the other electronics (GPS, Radio...) to their power source. Depending on the number of items, distance from the battery or power source it's usually advisable to have a fuse panel, or really any distribution point where you can have one set of pos/neg feed from the battery feed multiple other end points.
The size of the wires required is a function of amps, distance and the expected voltage drop along the run. Here is a great calculator page that i use http://www.boat-project.com/tutorials...ulator.htm
Mitch, your accessory wiring sounds right. You are missing battery cables for the connection to the engine. If you remove the cowling, you should be able to find the starter and see the pos/neg connections You can get the part numbers by going to the online Merc parts catalog and reviewing the electrical components or calling your local dealer. Depending on where you plan to place the battery, you can also have a set of cables made
BSG, as a general rule, you want a pair of wires from the battery to a fuse panel and wires from the fuse panel to your accessories. The second set of wires is typically 16 gauge, the first depends on distance. Use the calculator to determine that based on where your battery is located.
Kamie,
I used the calculators; the marine wire size said 18ga, the voltage drop said 10ga, which do I go by?
What should I run from the battery to the fuss block?
Mercury Marine got me straightened out on connecting the battery to the motor.
Your wiring description is mostly correct. but not complete. All of the classic 13'-17' Whalers are easy and simple to rewire. The Blue Seas 6 gang fuse block, in either glass or blade fuse style, is a key component. Switched fuse panels are not necessary in small open boats like this. Here is one of mine, part of complete re-wiring of a classic Outrage 19: (and with much more circuits than a 13 would need)
Mount the fuse block somewhere out of view under the mahogany console, but where you can access and see the fuses.
The "house" wiring should be as follows for a 13'-17' Whaler:
1. There should be a 30 amp in-line fuse holder in the (+) coming right off the battery post and under the box cover.
2. A 10 gauge Ancor two wire cable then runs to the fuse block. Now you have power at the console and ready for up to 6 separately fused branch circuits, in your case Nav lights, bilge, GPS. power plug, horn, and maybe radio (if it does not have an in-line fuse holder of it's own). Out of these, only the Nav lights need a different configuration. The others simply connect to the (+) coming off the switch and (-) of the fuse block.
3.. Nav lights use the battery as the neg ground, not all the way back to the fuse block. On these Whalers, with bow light wiring running in the rubrail and coming thru the hull in the stern corner where the stern light pole and battery are located, there should be a small junction box which houses a 4 gang terminal strip. See here on my Montauk:
3. From the nav switch, you have two (+) wires running back to the light terminal block in the stern, one for bow lights, and one for stern light. Use a 2 cable 16 gauge ancor cable for this.
Now you have switched (+) for the llight connections.
4. To complete the Nav circuit, you need a short 16 gauge run back to the battery neg post. You can do this either with a separate black wire tied to the Ancor cable, or as I did, run the switched cable into the battery box, and splice on a short length of three wire cable to run up to the terminal block. In the photo, the neg is the top connection, the stern light is the 2nd and the bow light the 3rd. The 4th is not used. If there is a compass, on the smaller boats I recommend connecting it so the light comes on with the running lights - a separate compass switch is rarely needed, if at all.
5. The matching desert tan junction box is available from Twin Citites for a few bucks. It has to be drilled and notched as necessary. It completely covers where the bow light wires come throu the hull. For the stern light connector, I highly recommend the two wire "trailer style" flat connector.
With this type of wiring, you do not need those separate panel mount fues holders under each switch, a much more complicated and cluttered wiring configuration. Nor do you have the old style buss bar Whaler used to use. On the dash, you simply have the push-pull calssic switches. Like this:
Thank you all.
One last question(maybe)...
What do you recommend for battery brand? Like to use AGM but expensive, are they worth the money or will a lead acid do just as well? Mercury said I need 465 MCA or 350 CCA.
About to finish up my restoration project on my 1989 13 super sport and I have a question about the wiring and terminal block. The boat came with a 2 circuit 30 amp Blue Seas terminal block and a glass fuse holder mounted right below it. The fuse holder was totally corroded and not connected. Do I need one? The block is all rusty and the connections are all corroded. I am only going to hook up the running/anchor lights and the tach and maybe the bilge (since the original switch is in the dash. I bought a new terminal block (Blue Sea 2502) but want to get the cover that went over it that was original to the boat. I have seen the similar cover on a buddies identical 1989 13 super sport, but I cannot find one anywhere. It is grey and has the words "fuse cover" stamped on the front. There are 4 holes about 2 3/4 wide x 3 3/4 long. I took a pic of the existing terminal block that is currently in the boat. Any idea where I can get the cover? I want to protect the connections from splashing and any accidental contact.
Thanks Garry
Acid batteries generally a better choice for boats. They go through a lot of discharges and recharges. I would go with an acid battery with high cca. I think my smaller sized ones are at 600 cca.
Garry.......I see by your pictures that the wire connectors are not heat shrunk. Are they marine connectors or auto? Boat wiring should be with tinned heat shrink connectors and the wire should also be tinned.
The picture is what is currently on the boat. I will be switching all of the connectors to marine grade. Also looking for the plastic cover that goes over all of the wiring for protection.
