Boat rewiring

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Part of my winter plans includes the rewiring of a 38-year old boat, 32 feet long, that has not been sailed much over the last 12 years and not at all over the last 7. I do not have a circuit 'as installed' and think that a complete rewiring from scratch is the only sensible way to go.

I need a good book to keep at hand and one that I have borrowed from the library, "Boat Electrical Systems" (Dag Pike) seems good but is nearly twenty years old now. Can someone recommend a better or more modern book that is, perhaps, more up to date?

TIA.

 

[lukecsmith]

Part of my winter plans includes the rewiring of a 38-year old boat, 32 feet long, that has not been sailed much over the last 12 years and not at all over the last 7. I do not have a circuit 'as installed' and think that a complete rewiring from scratch is the only sensible way to go.

I need a good book to keep at hand and one that I have borrowed from the library, "Boat Electrical Systems" (Dag Pike) seems good but is nearly twenty years old now. Can someone recommend a better or more modern book that is, perhaps, more up to date?

TIA.

Ive found this book fantastic. Couldnt be better written, covers everything, and loads of very good diagrams.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Practical-B...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317028601&sr=1-1

 

[Quidi Vidi]

Ive found this book fantastic. Couldnt be better written, covers everything, and loads of very good diagrams.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Practical-B...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317028601&sr=1-1

+1
I wouldn't be without this book, it has become my bible for all things electrical. Did a complete rewire of the charging/starting circuits, adding a VSR and leisure battery and solar panel using this book and I'm a complete novice. Also had plenty of help and advice from forumites on here
Good luck

 

[sarabande]

Nigel Calder's book, Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual is fun as a solid academic reference book.

The 12-volt Bible for Boats by Miner K. Brotherton and Ed Sherman is probably the unfriendliest book ever written on the subject.


Are you going to use a CAD or graphics program to do the theoretical and as-built diagrams ? I have a similar project, and would be happy to share a program which I use.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Are you going to use a CAD or graphics program to do the theoretical and as-built diagrams ? I have a similar project, and would be happy to share a program which I use.

At this time I am still at the 'back-of-an-envelope' stage. I don't have any software though for when the time comes to proceed towards the next stage. The present wiring is Old with a capital 'O' and it is driving me nuts. I did manage to get the engine to run, although that is as far as I have ventured. I think that there are some dodgy contacts, which are giving me intermittent faults. To further compound matters, the previous (late) owner used to be a radio amateur when he still had his eyesight and therefore there must be loads of wires that are of no use to me.

Thanks very much for your kind offer to share. I believe that you already have my email address; if not I can PM it to you.

 

[SvenglishTommy]

I completly rewired my 35 year old 28'er a few years back and found The Marine Electrical and Electronics Bible to be invaluable.

Calder is great but for a complete rewire you probably need something a little more in depth.

 

[yerffoeg]

rewiring

I completely rewired a few years ago using one of Merlin's systems.
http://www.merlinequipment.com/markets/group.asp?groupid=30
It has worked perfectly ever since. The emphasis is on quality so you have to be prepared to pay for it.

I bought all the above books, and many others, but IMHO Don Casey's book on boat electrics is the best of the bunch.