Cockpit Ignition Switch

[bumblefish]

Hi, I have an original Bukh DV10, 1974, with ignition in the saloon. I sail single handed most of the time and was considering having the starter switch duplicated in the cockpit. Is it possible to set this up with a direct draw from the engine battery so that I can bypass the battery selector switch?

 

[Spyro]

Yes it's easy to do. Is it just a starter buttom you have or a key switch? .Just fit a starter button somewhere convenient in the cockpit and run two wires from there to where the switch is just now. cut the two wires off the switch and connect them to the wires you have run from the new switch. Or if you want to be really clever and want to be able to start with either switch just connect the two new wires on to the two old ones without removing them from the existing switch. I don't quite understand why you want to bypass the battery selector switch. Don't you just have it on all the time when onboard?

 

[[163233]]

Before I sold the boat I was considering the same. But you have to replicate the key switch or the alarms would go constantly, then a push for the starter, and you'd want the stop somewhere in the cockpit as well.

You quickly reach the point where you might as well just move the whole panel.

 

[Spyro]

I can see the benefit of having the starter button in the cockpit near the throttle. If it's anything like my yanmar it needs a lot of throttle to start when cold. If the starter is in the saloon and you have giving it a bit of throttle to start by the time you get yourself to the throttle from the starter button it's revving itself to death. Stopping isn't so important to be able to do from the cockpit.

 

[bumblefish]

Hi, I meant to imply that I want to starat from the engine battery but I usually only have the domestic battery active when under sail therefore I would still need to go below to change to the engine battery? And yes I have a a key switch.

 

[Spyro]

I always use the domestic to start the engine if that is what is on after sailing or anchor etc. It's going to need a bit of charge put back into it anyway. Only if it didn't start would I switch to the starter battery. If I've been away and everything is switched off then I'd use the dedicated starter. Now wait for someone to say battery switches are the work of the devil and have no place on a boat

 

[Stemar]

When I fitted the "new VP2003 to Jissel, I didn't have the electronics, so I simply everything in the simplest way possible. Oil pressure and water temp each with a positive feed from the "ignition" switch via a warning light with buzzer in parallel to the sensor on the engine, the charge warning much the same to the appropriate terminal on the alternator.

When I moved the starter controls to the cockpit a couple of years ago, I ran the "ignition" feed from the common on the 0-1-2-both switch that controls the supply to the starter, which is in the saloon, behind locked washboards when I'm not on board. When we leave the mooring, I turn the 0-1-2-both switch to 1 (2 & both are purely for emergencies) and I've got everything I need to start or stop the engine a foot from the throttle. The 0-1-2-both switch stays on 1 all the time we're out, and is only turned off when we've finished with the engine for the trip. Far better than having to drop everything and put my head down into the saloon because I've got a container ship bearing down on me!

 

[VicS]

Hi, I meant to imply that I want to starat from the engine battery but I usually only have the domestic battery active when under sail therefore I would still need to go below to change to the engine battery? And yes I have a a key switch.

Your problems stem from the fact that you have a "battery selection switch" However you wire a remote key switch , start button or whatever, it will be the selected battery which supplies the cranking current.

There are two ways of solving this

One is to separate the domestic systems from the engine systems , making the batteries dedicated domestic and engine start batteries with separate isolation switches ( and an emergency crossover switch). Charging would be via a VSR , a Victron Argofet or a Sterling A to B charger.

The other way is to adopt the American way of running everything from the main batter bank,, including engine starting, re-designating the present starter battery as " emergency start ". It could be charged as above
Doing this would continue to use the present battery selector switch.

The first option will be considered the better by folks this side of the Atlantic who seem to believe htat battery selection switches are inventions of the devil.

I believe you will find the "American" system is described in Calder's book