Electrics on a small boat

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josephmoore

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www.josephmoore.co.uk
Chaps, I am torn. My boat is a bilge keel Hurley 22 of crusty vintage. The electrics on board are knackered and need replacing or ripping out entirely. I can't decide whether to power the boat with AA batteries or to reinstate the electrics and have everything wired in. I like to keep things simple, which is leaning me toward the AA option but I don't feel convinced for some reason.

I already have battery charging Suzuki 8hp that has charging and a solar trickle charger, plus a decent 70Ah battery so if I go down the fixed electrics route that cost is not an issue.

Navigation lights - currently fitted with port, starboard, stern and steaming lights. All old, probably junk. This is giving me the most cause for thought as being under 7m all I need to show is one all-round white which could be done with tiny batteries and a masthead LED unit, but I do sail out of the river Medina and feel it's only fair to show the best lighting I can given the variety of traffic in a small space.

Depth sounder - don't have one, might have one at some point perhaps. Easier with proper wired in electrics?

GPS & VHF - both handheld.

Cabin lighting - battery torches, though for some reason I like the idea of fixed lighting in sensible places rather than propping torches up.

Phone charging - a fixed 12v cigarette lighter would be handy, but I have various portable chargers which do the job.

Thoughts welcome!
 
Personally I would rather install/reinstate a simple fixed installation. An all round white might satisfy the legal requirement but is it good practice on boat of your size? Your cable costs are not going to be that great even if you use tinned cable. A couple of nav lights and some low profile LED fitments fot inside, a switch panel and a couple of cigar lighter sockets. Most could be bought from boat jumbles or caravan suppliers.
 
Regardless of which way you go, you many want to consider something like this for lighting:

http://www.costco.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/cos_2,cos_2.2,cos_2.2.3/132521

They run on AAA batteries, are pretty bright, remote control & individual click, and can be stuck anywhere. I use them as back up lighting for the cockpit and cabin. Woudn't want to use them every day as they'd get through a lot of batteries, but good for occasional use.
 
If you have a decent battery and charging appropriate for your boat you are most of the way there. I'd go for a proper simple system. I will be useful while you have the boat and increase its value and ease of selling if you decide to move on.
 
I agree with Mr McDoon. A simple electrical system can be, erm, simple, and it's much easier only to have to worry about one big battery than about the state of lots of small ones. On my last boat, which was 21' long, I fitted a basic electrical system: battery and switch/fuse panel supplying two cabins lights, two masthead lights, VHF and echo sounder. I didn't have any charging on board; I just carried a battery charger and a winning smile with me.
 
Surely it is all down to where, when and how you sail?

If you sail in known waters, on long summer days and spend the time sailing and not on the phone then the answer is to keep it as simple as possible.

Ask yourself how many nights you have spent at sea over the past few years.

Battery, not 12v powered. IMO.
 
Do it. Hurley 22 nice boat. As said, you have a lot of the kit already.

Battery in aft stbd locker so outboard in well can charge it.

Isolation switch.

Big fuse.

Good wires along inside stbd side to distribution panel. Pacer marine on ebay sell ok ones - no link with me - I'd rather sell you my own gear, but you are a long way from me or I'd come and do it for you at cost of parts only to get me started.

Negative to bus bar - see thread on hereabouts about bus bars.

Distribution panel has MCBs in it instead of fuses. Personally I'd back them up with inline fuses further down the line, but I am a belt and braces and then another belt type of person.

2 decent LED lights on heat sinks mounted up high _ driven by constant current device _ or use ordinary filament bulbs but check wires are up to carrying amperage _ or use the AA little lights mentioned.

But then you have elect. for nav lights - essential.

and you have it ready for radio (handhelds have limited range) echo sounder etc.

All down about 6 foot of starboard side of aft hull.

All of above is simplified but get a book from library (or 3 _ others may be able to tell you titles, I can't remember, pbo I think published a good easy to understand one) and it will be a satisfying job this winter.
 
Thanks guys; all good advice.

Nav lights have been playing on my conscience the most. I don't sail at night often, but plan on sailing through the winter and the chances of arriving home after dusk are possible. It more or less happened once already this year as I forgot to take the high water stand into account when scrubbing off and picked up the mooring after the sun had gone down. Having watched a small commercial ship come past I wasn't feeling particularly clever about it with just a handheld torch on board. The river entrance passing through Cowes is a hectic place at the best of times with strong tides and large vessels coming and going so I know a single white might be legal but you guys are right - I should be as visible as is practical.

So that leans toward a fixed system. I think I was probably just being lazy in trying to avoid it.

Battery can be stashed somewhere in the cabin where it is dry and secure. It was in the starboard cockpit locker when I got the boat which was a nightmare. It rattled around and got wet, plus took up valuable space. I'd rather have nice big fenders and ropes in there. Easy enough to run a cable back to the well with a decent waterproof connector I think.

Decent handhelds can be screwed onto the aerial that runs up the mast if it's a problem, right? (or wrong?) I sail in the Solent or coastal waters so am never going to struggle for range. Friends have more comfortable boats for venturing across the channel.

I need to get my arse in gear and buy a decent multimeter...
 
I have the Hurley 20. Very easy to install electrics. I have my leisure battery in my starboard locker with 2 core wire (fused) rigged up to a distribution panel in the cabin. I have Nav lights, steaming lights and Nasa log, depth, gps and electronic compass. The outboard charges the battery, as does a solar panel.
 
josephmoore said:
Thanks guys; all good advice.

Nav lights have been playing on my conscience the most. I don't sail at night often, but plan on sailing through the winter and the chances of arriving home after dusk are possible. It more or less happened once already this year as I forgot to take the high water stand into account when scrubbing off and picked up the mooring after the sun had gone down. Having watched a small commercial ship come past I wasn't feeling particularly clever about it with just a handheld torch on board. The river entrance passing through Cowes is a hectic place at the best of times with strong tides and large vessels coming and going so I know a single white might be legal but you guys are right - I should be as visible as is practical.

So that leans toward a fixed system. I think I was probably just being lazy in trying to avoid it.

Battery can be stashed somewhere in the cabin where it is dry and secure. It was in the starboard cockpit locker when I got the boat which was a nightmare. It rattled around and got wet, plus took up valuable space. I'd rather have nice big fenders and ropes in there. Easy enough to run a cable back to the well with a decent waterproof connector I think.

Decent handhelds can be screwed onto the aerial that runs up the mast if it's a problem, right? (or wrong?) I sail in the Solent or coastal waters so am never going to struggle for range. Friends have more comfortable boats for venturing across the channel.

I need to get my arse in gear and buy a decent multimeter...
Click to expand...

You could consider using a set of three battery powered LED emergency navigation lights for your navigation lighting. The lights come complete with light shields that give the correct visual arcs for the respective light colours making them ideal for smaller vessels under 7 metres. Recent development of the product has changed the light output from very poor to excellent. The construction of these ubiquitous fixtures is robust, waterproof and they float. The original was good quality and value but let down badly by the standard incandescent lamp used in them.

Regards
 
I would say stick with nav lights as fitted. If you can get them going. All you need in my opinion is a single fuse at the battery for all loads. ie 5 amps. Make sure all wiring can take 5 amps without getting hot. Fit an isolation switch then just a switch for nav lights and cabin light. This little guy is bril;liant for cabin. Sticky back just stick to cabin roof with wires to the switch. http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-1...lb-Car-Roof-Lamp-Cold-White-Lamp-p-43996.html
I think you will always be better off with 12v lead acid battery for power. good luck olewill
 
I ran a Leisure 17 for several years with battery, solar charging (5w), fixed VHF, handheld GPS with 12v adapter, internal light, masthead tricolour and anchor light which also served as steaming light. My outboard had no charging but the solar kept it charged nonetheless. I had each circuit individually fused through one of these http://www.force4.co.uk/1030/Force-4-Fused-6-Switch-Bakelite-Panel.html and a master switch http://www.force4.co.uk/1019/Force-4-Battery-Master-Switch.html . If I were doing it again, I would use LEDs for all lights. This would provide more of a safety margin. You could perhaps fit LEDs in your existing nav lights.
 
josephmoore said:
Decent handhelds can be screwed onto the aerial that runs up the mast if it's a problem, right? (or wrong?) I sail in the Solent or coastal waters so am never going to struggle for range. Friends have more comfortable boats for venturing across the channel.
Click to expand...
Yes, you can get an adaptor, so if you have a mast head aerial and good cable running into the cabin you are sorted. Just buy a good quality adaptor and get a friend with an SWR meter to check the cable to the mast head. You don't want to damage a good handheld radio.

Clean up contacts in nav light enclosures and fit LEDs _ buy your own LEDs and make them fit, don't waste money on 'replacement bulbs' _ hugely overpriced and it is so easy to make good reliable LED replacements yourself.
 
I have just bought a Dufour T6 Trailer sailer.

The battery is in the bow locker presumably to counter the weight of the outboard. I have bought a newish Tohatsu Saildrive with 12v output which I have not wired up yet.

I like a 12v battery system but I 'mix and match' 12v and AA batteries to some extent.

Just bought a NASA Duet 12v log and sounder and I have an older Garmin 725 Hand Held VHF. This can be powered by 3 different sources, 12v socket, rechargeable battery pack or AA pack as a back up.

I use Memory Map marine charts on my HTC HD2 smart phone with built in GPS. The charts were less than £50 for whole of UK absolutely brilliant resolution and I keep it in my pocket in a waterproof pouch on a lanyard.

I can use this on 12v socket or I have a solar charger to charge the phone.
 
!2volt

davidpbo said:
Beware of voltage drop and lack of mechanical strength if you use too thin a cable. For me I would use 1 or even 1.5mm. on my boat (24ft) I intend to replace the cable between battery and switch panel with something like 6mm to minimise volt drop. The fuse on the battery is 10 or 15A only.
Click to expand...

Yes I was aware of that thanks for the advice though, I have been thinking about the size of cable I should use.

I contacted Tohatsu direct to ask if a needed a Voltage Regulator but they said not it is only 5amps!! trickle charge. I think that is a lot if battery already charged up.

I think I may rejig the 12v sockets with line fuses to the the battery switch as well to release number if fuses on fuse board, I only have 4 fuses.

Peter
 
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