Complete rewiring

[mwrowan]

Anyone ever completely rewire their boat?

I spend about 2 hours fixing the electrical system for every hour out on the water.

It is an old boat but the hull is in great shape and I like the big open back deck. (I also don't have the $ for a new one)

Mike

 

[bc282]

Not a complete re-wire, but I replaced the main feed wires to the main fuse block under the helm, replaced the old block with a 12 position blue seas block and re-terminated most connections.
The Boat is my 2002 282 sAilfish.
Had I more time, I'd like to re-wire it all.
I recommend wire and supplies from genuine dealz.
I must admit I'm not a fan of Grady's wiring of that vintage and to re-wire not only because I had to but I have peace of mind that it's done right.

 

[seabob4]

I do it quite often in my sidework. Deck harnesses, hull harnesses, engine harnesses. I also recommend replacing switches and breakers as the corrosion that kills the wiring also gets into these.

It's not easy, but it's obviously doable...

For a boat like yours, I'd probably charge around $3000.

 

[mwrowan]

rewiring

Seabob, I wish I could do it but if I spent $3K on the wiring I would want to re-power with a 4-stroke (my mother in law was almost puking from the exhaust of that old beater)

And if I did that, I would be putting $12-14K into a boat that is worth $4K max?

Mike

 

[seabob4]

Mike,
That is the unfortunate aspect of owning a boat. To do a proper re-wire, you need the right materials, and considering all the switches and breakers are over 25 years old, they are ready for replacement too. I've seen corrosion so bad here in the Tampa Bay area that I've measured a voltage drop of 2V from one side of the breaker to the other! We have it pretty rough here (as you well know) from the increased salinity of the water to the gulf water temps and high humidity. They all take their toll on boat wiring, and it ain't cheap to replace it...

Good luck!

Bob

 

[Doc Stressor]

It's not a $3000 job on the older Gradies. I used to change all of the wiring and fuse blocks on my 1975 and 1986 Gradies every 3 years fishing out of Tarpon Springs years ago. It never took me more than a long day each time. I would replace the switches on an "as needed" basis and always carries spares. I never messed with the engine harnesses since I never had an engine last more than 4-5 years. My current 2008 Seafarer would be a lot more work.

BTW Mike, this is Doc from the west coast ImHooked forums. Shoot me a message if you have any specific questions about rewired an older Grady.

 

[seabob4]

It's not a $3000 job on the older Gradies. I used to change all of the wiring and fuse blocks on my 1975 and 1986 Gradies every 3 years fishing out of Tarpon Springs years ago. It never took me more than a long day each time. I would replace the switches on an "as needed" basis and always carries spares. I never messed with the engine harnesses since I never had an engine last more than 4-5 years. My current 2008 Seafarer would be a lot more work.

BTW Mike, this is Doc from the west coast ImHooked forums. Shoot me a message if you have any specific questions about rewired an older Grady.

So you could do a complete re-wire in a "long day"...that I'd like to see...

Hull harness, built and installed, old one yanked out. Deck harness, built and installed, old one yanked out. Engines de-rigged, old harnesses yanked out, new ones run. Engines re-rigged. Helm wiring (sorry, but corrosion doesn't stop at the end of a hull harness!) completely redone. Jumpers between the switches and the breakers, re-done... not to mention the switches and the breakers, which suffer from the same corrosion...

Dream on, buddy, must come from the Joe Bertine school of wiring...y'know, Red Level?

 

[mwrowan]

Engine Harness

Seabob, he said he never messed with the engine harness.

But I agree 1 day is a stretch. Maybe 2 long days with help.

Mike

 

[BobP]

There are sources for wiring, very economical, like genuinedealz.com.

And I mean very economical in price, top grade tinned fine strand marine, and muliticonductor too, not just heavier batt cables.

It's a good off season job, panels can be custom engraved and replicated or unique. by a vendor well recommended on this site - don't recall his website.

If you are a DIYer and have an older Grady and plan to keep it for many years, like 5 or more, and want to have troublefree boat trips, then it pays and you will be rewarded in kind. If you are not a DIYer, forget it, marina electricians will do a number on you for such a job.

There's nothing electrical at all in the stern on my boat that's orginal, and all feeders and main breakers have been replaced and upgraded in AWG size, new LED NAV lites, LED rope lites for cockpit, and LED flood lites. New branch feeds tp SW pump, FW pump, macerator. Main DC panel remains original and small branches, for another off season project list - one day.

 

[livin overseas]

I met with the mechanic who is taking on my project boat while I head back overseas. He recoemnded a rewire for my 94 Tourney. the boat currently does not have a motor, so its a great time to go ahead and get it done right. It will be out of water until June and I have the $$$. I plan to repower with new Yamaha

Where do you recomend I get the boat wire harness and switch panel? Can I buy GW replica parts? He wanted me to check with the dealer first as he said if its possible, it would be easier..

I am open to your advice on this as well.

 

[BobP]

The boat harness is made by replicating the one in boat now once it is removed, not likely to find it premade, I'm sure Grady has them custom tailored to minimize install labor. The color code of each wire is indentified in owners manual.

I would use a few standard solid colors and wire labels instead myself. I would use multiconductor cables, not as Grady - they used individual wires and bundled them with black elec tape. For instance, the fuel tank level sensors would be one muliticonductor, pumps and other goodies at stern on another multiconductor, no electical tape spiral warpped Grady wires for me.

There is a website where some fine panel work has been done reasonable, I can't recall, if anyone else here does fine incluidng the Grday logos and backliting, bettre than original.
If not go over to thehullltruth.com and ask over there.

If you are hiring someone with experience, they would never ask such a question on wiring harnesses.

 

[LUNDINROOF]

I replaced the switch panel and its attachments some years ago on my first Grady, a 204.

I bought a piece of plastic from the local plastics shop that they found in their junk bin for a couple of dollars. I bought new switches and circuit breakers, drilled holes to match the existing panel and as I pulled the old wires from the old panel, I changed the ends and placed them on the new panel switches, just to make sure I didn't cross wire anything.

98% of all my electrical problems were in that old panel, so, this eliminated 98% of my electrical problems. I occasionally had problems with a connection to a pump or some other accessory but never had a problem with a wire falling apart in the harness so I didn't see any reason to change the entire harness.

With the cutting, drilling and all related work, I probably spent around 8 hours over a couple of weekends. Mind you, I didn't get into the engine harness, it didn't give me any trouble.

 

[greenhabah]

I believe Bob is referring to Scott at Vector LED
http://www.vectorled.com/index.htm

 

[Grog]

He makes nice panels.

 

[BobP]

Scott at Vector is the guy.
Reasonable prices too, need specialized tooling to do what he does.

 

[Mad Man Across the Water]

I am doing a complete rewire right now. Going through the boat and deciding what is required and what is not necessary for this boat. In my past life (now retired) I designed and built machines for a living so running wires is not a problem. Accessing them on a boat is another issue. Don't attempt anything that is essential validating that the system works correctly before going out on the water.

 

[Lt.Mike]

I rewired my Overnighter a few years back, well about 80% of it.
The best tip I can give is that everyone concentrates on the power + positive side but most of the problems come from bad grounds. Corrosion can work it’s way under wire jacketing it’s full length and it did on mine. I had a a 2 volt drop from the batteries to the helm. The cure was to run a new main ground wire from the helm back. Also the factory connected all grounds at the stern like you see in the picture. It’s what I’d call a butcher job and can’t believe they’d do this. I rewired all ground connections to a stainless buss bar bolted to the negative post of the battery.
this winter I’ll try to get to rewriring the fuse block at the helm with a Blue Sea fuse panel I bought but haven’t seem to have the time to install. When I install the new fish finder I’ll get the done too.

 

[Seafarer_Bob]

I had a rodent get into the bilge of my old Whaler and it wreaked havoc until I flushed him out. I never did it but i was advised to stuff bronze wool in any possible opening and leave rat poison in the bilge over the winter.

 

[Harpoon]

If you are constantly chasing wiring problems (I'm assuming in your 12V) its very worthwhile to have a new panel made and run fresh wire with good solid connections. New bus bars are handy for all your gadgets. Be sure to use good quality marine wire and the proper gauges.

A fish tape and dish soap work great for chasing wires through the rigging tubes.

Heat shrink everything. When your done pull all the old crap out. I like to spray my connections with white grease for protection as well.

 

[Vlabruzzo]

Did you use tinned wire?