Simple Electrical Box (pics)

[Greg Stoll]

Hi all,

I'm working to get my 14' Green Skiff ready for the annual trip to Sucia in the San Juan Islands next week. Today (in addition to adding a coat of paint to the hull) I built the electrical box.

I decided on a simple system, consisting of a plastic tackle box, a 4-position buss bar, an inline fuse, two 12 vdc outlets and an anchor/running light switch.

This is the overview. Wires on the left go to the battery, which will also be connected to the electric trolling motor/auxiliary. The wires on the right will be run forward to power the running lights and compass light (I always wire the two together).

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg58/Gregstoll80/0703091712.jpg

The business end. Both outlets have maplight/cigarette lighter plugs. The box will mount on the port side transom under the breasthook. The transom will be roughly where my hand is, leaving the outlets and switch facing the operator. The lid will face forward.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg58/Gregstoll80/0703091712a.jpg

The internals; on the right is the inline 20 amp fuse and the four position buss bar, two busses are positive and two are negative/ground. The slots cut into the divider are perfect for dividing the wires neatly as they travel from the buss bar to the outlets and switches. I had to cut out one divider to make room for the outlets and switch box.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg58/Gregstoll80/0703091713.jpg

The switch is a Perko three-position switch (off-on-on); when I add an installed anchor light (the current one is a borrowed plug-in unit from Davis) it will be wired such that the first "on" position is the anchor light and the second "on" position is the anchor light, running lights and compass light all together.

Connections are mostly of the premade solder/heatshrink variety, no crimping and very little resistance. A few of the connections had to be crimped, but they are wrapped in heat-shrink tubing.

I'll post more pics in a couple days when I get it installed.

Greg

[PaulC]

Do you have wire ties for the wire running to each device?

[Greg Stoll]

I ended up using split-loom to encase the wires running forward to the running lights and compass light. I prefer spiral-wrap, but couldn't find any properly sized locally.

The boat is "done" now, I'm taking it on sea trials Tuesday and a shakedown cruise Wednesday. Here's a bow shot:

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg58/Gregstoll80/0705091643-1.jpg

The registration is current, I just haven't received the stickers yet.

Here's a shot of the forward area:

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg58/Gregstoll80/0705091648.jpg

I intend to take the boat on a weeklong camp-cruise in the San Juan Islands starting this coming weekend (Sucia Rendezvous), so the box shown will be flanked by dry bags and camping gear under those bungees. A drysuit will be stowed up forward under the foredeck. I chose to leave the forecastle area primer-white to ease viewing. The compass is new and is wired into the bi-color bowlight up forward. Rustoleum roll-on bedliner coats the foredeck, inwales, outwales and top of the transom.

The rowing thwart is removeable, I'm not sure if it's going to end up exactly where I have it, so I made it out of cheap pine for this trip. I'll do some testing before committing nice wood to the boat.

Here's a shot of the aft interior:

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg58/Gregstoll80/0705091648a.jpg

The main engine is a 1999 Mercury 4-Stroke 4hp, the auxiliary is a Minn-Kota 30lb thrust trolling motor. The batter supplying everything is a Group 24 Deep-Cycle, shown here with the charger hooked up; there will be a second fuel tank in place of the charger for the voyage. I had to notch the starboard quarter knee a little to fit the Minn-Kota on.

You can see the electrical box attached to the transom. I ran the wires up forward under the floorboards through a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe held in place with hose clamps. From there I wrapped it in split-loom and attached it with some wire-ties that have screwholes in them for attaching wire along a bulkhead or other surface. All connections are soldered and wrapped in heat-shrink tubing.

The floorboards are old but functional and will likely be replaced with new plywood ones by the end of the summer. They'll work for now though. Bonus is that my two-person tent will fit on the floorboards with a little bit of pole squeezing, so I can stay on the boat if needed (the floorboards can be cleared of gear and the rowing thwart).

Good times!

Greg