Marine electricans

[Springsong]

Hi everyone

Does anyone know of a good but reasonable marine electrician. We have come to the stage where we need to start putting some wiring into Star Premiere. Although I know the basics we need a profesional who knows the ins and outs of the BSS.

In anticipation of your help I once again thank you.

[Antares_9]

It’s not an onerous Job Barry; provided you follow the few simple rules for the 12v you are probably better off doing it yourself and spending a bit more on decent quality materials like high strand number fully tinned cable instead of plain copper stuff. There are a couple of really good books on the subject that you may wish to read before deciding. 240 is a different matter, though not particularly difficult for a simple ring main you will at least want it checked by a qualified person before commissioning.

[Springsong]

I agree it's not an onerous job, I just wish I could get in the boat, and I am afraid my days of crawling under bunks and in locker and engine spaces are quite definitely over. Having said that your idea of using better product has merit.

[Stranger]

hi Barry a couple of links for you on cable

http://stores.ebay.com/Genuinedealz_Mar ... idZ2QQtZkm

http://www.evelcables.co.uk/epages/Store2_Shop1476.sf

if i was doing a rewire i think i would run a ring round the boat for eath return to the batterys as the builder you know where you want power roughly so then you solder the cable to a copper plate with tapped holes in it screw it to the wood work and then solder on another length of cable to the next plate etc so then you have a fixed earth system to wire to and then you can run your positive leads as required preferably wrapped in spirawrap or simular to hold the wiring loom together

another good place for the heavy cable is a welding supply store as they use it for earths for welding lol ( 12 or 24 volts only )

[Antares_9]

Good advice from Dave there, except, try to avoid solder wherever possible on a boat. All it does is turn the last bit of multi-strand into single strand and increases the likelihood of fracture especially in areas of high vibration. Use the correct size of crimp terminal and a quality ratchet crimp tool and cover with adhesive lined heatshrink for strain relief.

[jimbo]

Totally agree with David! You never find solder on an aircrafts wireing, plus one of my bosses is a mechanic for Rallyart who prepared Mitsubishi's Rally Cars and he keeps telling me never to use solder on wireing Good enough for me!

[Antares_9]

Instead of the plates mentioned, use these wherever you need to take a feed off heavier "backbone" supply or to terminate multiple returns via a negatine "backbone" Unless of course you want to be really neat, then use DIN rail stuff througout.

All available at http://www.marineelectrics.co.uk/ along with anything else you may need either direct or through local chandler.

[Stranger]

omg Barry when are you fitting the wings lol lol lol nice busbars David

oh and JIMBO if soldering is good enough for NASA I guess it would be over the top for a boat lol

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shutt ... gteam.html

[kfurbank]

Where do I start. The BSS is woefully inadaquate on the subject of boat wiring, and as for 240V comes no where near even the same planet as the regs for domestic use in the UK.

So for wiring a boat to 240V, consult an electrician, or be sure you have a VERY good idea of what you are doing and want to achieve. If unsure seek advice and get it tested.

For 12 or 24V wiring, then Dave's and Jimbo's advice is very good. Avoid solder, go for multi strand and good quality crimp connections. You really shouldn't need much in the way of an earth return circuit. No distances are too great on a boat, so use a good quality appropriate multi-strand twin thinwall cable and wire all appliances back to a fuseboard where one wire goes to the appropriate fuse and the other goes to a negative bussbar. Please remember that lower voltage, will often mean higher current to achieve the results you want, whether it be lights or powering a UPS. Higher current, even at 12v, through a poor quality cable or connection means heat, or risk of fire.

The bussbars that Dave shows in his pictures are also available from ASAP Supplies in Beccles.

If you have seen my advice on another forum, then please make sure the fuse protects the wire and components ahead of the fuse, rather than rely on those components ability not to draw more currrent than they can carry.

Keith

[Mowjo]

I used suitable flexible cable as the normal flat twin and earth you use at home is not supposed to be used so I was informed.

Pete! I believe the reason for not using solid core is because!! it is solid core and prone to fracture when used in any situation where there might be movement, hence the use of flexible cable in boats, cars and anything else that moves, your point about the BSS is good, my Freeman had passed the BSS just weeks before I bought her, when I checked the wiring (I love knowing what cable does what) I found bits of bellwire, orange lawn mower cable, and two cockpit lights wired with what I can only desribe as telephone wire, I also found live cables just cut off at the end and left hanging, not even a bit of tape around the ends, how it passed the BSS heaven only knows, unless the guy that did it knows even less than I do about electrics, I no great fan of the BSS, but hey! if it's suppossed to be about safety then electrics should be at the top of the list along with petrol and LPG, I don't think many people realise just how potentialy dangerouse even 12v electrics can be if it's done wrong,, and as for Barry! I think we may be under estimating what he actualy knows about boat electrics, I think he's just being kind to us all, he knows more than he's letting on,,,