Thread: Need help on boat wiring

Originally Posted by mighty

Okay I need to put some nav lights, and fishfinders on my boat. I have a 74 bass runner. Can someone tell me the best way to install these without having 5 wires going to my battery?

Any help most appreciated

Not knowing anything about your boat lay out, I would suggest that you get a fuse block with five or more fuses.
Run one wire from the battery to the fuse block, then run separate wires to each unit requiring voltage.
This way you will have protection from over voltage to each unit in one area.

Be sure that the wires that you run for each unit is gauged large enough for the current the units will draw.

I know this sounds stupid, but do you run both a hot wire and a ground wire to the fuse block?

Originally Posted by toothpick

I know this sounds stupid, but do you run both a hot wire and a ground wire to the fuse block?

YES never, never use the hull for a ground.

Some of the cheaper fuse blocks don't have a ground connection. In that case just mount a ground buss next to it.

use a marine type fuse block or strip.

you run a positive wire from the battery to positive side of the block or thru a switch to block

run a negative wire from the battery to negative side of the block

then run a negative wire and a positive wire from each componet you want to hook up back to fuse block

lights, bilge pump, depth finder, etc ect.

yeah i think thats what i will try.
Thank you all

What size of wire should be used, from the block to the unit, being hooked up? Thanks Doug

Originally Posted by Allstate48

What size of wire should be used, from the block to the unit, being hooked up? Thanks Doug

In most case 16 gauge wire will be heavy enough unless you are going to hook up something that draws a lot of current. Here is a handy guide as to what color wire to use. http://www.brokeboats.com/biacolors.html