Downrigger wiring

[Beave]

How did people here run their power cords through the fiberglass?

I've seen people with power adaptors similar to the ones you plug a trolling motor into, but I can't find them at West Marine or anywhere else. The other option is to just drill a hole through and seal it off, but I'm not hot on that.

[Foxy Carp]

Here's a sugestion...Get some AC outlets--you know, the kind in your house, and some outdoor covers and mount them to the wall of a gunnel, or anything close to the rigger(depending on your boat), then get some plugs to fit those and put them on your rigger chords. Then wire the outlet, plug in the rigger and your are ready to go....and they look halfway decent.

[DangerDan]

I set up a board on my boat and at the end of the season it comes off and goes in the garage for the winter. My cords run through the posts that attach to the hull then into these plugs. It also makes it quick for the board to come off to haul the kids on tubes & such. They have been on two years so far without a problem. They would also work well for a more direct application say downriggers straight to the hull. They seal well and had no corrosion this spring. The overall diameter is about the size of a half dollar. The hole I had to drill was I think 3/8" or 1/2". A pretty clean look when theyre in and rated at twice the amperage I run on my set of riggers.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=3070&catalogId=10001&classNum=316&subdeptNum=124&storeNum=9

[Jason Adam]

Below is what I did with mine. I used the factory cannon connectors. They are very durable. I just used clam shell covers. The guy I bought it from had the big jons wired through the 110 outlets you see there, but I thought it was cheezy, so I converted those to actual 110outlets(shore power now, will be inverter/shorepower soon). I never remove my riggers, infact they are locked down, so I guess I could shorten the leads up, but in almost 1000 hrs trolling, I havent had a problem ever. Remember, if you gonna use a rigid connector, put it straight up or straight down. You dont want an electrical plug or a connector sticking out of the gullel parrallel to the deck as it will certainly get broken of while your rigging.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/550/1942wiring1.JPG

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/550/1942wiring2.JPG

[Beave]

Looks like a we have a winner there Jason, especially since I can hide the covers under the railings.

[lkmifisherman]

My boat is setup like Jason's and although functional it is rather cheezy. I have to come up with a better idea myself as I just got a heck of a deal on a Heart Inverter/Charger and am going to be rigging shore power to my boat as well.. I am not sure what approach I want to use though. I would welcome any others ideas as to what to do with it...I do have to make them portable so they have to unplug....I like Dans idea but at 30 bucks a pop and 4 riggers...thats close to 60 gallons of fuel.....

lkmifisherman

[DangerDan]

A bit expensive but it's a clean no snag installation and now that it's done I'm glad i did it that way. To date I haven't seen a better way to install the plugs. (IMO) When I revamped my boat two years ago, I put a lot of expense into things that aren't really visible upon an intitial observation. Now that it's done for the most part I'm glad I did things the way I did.
My shore power is obselte for the most part due to my inverter now. Depending on what wattage you have (not peak watts) you can run anything from a blower for air toys to a coffee pot and more. I run a 750/1200 W inverter. A small inverter in comparison to most but more than ample for my needs. It runs my TV/VCR, coffee pot, power tools if needed and whatever else I think of under 700 watts. I am switching to a 12v coffee pot though. (more efficient). If I run shore power I run from the 30a plug a 110v/20a receptacle in the cabin another at the helm, and another at the rear of the cockpit where I have my charger mounted. Dockside on shore power I can plug in my charger for peace of mind. I never need this as I have two house batts. and a seperate start batt. with the start circuit isolated from all other systems. I have a battery combiner/switch installed at the rear of the cockpit on the other side. When you have an inverter I would recommend seperating the start circuit or at least install a batt isolater/combiner. I have a pigtail that I can plug into my inverter If I need to energize my 110v circuit outside of the cabin but for the most part my 110v stays in the cabin. If you like i could get some picks.. It really works well and covers about any contingency.

[lkmifisherman]

Sure pics would be great!!

The inverter I have is 2kw/4kw which will more than power anything I want to fire up. It also automatically reverts to doing charging duties when the shore power is plugged in. I have a battery switch to control 2 starting batteries and plan on adding 2 deepcycles for the inverter duties. The engine alternator can charge the starting batteries and the inverter will charge the deep cycles. I have yet to figure out where all this is going to go as I only have a 24 footer. The inverter itself is as big as 2 size 31 deep cycles. I am interested in a 12 volt coffee pot though..Where did you find one to buy?

Maybe I will put those plugins on my Xmas wish list...Naw I better not do that, they are about the same size as the piece of coal I got last year and I wouldn't want to get my hopes up.

lkmifisherman

[DangerDan]

I looked at one of those before I got the one I have now.. a refurbished one and can't remember for the life of me the make. Xanthrex or something a good price @ $800. Too much for what I really needed though. My thoughts were to install a microwave.. My propane grill works fine ;) I just wanted coffee, TV, and in a secluded area if I wanted but not to get stuck. I'll get out to the boat this week some time and see if I can illustrate some of the setup. I did have a slight advantage I ran my new wiring while I had the cabin upholstery out the upholstered over the new wiring.

[Jason Adam]

Dan, On the water I run a small George foreman grill and I just picked up a small blender last weekend(suddenly Captains Mogans Parrot Bay, Pina Colada Mix, and 20lbs of ice and little umbrellas are added to the "weekend check list").

I wouldnt say your shorepower is obsolete? Your inverter isnt doing anything but killing your batteries if your at the dock and the boat isnt running and your not using your shorepower.

Also, a guy I fished with alot the last two years set his boat up with those same connectors you used and occasionally had no power to a rigger. He would just have to unplug them and wiggle them around, and it was only every couple trips, but I personally felt the connectors themselves were not as durable as I wanted to use for a connector that is going to be exposed to the elements all the time. They do look clean though.

Another thing when your wiring your riggers, is get a fuse or circuit distribution block and run a heavy mainline to that and run a rigger off each fuse. This way should even all four riggers be hit up at once(see a net, come up on a reef), you wont pop your circuit.

My $.02

[FishTales]

Another thing when your wiring your riggers, is get a fuse or circuit distribution block and run a heavy mainline to that and run a rigger off each fuse. This way should even all four riggers be hit up at once(see a net, come up on a reef), you wont pop your circuit.
My $.02
Jason,
What happens if you blow a fuse ?
I have Cannon riggers and each one has it's own circuit breaker built in, right next to the raise/lower switch, don't have to look for a blown fuse.
The only time I had one trip was when I was hooking them up and one had the switch on to raise and it was already up all the way.
Rich

[DangerDan]

As I say, I've never had a problem with the plug connectors I've used on my riggers. I plug them in in the spring and forget about them till winter. Thats the way it's been so far. As for shore power. I can still use it if needed I just don't really use it much anymore. I would if I really had a lot of things to run.. Batteries don't grow on trees. Since installing my inverter I don't think I've run my batts. down once. A couple movies at night a pot of coffee in the morning is not really much use for two deepcycle batts. I do agree with the pina coladas though however I am a tequila man margaritas for me. They even make 12v blenders these day. I have 8a (upgraded from 5a this year) breakers in my riggers at the switches as well. I use 12 ga. wire from plug to block 10 ga from block to batt.. I can run all four riggers at once without a problem. Don't get me wrong I got no yot!! my boats 34 years old. I just figured as long as I'm doing all the work to make it nicer I would putt in a few immenities they didn't have 34 years ago.

[Jason Adam]

Jason,
What happens if you blow a fuse ?
I have Cannon riggers and each one has it's own circuit breaker built in, right next to the raise/lower switch, don't have to look for a blown fuse.
The only time I had one trip was when I was hooking them up and one had the switch on to raise and it was already up all the way.
Rich


I have 8a breakers in my riggers at the switches as well. I use 12 ga. wire from plug to block 10 ga from block to batt.. I can run all four riggers at once without a problem.

You guys are both saying you have your riggers wired directly to the batteries(or to a bus bar connected to the battery) without any fuse between the battery and the rigger(with the exception of the built in breaker)?. Every length of wire running away from the battery should have some kind of breaker or fuse inline CLOSE to the battery. Not as big of deal with your really small gauge wires, as they will cook out pretty fast, but if you have a short somewhere between the battery and the riggers on a bigger gauge wire, of if your pulling too many amps period through the wire, there is not a fuse or breaker to blow up stream and the wire will just heat up till it lites on fire, which is not particularly good. A fuse or breaker only protects what is downstream from it.

[SalmonBum]

I mounted a Marine Fuse panal on the transom of my boat above the battery, connected with heavy gauge wire. I then ran each rigger wire to a seperate fuse on the panel, with a 20A fuse. If I blow a fuse (which has never happened yet), I can lift the motor cover and the fuse panel is right there.

As for my wiring, Mine worked out pretty good, but I won't work on all boats. Where my leaning pads come together, there is a small area right at the corner were I drilled a hole to pass the wire thru. The connetor stays behind the pad. That's for my rears. My fronts have a flush-mount holder I don't use, so I cut a small notch it it where I can pass the wire thru, but still keep the cover on the holder.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/550/Rigger_setup3.JPG

[DangerDan]

Actually that and several other added connections have made me think about adding two fuse panels to my elctrical system this winter. As I've added things FF, GPS, downriggers and many other accessories I have been using inline fuse holders which I really need to do away with. I will be adding a 12 fuse panel to the cabin in lieu of my existing 8 fuse panel and then another one aft for various added accessories, live well pump, downriggers, various added lighting. As it is my current fuse holder is not easy to get to and I have plans for a larger panel in a better location.

[Jason Adam]

When I re-did my dash wiring(not the actual gauges, just the added FF's, GPS's, Radar, VHF's, etc), I bought a 70A flush mount breaker and mounted it by the battery, then ran 2 or 4 gauge(cant remember) to a 8 breaker panel at the helm, then ran each of my electronics of its own breaker. Theyre all labeled, and the breakers act as switches. No more inline fuses or switches, and I have all the capacity I need there to keep adding. The 70Amp wont protect any of the devices, thats what the individual ones are for, but if my big power wire chaffs, it will pop that 70. This setup did run me like $300+ by the time I was done though.

[DangerDan]

Yep.. Basically what I intend to do with my elec.system except on a split basis. one forward on aft.. as things are added little by little it all acumulates until one day a person looks at the monster that was created (a jumbled mess of wires in the helm dash) and says somethings gotta be done with this mess! It'll be entertaining to say the least.

[lkmifisherman]

I found a company that sells all the stuff that you all are looking for, including the thru-hull connectors at prices better than US Marine...The name of the company is Vita-Plate and and the book I got came from my local Auto Value store. The catalog is close to 2" thick and I can order all kinds of stuff right though them. Since I don't live in anywhere near a Metro area, this is real convenient for me...See if you can't get one through your local dealer...

lkmifisherman