Re-wiring the battery locker

Given the voltage drop at the water pump, the next wiring upgrade was to take the battery locker to wiring locker wire up to 16mm sq. This was completed today, and while it’s made things a bit better at the water pump, the voltage drop is still 2 volts.

Along the way, the main battery locker got half re-wired, with the splitter moving from the aft bulkhead of the port saloon locker to the aft bulkhead of the battery locker. This makes it easier to see and read – the small locker cushion and lid come up very easily. The previous location required a longer cushion to be lifted, and you had to tuck your head into the locker to see the lights.

A bunch of old zipties have been removed, and replaced with nylon P-clamps, some extra-long wires have been replaced with heavier, shorter runs, and generally things are tidier. Some not-so-great crimps have been replaced too; blue connectors on wire that was really red connector sized.

The base of the battery locker also had some surgery done to it – it was a single panel of wood that was very awkward to get out of the locker. Took it out, scribed a line along the area that rests on a strake, and used the multi-tool to cut it along the scribe. Also made the through-hole for the wiring a bit larger, since I was adding two 16 mm sq cables. I do love that multi-tool, it’s been very handy for boat maintenance.

With the new positive and negative 16mm sq run across to the wiring locker, I’m close to being able to close up the end panel of the starboard saloon locker – just need to work out how to upgrade the wiring to the water pump, which I suspect runs all the way from the pump to the engine bay, over the top of the engine bay, and then forward again on starboard to the switch in the wiring locker.

Tomorrow’s job is running 25mm sq from the battery locker to the alternator, and adding more labels to wires. All of the wire I’m running at the moment is Ocean Flex from 12 Volt Planet, and it’s really nice stuff to work with – far more flexible than the Ancor battery wire that I’ve used before from Marine Parts, and a sheath that’s easier to cut and strip.