Anyone out there who has rewired their X?

Chinook · Post by **Chinook** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:38 pm

I've decided to redo the electrical system on my 10 year old X. I've never been happy with the little 4 circuit fuse panel which came with the boat. I've become equally dissatisfied with the wiring jobs I've done over the years, with in line fuses and wires wandering hither and yon, all ending in ring connectors which attach to the threaded posts on my house battery. Recently, I've had trouble with voltage loss, causing problems with the VHF radio, the Wallas stove, and the masthead light. I'm now in the process of installing a Blue Sea distribution panel, with enough breakers to handle all the circuits I now have on the boat. While doing this project, I'll be replacing as much of the original "zip" wiring as possible. I'm a bit nervous about messing with some of the longer wire runs, however. Wire runs for the stern running light and the bow running light (which is mounted on the bow pulpit on my 2002 X) do not feel like they could be readily pulled, and I dread the thought of trying to pull new wire and getting snagged up part way through. Has anyone had any luck pulling new wire for the running lights? I'm inclined to keep on using the old wires for running lights, and simply redo the connections with good quality heat shrink connectors. Suggestions from anyone who's tackled this kind of project will be appreciated.

RobertB · Post by **RobertB** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:57 pm

I have done a bunch of wiring on my

but there is one wire I never want to deal with - the one running up through the pulpit tubes to the bow light. Otherwise, draw out your circuits, calculate what wire gauge is needed for each (sensitive electronics and motors do not like big voltage drops, I would use the ABYC tables for a 5% drop, available on the West Marine website, just keep in mind length is adding both wires together), buy your marine grade wire in bulk as a good discount, use a ratcheting crimp tool and bus bars when joining multiple wires (an affordable ratcheting crimp tool available at West Marine), and change out all lights with LED type. Otherwise, spend time searching the website for all sorts of suggestions - interesting that it has been more than a month since we have beat this subject to death

Post by **dlandersson** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:05 pm

Here's mine

Chinook wrote:I've decided to redo the electrical system on my 10 year old X. I've never been happy with the little 4 circuit fuse panel which came with the boat. I've become equally dissatisfied with the wiring jobs I've done over the years, with in line fuses and wires wandering hither and yon, all ending in ring connectors which attach to the threaded posts on my house battery. Recently, I've had trouble with voltage loss, causing problems with the VHF radio, the Wallas stove, and the masthead light. I'm now in the process of installing a Blue Sea distribution panel, with enough breakers to handle all the circuits I now have on the boat. While doing this project, I'll be replacing as much of the original "zip" wiring as possible. I'm a bit nervous about messing with some of the longer wire runs, however. Wire runs for the stern running light and the bow running light (which is mounted on the bow pulpit on my 2002 X) do not feel like they could be readily pulled, and I dread the thought of trying to pull new wire and getting snagged up part way through. Has anyone had any luck pulling new wire for the running lights? I'm inclined to keep on using the old wires for running lights, and simply redo the connections with good quality heat shrink connectors. Suggestions from anyone who's tackled this kind of project will be appreciated.

Johnacuda · Post by **Johnacuda** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:45 pm

I haven't rewired my

, but I did rewire the running lights on my old Edel. I used a long poly pull-cord when I removed the old cracked wiring. Then i ran enough extra through to tape the new wire in the middle of the poly. pulled through carefully, and was left with my new wire and a spare pull cord in the mast cavity.

Seapup · Post by **Seapup** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:09 pm

I did mine this winter, I went through a 100' spool of tinned 14/2 duplex marine wire and did not have enough left to do the bow light. The heavier wire is actually much easier to snake through the liner since it is rigid.

Has anyone had any luck pulling new wire for the running lights? Suggestions from anyone who's tackled this kind of project will be appreciated.

I found that the factory had the bulky squeeze splice connectors on several of the wires so could not use the old wires to pull the new under the liner. For the stern light If you pop the access panels in the rear berth area, make a new access at the very back, and are willing to mess with the foam running the wire is a straight shot. Its an easy poke from the panel down to the first access panel on the port side of the berth and straight back from there. With that cover off there is also room between the rear birth ceiling liner and cockpit sole right ahead of the pedestal that allows hidden running of wire to the pedestal, and connects port and starboard sides of the hull.

Uncle Jim · Post by **Uncle Jim** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:06 pm

I re-did my 02 X a few years back and the one thing I recall is that you cannot use the old wires to pull the new. It looks like the factory ran the wiring before they assemblied the hull and liner. in my case some of the wires were taped together and then ran different paths to the same point

My bow and stern lights were the same as yours and mounted on the pullpit and stern rail. I was able to get the wiring up to the v-berth but no futher. On my 02 there was no way to remove the head liner and get the wiring any further. I ended up replacing the wire to that point and then spliced.

Jim

windypatrick · Post by **windypatrick** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:51 pm

Do it in phases! Seriously.

I am partway through my wiring, I am doing it in two phases - I've finished phase 1...all new wire from aft berth battery location (fused there) to a large master on/off rotary contactor at the single seat adjacent the stove. Then routed to the old switch panel (above the vee berth) which I replaced with a heavily modified West Marine panel (see link). Then, on to 5 custom built red/white LED lamps ...all new wire. I left the execrable white lamp cord wire they used for the Nav lights for later as I will go LED with those also. Big tip: heavy-flat wire strings fairly well...about a three-knuckle job (mechanics scale)

. Tedious but straight forward. Phase two I will put a large master panel with Shore power also...in a custom cabinet I will build over the stove area. then I can bus into what I've already done. I've wired the LEDs so I can tap into the opposite end later when I install an additional breaker panel.

I plan to sail, so my mantra has been to keep the projects bite size as much as I can...break it up into pieces and off-boat sub assemblies you can bring and install more quickly.

Check out my mod links below (I hope they work, I haven't done these before)

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1749
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1750
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/in ... ?view=1751

I've done several aircraft restorations, you can't eat the whole pizza at once, break it down to slices. Sections and areas that you can complete easily will permit you to sail/motor in the interim.

Best Regards

Sumner · Post by **Sumner** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:55 pm

Did what you are doing....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... de-30.html

....but also decided to not do the bow or stern light. While pulling wires to the stern I did pull and extra one back there that I could use for the stern light easily. Not so with the bow. I went with...

.... the Blue Seas fuse block and we are putting in two of them in the Endeavour when we go back. We pretty much ....

...have switches where they are used and a few glass fuses like above the sink where I have a main larger line running off the Blue Seas panel and then smaller wiring (thus the need for fuses there ) to different items light the VHF, lights and such.

It isn't that big of a job actually so have fun,

Sum

===================================
Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

tlgibson97 · Post by **tlgibson97** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:16 am

I haven't reallt rewired the whole boat. I stayed with the old wires that were in good shape. That's all the nav lights, masthead light, and interior lights. I added a new breaker panel to the aft end of the cabin. It was always a pain to send someone forward to flip switches.

I have added more wiring because I added some lights to the round access panels in the aft berth, a vhf radio, and and anchor light to the top of the mast, a fishfinder to the console, and 12V outlets in the console, galley, and near the table.

I had to remove the sealant in the joint above the V-berth because the wiring running through there was stuck to it. Made it easier to fish wires through there.

I still have my batteries in the compartment aft of the galley and the part I hate the worst is fishing the wires up the hull behind the sink behind the liner and getting them aft through the liner to get to the new panel. If there is a way to get wires from the battery compartment straight up without having to go behind the sink I havent figured it out.

Been doing a lot of work to her over the winter. hope to have her out next weekend.

Tomfoolery · Post by **Tomfoolery** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:48 am

My '99 has the panel located where dlandersson's is shown above. It's an old Sea Dog, and pretty crapped up from water leaks, so I'm going to replace it this spring. I'm planning on using the WM 6-circuit panel, as it's about the same size as the one that's there now, and it's only $55. There's room for a second panel just like it to the right (outboard), leaving me room for expansion.

And like dlandersson's panel, mounting on a hinged plate makes a boatload of sense. Other boats I've had did it this way, and it makes working on them much easier as the panel is supported so you can work with both hands. Some thin Starboard with the edges shaped with a quarter round cutter in the shaper, and a stainless piano hinge, with threaded fasteners to hold it shut. Neat and clean. Gotta find what's leaking into the space, though, and fix that first.

The bi-color bow light is pretty tired, and I'll probably replace it with an LED unit like this Attwood. A member here brought this up last year, but I didn't see a follow-up post with the result. 1 mile range LED for $34. 2 mile for $40. Cheapest prices on LED nav lights I've ever seen. I'll probably keep the zip cord, as it's not easy to replace, and the low current draw and wide voltage range tolerance of LED units should make replacing it unnecessary, as long as it's not chewed up.

A good ratchet crimper with the proper dies for the terminations being used is important, IMO.

Sumner · Post by **Sumner** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 8:12 am

I forgot to mention that I bought all of my wire and some of the other items from here....

http://genuinedealz.com/

...great prices and service. I wouldn't use anything but tinned wire. Do it right and be done with it. Switches and LED indicator lights came from Defender Marine.

Here is a good wire size calculator if you don't have one....

https://www.colemanair.us/vp_asp/Script ... reSize.htm

One thing I can't understand is why no one makes switch panels with LED indicator lights and without the fuses or breakers in them. If you use a fuse panel like the Blue Sky and run appropriated size wiring you don't need fuses/breakers at the switch,

Sum

===================================
Our MacGregor 26-S

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Highlander · Post by **Highlander** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:46 pm

I done some extensive wiring in my M have fun

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Anyone out there who has rewired their X?

Anyone out there who has rewired their X?

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