[Public-List] Electrical Systems

Wed Oct 14 12:49:12 PDT 2015

Hi All,

So here's my current thinking (today anyway) regarding my electrical system
and how I use the boat.  A couple of givens are the fact(s) that I have no
"high use" items onboard - I don't even have wind instruments, just a depth
finder to confirm that the bump I just felt is, in truth, the bottom...  I
do have nav lights, which I think I might upgrade to use LEDs and a light
near the galley as well as one in the head that can switch from white to
red - these are florescent.  I do recharge my ipad mini that I use for a
speedo and that's about it. Oh yeah, steaming light and masthead light...

Going "back" to a "standard" configuration seems to be the way to go.  I
have "grown up" with the good ole Perko switch and am fully aware of its
faults (Do not switch to off when the motor's running, please).  My Perko
switch is "around the corner" from my electrical panel so there's really
not an issue with "accidently" switching to OFF by those who are not "in
the know."  All switches on my panel are labeled.  In fact they are color
coded, so I can ask someone to just "turn on all the yellow ones"  and all
the functions for "day travel" will be activated.  Then the next sequence
is "turn on all the white ones" which sets us up for night travel...you get
the picture.

I do have two group 27 batteries under the floor boards - fairly typical
for an Alberg I think.  They'll be wired conventionally to the OFF/1/2/All
Perko switch.  The "house" panel and engine will be wired to the "C"
terminal.  Since the Perko switch basically sends current to and from
wherever it is selected, I'll typically on a daysail just run the switch in
the ALL position - motor runs, charges both...when the motor is off, the
above mentioned "electronics" will use power from both.

I can on the occasional overnight, to power up the anchor light and
interior lights, switch the Perko switch to 1 or 2 so that the remaining
battery stays "up" and is not accidentally drained.

I do have a Guest Charge Pro charger that pretty much maintains the
batteries when the boat is tied up.

I do have a Blue Seas ACR installed by a PO which is meant to parallel
(combines) batteries during charging, and isolates them when charging has
stopped and after battery voltage has fallen.  I'm uncertain as to whether
I'll ever use the thing but it's there.

The entire AC system was rewired and done pretty well - no house wire..

Wes

On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 11:44 AM, Kris Coward via Public-List <
public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

>
> Nothing wrong with being intimidated by the DC-engine interface on an
> A30. Pretty early on, I had to do a bit of re-wiring, and was halfway
> terrified to connect the ground wire for most of the electrics back up
> to the engine because the wire was red. It didn't take long before
> another Alberger told me that Kurt Hansen was colourblind, and that if
> the only thing that looked not-ground about a wire was that it was red,
> then it's probably safe to treat it as ground.
>
> Needless to say, I've since rewired the entire boat.
>
> -K
>
> On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 11:00:42AM -0400, Gordon Laco via Public-List
> wrote:
> > Well I'm not particularly proud to say that SURPRISE's electrical system
> is
> > original.  When we bought her she was like a time capsul from 1969.
> Hardly
> > used, everything original, even her sails and rigging.
> >
> > The wiring is long overdue to be replaced.  The switch panel is still the
> > cheapo Brydon black plastic and to turn on the steaming light, we throw
> the
> > switch labeled 'windshield wiper', etc.
> >
> > I would have done the job before now, but I'm intimidated by the wiring
> > system's interface with the engine.  Yes, I know I shouldn't be (hello
> Bob
> > Crinion) but I am.
> >
> > Gord
> > #426 Surprise
> >
> >
> > On 2015-10-13, 10:56 AM, "Jonathan Bresler via Public-List"
> > <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> >
> > > Mike,
> > >
> > > Yes, there have been modifications since the boats where built.
> > > Hard to imagine that there are any original systems out there by now.
> > >
> > > In the maintenance manual and on the website, we have lots of
> information
> > > about various systems.   Seems that electrical is unusually sparse.
>  That's
> > > unfortunate, Nigel Calder seems to indicate that fires, electrical and
> > > fuel, are
> > > a major issue in damaging or destroying boats.  Information available
> to
> > > both
> > > new and veteran owners might be valuable.
> > >
> > > Something we should work on?  Getting more information there ?
> > >
> > > Jonathan
> > >
> > > On Mon, Oct 12, 2015 at 12:49 PM, Mike Meinhold <meinhold272 at gmail.com
> >
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> Jonathan
> > >>  Almost all A30's have had significant changes to their wiring since
> > >> delivery. Some much better than Whitby, some worse! The Whitby
> diagram is
> > >> good to help understand some of the wiring, but you really need to
> make a
> > >> wiring diagram of your boat first.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> I did not have main battery fuses when I got the boat. I mounted 2
> 250 amp
> > >> fuses blocks facing foward on the aft bulkhead of the after battery
> > >> compartment. They have blown only once - when I made a stupid wiring
> > >> mistake.  If you have battery boxes - which you should - you probably
> don't
> > >> have room for box-mounted fuses.
> > >>
> > >> I replaced the little breaker box with a hinged panel under the bridge
> > >> deck - there are arguments against doing that due to potential
> downflooding
> > >> but I don't see much risk there.
> > >>
> > >> Mike
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Mike
> > >> Michael J. Meinhold 301 852 0619 meinhold272 at gmail.com
> > >>
> > >> On Mon, Oct 12, 2015 at 12:15 PM, Jonathan Bresler via Public-List <
> > >> public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Folks,
> > >>>
> > >>> Looking around the alberg30.org website, it appears that the
> information
> > >>> available on the electrical system of our Alberg 30s consists of a
> wiring
> > >>> diagram from Whitby and a reference to Bill Darden's Battery FAQ. (
> > >>> alberg30.org/maintenance/Electrical).  Don't seem to find electrical
> > >>> information in the _Maintenance_Manual_, corrosion information is
> there,
> > >>> but not electrical.
> > >>>
> > >>> Been reading Nigel Calder, 250 pages into the 400+ he has on
> electrical in
> > >>> his most recent edition of
> _Boatowner's_Mechanical_and_Electrical_Manual_
> > >>>  Whew, its a big read.   Have looked at Don Casey's
> > >>> _Sailboat_Maintenance_Manual_ (much shorter) as well as
> > >>> _The_12_Volt_Doctor's_Practical_Handbook_.
> > >>>
> > >>> Am i missing the link to the electrical data on the website ?
> > >>>
> > >>> What have folks done with their electrical systems ?
> > >>>
> > >>> Example: Dont have fuses in the positive cables from the batteries to
> > >>> panel. Looks like Blue Sea has a Single Terminal Fuse Block that can
> be
> > >>> directly affixed to the battery that might be good, if there is
> enough
> > >>> vertical space available (about 2" required).  Calder recommends of
> 300A
> > >>> ANL fuses to prevent nuisance blowing during starts.    pyacht.com
> > >>> recommends fuses in the DC mains.  ABYC requires fuses within 7" of
> the
> > >>> battery.  Casey wants us to install them as well.
> > >>>
> > >>> Jonathan
> > >>>
> > >>> --
> > >>> Jonathan M Bresler
> > >>> Alberg 30 #262
> > >>> Annapolis/Eastport MD
> > >>> _______________________________________________
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> > >>>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>
> --
> Kris Coward                                     http://unripe.melon.org/
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