Day 121, 122, 123 1/21/24 - 1/28/23 Batteries wireing, small projects 8+6+7 hours

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Interior 

Made and installed cover over the back side of the cockpit display. Made from tinned acrylic, and black painted on the back. Looks good?
I can use it as mirror :-)
 
Also added, small plate below the countertop. It covers hole where LPG power switch was installed. Now it is on the main panel.
 

Lockers

Installed handles to my locker doors. Little bit not in color, but shape is what i need.

 

 Navigation table

Added display control buttons. 3D printed parts.

Electrical

As I wrote before all wiring on my boat was original, made using bare copper stranded, wire, but 7 strands wire, and I replaced  all wiring after switch/breaker box to meet modern UL 1426 standard. High flexible stranded tinned copped wire.

For some time I left "battery" side wires "as is".

So, now time is come. 

Spent 3 days to make new high current wiring. First day disassemble ond wiring, second gay inspect engine wiring, and started new wiring assembly , third - finishing , make all tidy, labeled and and zip-tied.

 

What I do not like in original battery wiring and why i want to change it completely:

  1. Old wires are oxidized extensively and have many broken .
  2. All crimps have done with pretty low quality, strands are going out from terminals.
  3. Battery switch mounted in 7' from battery.
  4. Total length of positive wire from battery to starter was 15' + 4' negative side and it was done with 2AWG wire.
  5. Negative wire from batteries to DC distribution panel was AWG10, what is really undersized.
  6. No ability to charge both batteries from alternator unless of coupling them (which must be last resort feature).
  7. No advanced features what i wish to have on my boat.


Main approach is to make new wiring comfortable to use, safe, meet standards, reliable, easy to fix if some component will fail and have all bells and whistles I want. Sounds very simple :) . 

 New wiring:

  1. All wiring done using 
  2. Switch(es) moved right next to batteries 
  3. Installed 3 switches. Starter battery, House battery, Coupler (1+2).
  4. Length of starter wiring decreased to 3' positive and 3' negative.
  5. Starter wire gauge increased to 0AWG (to take maximum current from both batteries if needed)
  6. Added 50A breaker on house right after the battery switch.
  7. Added dual battery isolator to allow alternator charge both batteries.
  8. Added "ideal" diode module to be able to feed house DC power from shore 110V - 14V Power supply when available. Battery charger gets "confused" when DC loads connected to the battery and charger is try to feed power to loads and charge battery, so now, no more confused charger.
  9. Added smart battery monitors for each battery. (two 400A shunts + electronics)
  10. Installed wiring for my 350AH x12V Lithium battery to 3KW Inverter, including fuse and switch. Li-battery will not be directly provide power to 12V system, it is routed to inverter only. Instead it will be DC-DC charger for house battery (but later)
  11. Increased gauge from batteries to DC distribution panel to 4AWG, should be enough for up to 130A (if needed). 

 Ideas "on paper".

Counting all pieces lengths is gauges.

 I ordered all wires from manufacture. Yes, it is a lot of planing and thinking ahead to order all parts right.

I used https://www.batterycablesusa.com service. Get wires in 3 days. All crimp are very good quality.  Used right "marine" battery wire.

Received and check cables. Lay down wiring configuration to check if everything is right length and right terminals sizes.


Try to layout components.


Switches, diodes, breakers installed in engine room, port side. Right next to batteries (over the wall)

In 2D it look little messy, but in 3D it is better  ;-)

Batteries compartment view. (Battery monitors installed on the side wall.



And view to the engine (photo from second day, some wires are "flying" around.

Sailing

Yes, some sailing.

At Saturday I joined David on Pearson 35 and we had great 2-3 hours sail with about 10 knots wind.


 


On Sunday, did my best on sunset. But all wind gone. So I just motored to lake, sit there for half an hour and motor back to dock. 



First time docked single handed on Vira. No damage to boat and dock :)

 

And just bonus.











 

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