Marco Flamingo
Guru
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2020
- Messages
- 1,167
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- CHiTON
- Vessel Make
- Tung Hwa Clipper 30
I'm going through my boat's electrical system, mostly cleaning out wires that used to go to something that was removed. Probably 10% of the wiring on the boat goes nowhere. As I was cleaning things up, I was looking at the new windlass wiring. All seems okay, probably professionally installed with new cables that run from the bow to the engine room. Then things get a little odd.
Although the cables are new and have several feet of extra slack in them, they run to the engine starter for power. Not directly to the starter. Both of them are connected to the starter using smaller leads. I haven't checked the actual sizes, but it is something like #4 leads of two feet connected to #0 cable to the windlass.
My question right now is not about size, but about why it would be powered this way (I could connect the larger cables directly to the starter without using the smaller leads). I thought that the starter is hot and the ignition moves the bendix to engage the starter. Is this wiring so that the windlass can't be run unless the ignition is on and (most likely) the engine is running? Or is it just a convenient place to get power in the engine room? To add to the oddity, the small leads and the larger cable to the windlass both have nice big lugs on them. But both are are connected with a bolt wrapped in electrical tap and neither is secured. Seems like maybe a project that was never finished.
Because the new windlass cables have some slack in them, all I would need to do is cut a small hole and I would have access to + and - buss bars next to my battery switch. I always have the engine running when I run the windlass, so I don't see any problem with connecting them this way. Am I missing something about having the windlass power somehow associated with the starter?
Although the cables are new and have several feet of extra slack in them, they run to the engine starter for power. Not directly to the starter. Both of them are connected to the starter using smaller leads. I haven't checked the actual sizes, but it is something like #4 leads of two feet connected to #0 cable to the windlass.
My question right now is not about size, but about why it would be powered this way (I could connect the larger cables directly to the starter without using the smaller leads). I thought that the starter is hot and the ignition moves the bendix to engage the starter. Is this wiring so that the windlass can't be run unless the ignition is on and (most likely) the engine is running? Or is it just a convenient place to get power in the engine room? To add to the oddity, the small leads and the larger cable to the windlass both have nice big lugs on them. But both are are connected with a bolt wrapped in electrical tap and neither is secured. Seems like maybe a project that was never finished.
Because the new windlass cables have some slack in them, all I would need to do is cut a small hole and I would have access to + and - buss bars next to my battery switch. I always have the engine running when I run the windlass, so I don't see any problem with connecting them this way. Am I missing something about having the windlass power somehow associated with the starter?
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