16ft Mirrocraft Wiring Help

Giacomo8690

Seaman
Joined
May 24, 2015
Messages
51
Hello Fellow Iboaters!

I was wondering if someone could confirm that the wiring schematic I have come up with for my 16ft Aluminum Mirrocraft is ok? I will be running a 12 volt system with one battery, one battery switch, a one switch panel for bow lights, stern lights, and bilge pump. I appreciate your help!
 

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GA_Boater

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Sure - As long you have some fuses or circuit breakers for protection.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
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Jun 26, 2011
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giacomo8690, with fuses or circuit breakers like GA_Boater suggested it will work. But why not a switch for each circuit? That way you can turn one thing on or off without interfering any other circuit. Simple, efficient, easy. :noidea:
 

Giacomo8690

Seaman
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May 24, 2015
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51
Thanks so much guys. I was unsure of whether I needed fuses. You have confirmed my suspicions! Just to confirm, should I have a fuse for each positive feed coming from each accessory? Also, do you advise for a fuse in between the battery and battery switch?
 

NYBo

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Oct 23, 2008
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Separate fuses for each circuit. Do yourself a favor and use a fuse block. I t will make the wiring neater and easier to follow. Consider one with a built-in negative bus.

There should be afuse on the line you have labelled "feeder"; put it within a foot of the battery switch. Regarding that switch, what is its purpose? They are only needed for dual batteries. A simple on/off switch will do. Electric start motor?
 

Giacomo8690

Seaman
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May 24, 2015
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Thanks NYBo. I will definitely use the fuse block you mentioned. Regarding the battery switch, I decided it would be good to have in case I decide to ever add a second battery. I also wanted to have an off switch for the battery to prevent any draining from any additional accessories that do not turn off. Also for everyone I figured it would be good to include pictures of the switch panel and battery switch I am using.
 

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GA_Boater

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Your panel looks like the Seasense 5 switch panel sold on iboats. It has fuseholders and fuses. It looks 1 fuse feeds each pair of switches.
 

Giacomo8690

Seaman
Joined
May 24, 2015
Messages
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You are exactly right GA Boater, it is the Seasense you mentioned. So does that mean I do not need fuses for the positive feed coming from the switch panel then? Again, I appreciate all the help.
 

Grandad

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Jun 7, 2011
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1,504
I agree with NYBo that each circuit should be individually fused. Although in your schematic one 20 amp fuse might be adequate protection to feed all the loads you’ve shown, it’s important to quickly isolate a problem causing a blown fuse on a boat. A single fuse for everything will leave you puzzling for quite a while if it ever blows.

The location of fuses is usually as close as practicable to the source where the wire is connected. The distance also depends somewhat upon the degree of hazard to the wiring such as how it is routed and protected from damage. For example, ABYC standards allow a greater distance if the wire is contained in a raceway.

The battery switch you have pictured is capable of switching between batteries as you have planned for a future second battery, so the wire from the battery to the switch may eventually be larger than #12. If this wire is intended to carry starting current for your engine, a larger cable than #12 is required and a fuse is NOT required between the battery and the switch, assuming the switch is installed as near as practicable to the battery. If you are going to feed the heavy switch from the battery with only #12 wire for now, I would put a main fuse of 20 amps near the battery.

Also, I would leave the switch that is fed common to the outlet as a spare, rather than using it to feed critical equipment such as the bilge pump. You don’t want to lose operation of the pump because of a faulty air mattress pump or whatever that was plugged into the outlet last weekend. - Grandad
 

Giacomo8690

Seaman
Joined
May 24, 2015
Messages
51
Thanks Grandad, you make a great point regarding the switch that is fed common to the outlet. I will definitely redesign the schematic and leave that switch as a spare for now and include a 20 amp fuse between the positive battery feed and battery switch . Also I have a pull start 9.9 merc outboard so I will not need any battery power for starting the engine.
 
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