Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

Need a little help here.....I have a Larson 1550 Shark Tri Hull. The navigation lights aren't working. I can access the anchor light with no problem and will have no problem fixing it. The bow light is missing off the front and it mounts on the very front.

I understand how to wire the lights and switch, but I am having a problem coming up with how in the heck to run the wires from the front to the dash panel. There are absolutely no access holes in the bow area, other than the 1/4 inch hole that is already drilled for the wires to drop in.

Under the dash, there is an access hole all the way to the right on the starboard side that I can barely reach my hand into. I am stumped on how to pull a wire from the front to the dash without cutting more holes in the boat. I thought about using a coat hanger to "fish" it in there, but there is no way to bend and maneuver a coat hanger through the 1/4 inch hole that is already there.

Please help.

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

No access whatsoever? No hatch? No storage covers/compartments under the bow seating that you can reach your arm up under?

How about this: use the wire fishing method, but enlarge the 1/4" hole significantly first; make it as big as you can while still being fully covered by the bow light assembly and sealant you will apply.

Or this: fill the current hole with Marine-Tex, then re-drill 1/4" at a severe angle to make the fishing go easier.

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

No access at all. The bow has two small storage compartments under carpeted wood panels, one on each side. Each storage compartment has drain holes that terminate on the outer skin of the hull. This is a walk-thru windshield type boat. The hole that I talked about earlier is under the console, but it isn't even big enough to reach my hand into. Looks like the only way to get into this hull without cutting holes is to pull the top cap.

I will try the hole enlarging method, was afraid that is what I would have to resort to.

Just had a thought, don't know if it would work or not. What about enlarging the hole a little, dropping a piece of metal tied to a string in it....Then go along the outside of the hull top rail with a strong magnet. Do you think the rough fiberglass on the inside would allow the metal to slide along towards the back? Guess it couldn't hurt to try.......I'm at my wits end on this one.

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

Buy a 25 foot electrician's fish tape at lowe's or Home Depot for $6-$7, uncoil 10 feet of it and advance it through the front hole towards the dash.

It may help to bend the tape to hold a slight curve.

It will probably take several times feeding it in to find the 2nd hole, sooner or later it should pop through.

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

wire2 said:

Buy a 25 foot electrician's fish tape at lowe's or Home Depot for $6-$7, uncoil 10 feet of it and advance it through the front hole towards the dash.

It may help to bend the tape to hold a slight curve.

It will probably take several times feeding it in to find the 2nd hole, sooner or later it should pop through.

Click to expand...

Used your suggestion and went to Harbor Freight and bought a electrician's fish tape for $10. My new light assembly was bigger than the old, so was able to drill the hole out bigger in the bow.

Well, you were ABSOLUTELY correct about it taking several times to find the second hole. Try several times X 100. Seriously though, it took me nearly two hours to get it through. But I have new wires and a working navigation light assembly on the front!

Major PITA, but the satisfaction of having it done is worth it.

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

The satisfaction level is directly proportional to the difficulty of a task.
Glad to hear you got 'er done.

My ultimate "fish story" was in a very old house, built with 12" x 12" barn beams as the main structure. I was allowed to drill a hole in the basement up through one to get into the wall cavity. The main floor walls (10 ft +) had VERY expensive flocked wallpaper on them, so I had to go to the 2nd floor, make a 6 x 6 hole in the wall behind a window curtain, and directly above the 1st hole. Then I drilled down through that floor's 12 x 12 beam to access the same (I hoped) cavity.

Went back to the basement, pushed the fish up, hit the upper 12 x 12 MANY times, hoping to have it find the 11/16" hole. After 45 minutes, WooHoo!

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

Glad you got the wire pulled. Something I always do when using a fish tape is to tie a 10 to 12 inch loop of string to the end of the tape. That way if you get the tape almost to where you want, you can usually use a coat hanger and snag the string to pull it the rest of the way.

Also, anytime I pull a wire whether it's in the boat, or house, I also pull a length of string with the wire. That way if I need to pull another wire to the same place, I just have to tie it, and another string to the existing string, and pull it through.

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

And to think that the manufacturers would ever think that new wiring may have to be fished through somewhere down the road...

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

The_Kid said:

Something I always do when using a fish tape is to tie a 10 to 12 inch loop of string to the end of the tape. That way if you get the tape almost to where you want, you can usually use a coat hanger and snag the string to pull it the rest of the way.

Click to expand...

Cool idea. I've been really close many times, but there is always some minor curve to overcome.

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

The_Kid said:

Also, anytime I pull a wire whether it's in the boat, or house, I also pull a length of string with the wire. That way if I need to pull another wire to the same place, I just have to tie it, and another string to the existing string, and pull it through.

Click to expand...

I do the same thing with my boat. It is a real b*tch getting wires to the back on mine so I always pull a string with the next wire I pull.

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

If your wire run is relatively sealed feed in a length of string while sucking on the other end with a shop vac.

Re: Getting wire from switch to bow navigation lights

no704 said:

If your wire run is relatively sealed feed in a length of string while sucking on the other end with a shop vac.

Click to expand...

Wow, the mental picture I had in my head prior to getting to "a shop vac".

Now that I read the entire line, that is also a killer idea.