[Scooch_2]

I have an older 17 foot aluminum boat with a small console and a 35HP Mercury. There is a compartment under where I sit that has the battery and gas tank. There is a ground wire that is attached to the frame of the boat that goes to the battery. The boat spends most of its time in fresh water at the dock behind my house. From what I have read, I believe it is probably a bad idea to have the negative terminal of the battery hooked up to the hull. Should I disconnect and remove it or continue to use it. Why would it be setup that way in the first place?

[mercbob]

any time you have power going to anything you need to ground that power out so it is not able to run all over the place. it would be a good idea if you could find a place on the motor block to run your ground to if not it will be fine where it is

[Ben Konopacky]

most likely your eng.mtg.is grounded to the boats hull ,so it would not be isolated from the batt.in the first place,the grd. wire is ok..

[Ben Konopacky]

Sorry..

[walleyehed]

If you have a metal fuel tank, it's quite possible that the wire goes from the boat to the tank...not the batt.

[crab bait]

i never heard/knew it was 'bad' to do so.. like to know why..

[kcole683]

If you are worried about it run a seperate wire from the engine block. Electricity will take the path of least resistance anyway. Your hull is almost certainly grounded very well already through the engine mounting, as it should be.