Need help with delayed power to trolling motor, Nav lights.

[wolfee]

-- 1980's Sea Nymph "Fishing Machine" 16'-6" aluminum boat
I used to have 2 batteries, one up front for the trolling motor and one in back for start/bilge/aerator/navigation pole + front red/green light.

I upgraded my 25hp Merc to a 50hp Yamaha with an alternator and went with 1 Optima Blue Top battery(in the back). Just got back from Canada, 7 days of ~10 hours/day fishing. Never had any issues EXCEPT for 2 things.
1. It would take a couple minutes for the trolling motor to get power.
2. The one time I used Nav lights, it took a few minutes for them to come on.

I don't use a battery switch. Everything is connected to the battery, with the bilge/aerator/nav lights coming from a switch panel.

I'm wondering if the full run of pos/neg cable for the trolling mother is ~32 feet, maybe the wire is too small? Would be a pain to replace since there is a floor in the boat. Also wondering if the wires +/- from the panel/ground bus bar are too small as well. Am I on the right track? Or should I be looking at something else?

 

[roscoe]

I just returned from Canada as well.
I noticed almost everything was running slower or on a delay this year.
Store clerks, waitresses, resort staff, resort owners, and even the fish.

I suspect it is the result of the recent legalization of pot in Canada. People were smoking everywhere.
Apparently their pot is a lot stronger, as it appears to have slowed the speed of electricity, from the the usual “speed of light.”

Sorry, I have no useful input for your boat issue. Just adding a bit of humor.

 

[mike_i]

This doesn't make sense that things are taking minutes to turn on. What size cable are you using for the trolling motor. Adding 32' of cable may make a differance depending on the cable size but should not add a delay in turning on.

 

[wolfee]

I think the cable to the trolling motor is 6 which seems fine. It's about 16' to the trolling motor connection and 16' back. I guess I could/should test it with a battery right next to the trolling motor. Just have to get some new cable to test. Thanks for the input, frustrating.

 

[airshot]

Take an actual voltage reading on your battery, are the TM wires getting hot ?? Should be some type of fuse between battery and TM or your asking for trouble.

 

[Scott Danforth]

A bad connection or multiple bad connections will cause things to be slow in coming on.

 

[wolfee]

Well I've taken the floors out of the boat and rewired the entire thing. Kinda went overboard with the gauge though. Trolling Motor has 4 awg red/black from front of boat to back (about 20-22 feet counting angles) Put a 60 amp terminal fuse at the battery for the trolling motor, changed all other circuits to 12 awg. Also replaced the switch panel and ground hub. Everything is working fine in my driveway So here's my question:

This is a Sea Nymph "fishing machine" aluminum boat. Inside aluminum is painted but it's original paint and worn pretty bad. (1980's boat) I figure since I have the floors off, I might as well paint the inside aluminum but I'm having a hard time finding the right product/paint. I'd like to spray paint it and tape any edges/non-paint surfaces with painter's tape. Can anyone recommend a spray paint for aluminum?

 

[airshot]

I just returned from Canada as well.
I noticed almost everything was running slower or on a delay this year.
Store clerks, waitresses, resort staff, resort owners, and even the fish.

I suspect it is the result of the recent legalization of pot in Canada. People were smoking everywhere.
Apparently their pot is a lot stronger, as it appears to have slowed the speed of electricity, from the the usual “speed of light.”

Sorry, I have no useful input for your boat issue. Just adding a bit of humor.

So is their beer a higher alcohol content...that is why I choose Molson.

 

[airshot]

Well I've taken the floors out of the boat and rewired the entire thing. Kinda went overboard with the gauge though. Trolling Motor has 4 awg red/black from front of boat to back (about 20-22 feet counting angles) Put a 60 amp terminal fuse at the battery for the trolling motor, changed all other circuits to 12 awg. Also replaced the switch panel and ground hub. Everything is working fine in my driveway So here's my question:

This is a Sea Nymph "fishing machine" aluminum boat. Inside aluminum is painted but it's original paint and worn pretty bad. (1980's boat) I figure since I have the floors off, I might as well paint the inside aluminum but I'm having a hard time finding the right product/paint. I'd like to spray paint it and tape any edges/non-paint surfaces with painter's tape. Can anyone recommend a spray paint for aluminum?

I have the 16' Sylvan sea troller side console. Even though worn, if the paint is still sticking ( not chipping or peeling) then a primer isn't really needed. On my alum restos I used rustoleum exterior enamal with great sucess. It can be thinned down to spray properly. My last job was 6 years back and still looks like new but isn't parked out in the sun...

 

[wolfee]

I have the 16' Sylvan sea troller side console. Even though worn, if the paint is still sticking ( not chipping or peeling) then a primer isn't really needed. On my alum restos I used rustoleum exterior enamal with great sucess. It can be thinned down to spray properly. My last job was 6 years back and still looks like new but isn't parked out in the sun...

Thanks, I was going to try that but thought I'd ask first. Thank you!