Wiring Panel questions

[s2sailorlis]

On my CD22, I have a 2 battery panel and was wanting to wire my auto tiller to one of the breakers. I noticed only one wire going to each breaker switch, but where is the common ground.

Also in the other picture does anyone know what the gold colored bar with two red wires attached is...?

[Maine_Buzzard]

Oh my. Ratnest.

The gold bar is a power resistor, used to limit current or reduce the voltage to a device.

I cannot imagine a fair use for one on a boat, other than for a compass light that is too bright. This one is clearly installed incorrectly.

Sadly, not much can be discerned from the photos. Somewhere, you have a common negative bus connecting the battery negatives to the returns on the lighting and radio. Follow the negative battery leads to a common block, likely near the fuse panel.

Invest the four to six Benjamins in a qualified marine tech, or buy Don Casey's books on old boats. This panel needs to be unwound.

[Maine_Buzzard]

Further review shows it's from 1981, and a 50 Watt model. With the 4.7 Ohm resistance, it would pass over 2 Amps of current directly across 12V. That it has not melted the adhesive gobbed around it means that it's not working nearly so hard.

Very curious to know what the red wires coming off it attach to.

[hilbert]

...where is the common ground

Check out if there isn't something like this behind the panel. It may be wrapped in electrical tape.



Jonathan

[Maine_Buzzard]

Abhhhha!!! my eyes!!! my eyes!!!

When will the pain end!?

[s2sailorlis]

I'll have to chase those wires down.. to the best of my knowledge this is all factory wiring...I certainly did not wire this, nor did the PO...

Further review shows it's from 1981, and a 50 Watt model. With the 4.7 Ohm resistance, it would pass over 2 Amps of current directly across 12V. That it has not melted the adhesive gobbed around it means that it's not working nearly so hard.

Very curious to know what the red wires coming off it attach to.

[Chrisa006]

My CD25 looked about the same. I put in a terminal block for the grounds and a new breaker panel. I still have to change out the factory wire but that will have to wait till winter.

[Jim Cornwell]

Seems like all posts about wiring look about the same. Almost all use the epithet "rat's nest" somewhere in the narrative. Yankee is certainly no exception! I think Cape Dory had an electrical crew of squirrels, supplied with random-colored bits of wire and supervised by a dozing cat. Big project coming up for me (and others among us, I think) to completely rewire to new panels. I'm thinking about reusing the original port side panel location for 110V and battery selector and creating a new panel on the starboard side above the galley for all 12V branch circuits. Has anybody done something like this?