5 Boat Wiring Tips The Pros Don't Want You To Know! 

excellent tips for the first timer regarding marine electrical

I’m a pro, and I certainly want others to know this!

I have 3 wires on both sides of my trolling motor breaker. I wired the batteries according to wiring diagram on boat. The boat came with a 12V / 24V motor guide trolling motor. I only have 12 V at trolling motor receptacle.

I’m doing the wiring on my truck mounted carpet cleaning machine and I have to follow Marine guidelines basically because of possible exposure to water so these videos help a lot thanks

Great advice and tips. DIY Boaters Thank You! Especially today... There is a month+ wait to get a boat serviced at any marina/dealer.. and they are charging an Arm & Leg for the simplest repairs.

thank you

Great advice . Wish we had this before wiring done by fishing guy, not wiring guy.

I’m a marine electrician, and these are five points I make with every client.

Hey man, I like the video, and I wire boats for a living. If you need videos and picture I think I could help you. These are a little different not a center console more like a sundeck. Or twin outboard but when it comes to wiring same concept. If not no worries keep up the good work.

Advertising tires by "Mickey Thompson"....huh?🎉 ???He was MURDERED over 30 years ago..( 1988)...

I'm so bad at wiring. If it didn't cost an arm and a leg, I would hire someone everytime!! hahah

Very good video with tips that come at a good time. I'm about to remove my two power poles from my starting battery direct connect. I will connect to a Perko switch On/Off then run wires from the perko switch to the starting battery. I have to check size wire from power poles and I was thinking 10 gauge but could be 8 or 6. And I was going to buy at ACE Hardware. But I need "marine" grade and marine grade ring connectors to crimp. I am glad I watched this. Thank you!

Open front lugs allow you you to fill and seal the hole with solder, creating a crimped and soldered connection that’s sealed once heat shrink is applied.

Not sure why "the pros don't want me to know" ???

Good quality information right here

I am neither an electrician, nor a boat owner, but I would think any self-respecting marine electrician would be overjoyed for anyone wiring their own boat to know these things! It would ensure the damn jobs were being done properly!

Great video! Thanks

Wire good for the boat is also good for the trailer correct!

Rewiring my Lowrance units two HDS 9's and one HDS 7. Plan on using wire size 10 awg tinned wires. What size breaker should I use at battery and is it ok to install a Blue Sea spade type fuse box instead of in line fuses (5amp) each wire in the battery compartment. Thank You

Good video, thanks. Silly title.

The title is deceiving, as what you have described is elementary grade knowledge. How's about some trouble shooting tips? Like where do all these in-line fuses originate. But , thanks. I'll check some of your other videos. Perhaps it's their.

Great information. I am in the process of getting my new electric trolling motor installed and wired up. This video cleared up my questions. Much appreciated.

Thank you! For sharing vital information on wiring the boat electrical power

I ran 8 awg to the fuse box. I have a short run, maybe 6 feet. Can I use 16 awg for my helix 12?

Good info but the Pros already use these methods...because they're Pros. I made it a point to buy the tools and materials necessary to do my own boat electrical when needed because the real Pros are always busy.

I know bundles must be somewhat loose but what tubing use to protect wiring?

Just spent over $1700+ on Marine grade connectors, bus bars, fuse boxes, wires. Buy anything for a boat your goin to pay dbl.- triple the amount normal elec. equipment cost. Heat shrink everything, I even use battery red corrosion spray grease on all lugs. Even though Im not much expert on boats but been mechanic on auto's & semi. Ive seen some nasty issues & melt downs do to wireing the wrong size. Which is the reason Ive recently purchased a bassboat that was advertised lake & tourn. ready, couldnt be any further from the truth. Been on water bout 30min. & trolling motor quit. 6 months later, I finally recieved all materials I need to redo wiring & 1st thing I find, somebody decided to use a lil 14ga wire to tie the TM pos. cable to plug wire together & no breaker. Therefore melting all connections together, burning up my Fortrex brushed motor thats goin to cost me over $400+ to replace. So, after checking most wires in back of boat. Ive decided since its off season to pull everything out & run all new everything. I just wish I understood all this new graphs / technology's. Could use all prayers possible😇🙏 Kinda Ol school, fat, half blind & disabled, so this is goin to test me mentally& physically..☺

Good info.

extremely useful information! Very well said and organized. thank you.

I'm trying to wire my trolling motor up from a 12v to 24 volt trolling motor but I have a Cole hersee system on my bass boat so need info on how to do it please thanks

Come and hook my troller up and bildge pump up lol

How can I run wires from one breaker, close to battery, to second breaker that can act as switch, @ 5' from first breaker? Or, can I just install the switch breaker 5' from battery, but put fire retardant corrugated conduit around it? Need the switch breaker accessible in my boat so I can turn power on & off to trolling motor.

Good video but why would a pro not want you to know this info?

Thanks for your sharing. GREAT.

I want to wire my 24 volt trolling motor directly with no plug receptacles... I have a 50amp circuit breaker and all the proper wires. Can I do this or do I need a plug receptacle?

How to choose the right size buss bar amps

Very helpful, thanks and tight lines

Thanks. Learned something new!

Why do pros NOT want us to know this????

Dick Johnson, really!

Is it true lithium pro batterys 36v 40 volt while useing the power pole charge, only gains a few minutes of power on a run? You can’t gain a hour of trolling motor charge while running the boat for 30 mins ex? If your battery is dead, Can you run boat to charge trolling Moter batteries or no? Nobody can seem to answer a question I have. I have a 21ft flats boat and fish in wind and current ex ex. What battery should I get for a 36v 112 minnkotta Terrova? Thank you

This is all pretty well known info. Why do the pros not want us to know this?

Great tips/video/teaching style Thanks much...!

I have a question for you on wiring specifically the gauges … I watched a video on testing your gauges because I noticed that neither one of the temp gauges was working in my Yamaha LS200 and I went to check them and the sending unit was only drawing 6V so I checked the battery … 8V … took it to be tested (it was a 2012 battery) and they said it was good!? Took it home rewired battery EXACTLY as I did and found that my starboard engine’s coil pack blew the 10A fuse? And I attempted to turn the ignition on and no gauge works? And the fuse is blown … 2 times over? Any suggestions?

good information, sir i have 2 batteries deep cycle lead acid each one have capacity 185AH i want it to parallel them and both are sitting next to each other and both batteries terminal to terminal length is 10 inch only ( 10 inch wire length required for parallel these batteries ) i have a load of max 50 amp home appliances normally 300 to 400 watts, i want to know can i use use 10 inch wire length ? and which wire guage should i use it will really helps me a lot thanks in advance best of luck

My trolling motor prop is running in the incorrect direction. Its a Brand New Motorguide X3 55lbs that runs on 12 volts. I use a 12 volt marine battery for the trolling motor exclusively. If the pos and neg connectors on the battery were backwards - could this be the issue? Not the original owner. Previous trolling motor had the same issue. Any tips are GREATLY appreciated. Marc in Oklahoma

I need to replace my push button 50 amp breaker on my boat. the new breakers are not mark nor do they have a copper terminal. how can I determine the battery terminal?

Is 16 AWG "marine wire" good for sprinklers? Wasn't sure if all 16 AWG wire are created equal. Thank you!

Can you do a video on wiring up 2 way switches for navigation lights thank you

Would it be a good idea to run bigger cable to a series of bus bars and switches on a 50ft boat to avoid long runs of smaller wire

Why does my 1988 Ranger have 10 wires on my ignition switch?

What marine grade trailer wiring kits do tou recommend? (4-pin flat.)

Great information man, i will use it for my electrical wiring class

Awesome!! Thanks brotha!!! yea looks Iike gonna use 6gauge. The chart you put up call for 8gauge. But I’m gonna step it up to 6. One more question, as far as venting my center console is very large. That’s where I’m gona put my batteries for the trolling motor. It’s pretty large Almost 6’ of head space in there and fairly wide. Wider then most center console areas. There no need to worry about having to vent this area with batteries going in there now right? Would think it would be vented enough already. Also want to put the batteries in those battery boxes and strap them to the floor for protection. Considering there is a port o potty down there and also some storage stuff.ok to store them in the boxes right?

I was looking for wiring tips for my Shuttle Bus conversion. Watched your video first. Would these tips be good for my Shuttle Bus? I'll have solar with lithium batteries & a generator. Thank YOU

I have a question regarding wiring, I am getting ready to wire up a couple fish finders, I wanted to use 4 awg gage wire but can only find black Red is sold out, I did come across another its 4/2 AWG Duplex Flat DC Marine Grade wire - tinned copper boat cable wire, is this considered the same as the other 4 awg gage wires ? any insight would be helpful Thanks

Hi Fast Ed putting an onboard charger in my aluminum boat I heard somewhere that I should not directly mount it to the aluminum in side the battery box because if you ever charge your boat in the water you can have problems if this is true then what should I put between the charger and the aluminum side in the battery box. Thanks Fast Ed

Thanks,could you show how to wire two batteries for a 24 volt trolling motor. Plus how do you make sure both batteries are charging when you hook up your charger. Thanks

Lol used automotive wiring and am completely having to redo my speaker system wiring on my boat

If I place the battery 15 ft far from trolling motor in my canoe, what AWG wire I have to use. motor thrust 50 lb. Trolling motor cable is 5 ft.

Why would a pro not want you to know this??

Do you have a diagram showing the wiring from the trolling motor to the battery including the plug-in and circuit breaker

Tinned wire is not the only legitimate wire to use on a boat, that something the pros would want you to know to get you to spend more money! Thats a myth. I have seen videos from some electricans saying it's mandated by ABYC not true, some have also said that un tinned wire wont last much more than a year. Some members of ABYC are companies that sell tinned wire.... Millions of people with boats and ships wired with untinned are not replacing thier cable every other year or it would have become standard decades ago. Boats have been wired with bare copper since around the 1880's. It's all about where and how you use it. Tinned wire is more corrosion resistant, yes but not by as much as you'd think, in most cases bare copper will give you well beyond the service life most people need anyway. If you insulate the un tinned wire with heatshrink connectors it's more than enough protection unless you make a habit of filling your wiring compartments with sea water and salt spray. The wires I bother to use double the price tinned for are the bilge pump wires on small craft since they are so important and the most likely to come into contact with salt water. On boats with high voltage and three phase pumps the cost would be intolerable. Automotive grade wires for road vehicles have come a long way since they started putting electronics in them. The thin walled stuff is more cut resistant and you get more copper for the same diameter. Something no one ever mentions is how some insulation jackets can chemically interact and break down when in contact with parts of your boat especialy styrene and spray foam insulation. For me thats much more of a concern that the conductor inside. I'd rather take the money saved and go up a gauge in size with a high quality jacket.

Good advice

Which pro's wouldn't want you to know this???

Thank you for the information!!!!

Good, professional presentation.

Good video , my question is what would you recommend for getting power to a 12” helix on the bow , would you run wire directly from the batteries in the back of the boat or to a panel at the console ?

Good info

where can i buy the wire i need?.

Why wouldn’t pros want people to know this?

Where do you buy your wire?

No one cares if anyone knows. And everything said in this video is the most basic knowledge that’s already been said in every video and forum thousands of times.

Awesome info!