Cable size for small wiring job

[sylvo]

Guys, have a 13 footer Orkney style for pottering about the Thames fishing (course). Am setting up with some nav lights/charging port panel/ interior light etc, a pal has given me a 105 ah sealed battery (I know its heavy duty for the boat) but am also going to run an electric aux motor from it as a back up and for stealth to get into tributaries. Have fused switch panel etc, what size cable would anyone recommend for the general wiring.

Appreciate any advice.

[Ianfs]

Hi Sylvo,

Sounds like a fun project, if you get a chance post some pics. And when you get her up and running I would love to see some fishing photos. We used to live in Marlow and loved fishing the Thames there, in fact my son in law still does.

That battery, is it a standard car starter battery? Or is it a good leisure or deep cycle battery? If its a car starter battery it'll only discharge to about 85% before it goes flat, also they don't like to be cycled ( discharged / charged ) too much before they die. It may be ok for running lights but not too sure about charging ports and certainly not an electric motor. Deep cycle or good leisure battery should be fine.

As regards wiring, use tinned wire for boats. My son has just finished his self build camper and we used 12v Planet quite a lot. They sell tinned wiring as well as bundles of other things. 1.5mm should be fine for light work. One thing to remember is that with any 12v system if you have something with high wattage the amps are higher than with 240v systems so you need a proportionately thicker wire. For lights and charge ports though the 1.5mm will be fine. Unless its a laptop, they eat power. Speak to these guys they are very helpful.

https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/tinned-copper-multi-core-thin-wall-cable.html

[sylvo]

Hi Lanfs,

Good to hear from you. Many thanks for advice and links.

Yes it is an almost new deep cycle leisure battery, happy days.

My wife and I are doing a lot of kayaking so the boat is purely for my fishing adventures, will be my man boat. Registered on the Thames, name 'harry otter'

My intention is to keep a boat/engine hours and fishing log. I intend recording each trip, hours/location /fish caught (if any) method and baits. I am restricting myself initially to a set stretch between Sunbury lock and Teddington lock. I am on the committee at the boat club and run a few fishing competitions in the year (when things are normal). I will leave the book to the club for younger members to reference, it is in memory of an old boy called Reg who sadly passed away, he had done a similar thing. he gave me his book but it went missing : (

I will post some pictures soon, not sure if am allowed at the moment?

It is a cracking little boat, over restored, almost looks too good to use...but boats are for using so will have to bite the bullet. We are downsizing in a couple of years so hopefully we are going to have a bigger boat again on a mooring. Something tells me I will still hang onto this one at the club as would be loathe to part with it.

Take care.

[Ianfs]

Yes it is an almost new deep cycle leisure battery, happy days.

As you say, happy days. That should do the job nicely. If you run LED's it'll go on forever.

Well well well, you'll be just above the tidal Thames then. Gosh, when I was a lad my dad used to take us fishing at Chertsey and Laleham, you could drive right up to the river in those days park your car, fish and have a picnic. He also used to take us to Shepperton, that was lovely too. My Uncle had a place on the River at Caversham, used to love fishing there as it had 150' river frontage. It certainly brings back memories of being able to sail all along those stretches. There used to be a lake at Littleton, called Littleton lake, we used to fish that too.

I think what you are doing is amazing and the log will help our younger generation get great pleasure from fishing and boating.

[sylvo]

I will probably venture past Sunbury lock and beyond after I have done this stretch for a few months. Quite fancy having a bash down the river Wey, have done some kayaking there and it is glorious.

I could go into the tidal but it is just hassle...prefer more sedate boating now.

We are looking at, getting ideas about a riverside property when we sell up, Shepperton and Weybridge really appeal.

Only downside with my bit of the Thames at the moment is the paddle boarders, the ones who do it properly are fine and seem to understand boating etiquette, but there is now a rash of folk/kids buying these cheap boards who act like idiots. No life preservers, hacking across boats kayaks, often 4 abreast so you have to dodge around them.

I have acquired the rights now to be a grumpy old man

[Ianfs]

I have acquired the rights now to be a grumpy old man

[Doc Oakley]

Regarding batteries, a lesson learned by me...I got a [car] battery from Halfords for the E-Tec 25, figuring that a battery that would start a medium size car would be OK for a 25hp outboard..wrong! I had omitted to read the Evinrude manual which specified a level of 640 CCA (minimum) - CCA being 'cold cranking amps' - the battery I'd fitted started the engine OK, but unknown to me was being damaged by not being up to spec (only 380 CCA) and was 'duff' quite quickly. Ordered a new item from Tayna batteries online with a CCA of 800 and we're good to go. Also, a big difference between a 'leisure battery' (slow, reliable discharge) and a 'starting battery' (high amps, sustainable for firing up) - I think there's often a good case for a twin battery set up if you have the space and the right alternator output.

Doc.