WIRING BASICS

There comes a time during your tenure as a boat owner when you will have to install or reinstall electronic or electrical equipment. With the proper tools and instructions, wiring can be an easy job for the do-it-yourselfer.

— By Jan Mundy

Electrical wiring in boats has advanced from the sole realm of professionals to mainstream practice. Nowadays, you can purchase all the required tools and ABYC recommended wire, connections and other components from any well-stocked marine retailer. An investment of less than US$100 can buy you the basic tools you need to get started, including a quality wire stripper, crimper and butane torch. You’ll need various sizes of wire, different styles and sizes of terminals both standard and heat-shrink type, several diameters of heat-shrink tubing and a few adhesive-lined heat-shrink terminals for use on wires that pass through the bilge.

Wiring is easy when you follow the strip-crimp-shrink technique.

1. Set the indicator on the wire stripper to the size of the wire you are stripping. This tool automatically removes the correct amount of insulation from the wire. To ensure a positive connection, make certain all terminals and wire strands are free from corrosion.

2. Select a terminal that is correctly sized to the wire. Make sure the wire range of the terminal is compatible with the actual wire size. Terminals come in three colors to match wire sizes: red for 22 to 18 gauge; blue for 16 to 14 gauge; and yellow for 12 to 10 gauge.

3. Place the terminal in the proper color-coded jaw of the crimp tool. Slide a length of heat-shrink tubing over the wire end and insert it into the terminal. The wire insulation should be flush against the barrel of the connector. Make sure the strands do not extend into the contact area.

4. Center the crimp in the jaw and squeeze the handles with enough pressure to make the crimp. An adequate amount of pressure is required. Two crimps are required. If using a ratchet-style double crimper, firmly squeeze the handles until the jaws release — a single squeeze is all that’s needed to make both crimps. Lightly pull the finished crimp to see that the wire is held firmly in place.

5. Waterproof the connection with heat-shrink tubing. To do this, slide the tubing over the end so it butts against the terminal base. Use a butane mini-torch to heat the tubing until the insulation shrinks and seals the wire. Identify each wire with stick-on labels when installing.