Rewiring to eliminate DC cables crossing bilge

[rjthompson]

Has anyone done a rewire job on their boat to avoid running the DC power cables from the starboard side battery compartment to the port side distribution panel (a high and dry route)? I'm in the process of pulling out the old cables that have been run from the holding tank compartment through the cabin floor and across the bilge to the battery compartment and between these and the ones which have been run through the engine mount stringers to the compartment under the sinks, I'm lucky the boat didn't burn to ashes!

[Stu Jackson]

Bob,

Not that I've ever heard of.

It's a simple matter of distance.  The longer the run, the bigger the cables have to be for any given electrical load.  The way it was done is essentially the shortest.

Could you expand on the "...I'm lucky the boat didn't burn to ashes!" part?

Ours is a boat just a few months younger than yours and I have no issues with those wiring routes.  In fact, I added a Freedom 15 Inverter/Charger back in 1998 that is under our nav station and it has (2) #2/0 wires from it to the battery box via that same route.

I added a higher output alternator and ran the wiring from the engine aft and under the engine all the way forward to the battery box.

Good wiring is made with proper insulation and the bilge contents, if any, shouldn't affect it at all.

[rjthompson]

Thanks for the reply, Stu. One of the cables I pulled out was 1/0 starting battery (located in port cockpit locker) cable which ran under the engine mount and terminated in the compartment under sink at the fuse terminal. The insulation was so brittle it cracked when flexed. Noteworthy to say it was not rated marine grade.
It's encouraging to hear that running Ancor or equivalent boat cable would be no problem.