Help with Battery connections

[djousset]

Things inadvertently got moved around in the battery compartment and I want to check my connections. 1 starter, 2 house batteries. Diagram below.

The mystery is the smaller gauge red connector in the photo (yellow arrows) it's about 2 feet long, I'm not sure if it was connected, is it possible it wasn’t used? Battery switch reads levels properly, the engine started fine. I just don’t know what this extra line is/was for.
TY!

[pcmm]

If you trace the 2 smaller lines back, do they go to a charger?

[djousset]

Originally Posted by pcmm

If you trace the 2 smaller lines back, do they go to a charger?

No, just one continuous cable with two ring terminals.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by djousset

No, just one continuous cable with two ring terminals.

You mean the two ends of the cable are in the photo. It connects nowhere else? In that case just remove it. Possibly was an older cable being used when current limits were lower and someone was lazy and never removed it when the battery cables were upgraded.

[djousset]

Originally Posted by Statistical

You mean the two ends of the cable are in the photo. It connects nowhere else? In that case just remove it. Possibly was an older cable being used when current limits were lower and someone was lazy and never removed it when the battery cables were upgraded.

Yes, the yellow arrows in the photo show the ends, I don't know if it needs to be connected to something or is just an extra laying there.

[SailingHarmonie]

Having a wire with unsecured ends like that floating around in a battery box with uncovered terminals is a fire looking for the right time to happen.

[Iron E]

Do you have an electric windlass?
These may go to the electric windlass solenoid

[djousset]

@SailingHarmony: I took the photo and then removed the cable
@IronE: no windlass (I wish...)

[Iron E]

If this was a before picture, I personally wouldn't have any issue with removing them and stowing the cable.