Finally Peeked Behind the Switch Panel

[SabreKai]

Here's whats lurking behind the switch panel on Espina. I take consolation in that she was built in 1959 and hasn't burned to the waterline yet. But its still pretty scary stuff.

This little splice was hidden above the settee lockers, and that old stuff is insulated with cloth and varnish. The photo is fuzzy, but you can see where the insulation is going and scorched.


Next we have the negative bus bar. The heavy yellow wire is the primary battery positive lead. That blue one is for the (non-existant) secondary battery and just floating in space with a half inch of stripped copper exposed.


The back of the switch panel.


And as the piece d' resistance, a later upgrade on wiring. All done with black lamp cord, no labeling, no idea what does what unless you trace all the leads. There are several more cords coming out of the bulkhead just below the bottom edge of this photo.


I've already bought marine grade wiring, terminals, terminal strips and all the rest of it. I'm working on the electrical system drawing now, and should be ready to start rewiring in a week or so. I need to figure out how I want the electrical compartment to be set up, probably a panel mounted vertically against the cockpit wall, under the bridge deck. Beside the engine instrumentation where that hole is currently.

[MarkJ]

Never look behind anything. Now look at all the work you've made for yourself!


Good luck with it. I'm sure it will be 1000% better for it

[Wotname]

You will feel better once you have finished

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Never look behind anything. Now look at all the work you've made for yourself!

Yeah I've still got some spots on my boat that I ask myself "what's behind that". But I worry knowing is opening up a can of worms. I'm sure if I opened and looked behind an electrical panel that it equals 6+ hours of work.

[Healer52]

The nice thing about discovering all that is it's an easy decision what to keep of it:


NOTHING.

Good luck!

[DeepFrz]

I'm sure if I opened and looked behind an electrical panel that it equals 6+ hours of work.

What, you think maybe you will have to replace a wire?

[Tampabayfireman]

LOL... 6 hrs? Ok, sorry, changed out 2 lights and took 6 hrs, I might have 6 hrs just chasing down dead wiring in one afternoon... Best guide for time is take watch, go up on deck, go opps, drop watch into water... go back downstairs and go, ok, takes what it takes... will make you feel much better than going , OMG it took me 60 hrs to redue the wiring...

[David M]

Uggh....that's criminal.

Is that a butt connector with two wires in the same side and nothing out the other side?

The good thing is I did not see any wire nuts.

[SabreKai]

Second photo upper right hand corner, that black thing above the electrical tape is a Marrett connector, which I believe is what you people in the US of A call a wire nut. Taped over to prevent water entry? Who knows. But you are correct, that butt connecter was used to splice together some stuff all coming out the same side.

Anyway, I pulled all the wiring out a couple of days ago. Only wiring left is for the engine. So no more sailing after dark til I get this all sorted out. I've decided to put the electrical more or less back where it was originaly, and the switch panel will be made from mahogany.



The original panel was in the center of the row. Now its going to be moved to the right side and the center and left bins will be open. The switch panel will be mahogany, with trim of some sort and hinged along the bottom edge so it can be opened up and layed flat for trouble shooting. The bin is now boxed off, and the bus bars and terminal strips will be mounted on a stand off panel against the hull skin. Cable bundles will run up and out to fore and aft.

Sabre

[FrankZ]

Originally Posted by David M

Uggh....that's criminal.

Is that a butt connector with two wires in the same side and nothing out the other side?

The good thing is I did not see any wire nuts.

Might be cause they fell off.

[Chief Engineer]

I see this stuff all the time........WWPT (what were people thinking)!!!!

I descended into an engine compartment a couple weeks ago....it was like a trap of wiring/netting like an Indiana Jones Movie....every way I turned I snagged on something.

[SabreKai]

Couple of quick photos of the electrical bay.



Shows the existing front face, and the stand off panel in the back. The front face for that bay will be removed so the new switch panel can sit flush with the face. The new ceiling strips will be just below the angle iron and the channel and will cover up all that knarly mess. I'm going to scrap and sand the underside of the deck and the hull skin, then paint it with zinc rich primer.




Shows the large section of galley top that was replaced due to rot. Huge hole there, there are things disappeared down there I'll never see again. No way to get at them. The back bulkhead also had a section replaced, that dark brown wood in the corner. I put in a full divider between the electrical bay and the other two bays and a half high divider between the center and end bay. Storage for hand bearing compass, binoculars, etc.

Once all the galley top is repaired I'll smooth it out (50 year old formica comes out in chunks, splinter and pulls up the plywood underneath) and lay down new formica. Next is to pull the wiring through Then the facing support strips will be placed, the cabinet facings rebuilt and repainted and finally installed. Finally, the ceiling can be redone. Last but not least, the electrical final work can be done. I've got 4 days off starting tomorrow, so lets see how far I get. I'll be ripping up ceiling and battens tomorrow and epoxy coating the dividers and stand off panel.


Sabre

[Rou-Coo]

I hope your re-wiring lasts as long as the 'original' - sounds like at least some of what you are showing is 50 years old. Not too bad!

[SabreKai]

Espie was built in 58-59.

Considering her age, some of the stuff is falling apart as would be expected but a lot of her is still ship shape. Its a pity that people decided working with the wood part was too much bother, so I have some rot problems. Not to worry. I'm going to rip that all apart in about 6 weeks after we haul and I get the cover on. The biggest part will be to remove the rear cabin wall, and make up a new one. To do that I have to do some creative demolition of the POs' idiot welding contractor. Gonna be making a lot of sparks and using up a few cutting disks but in principle it should work out ok. The rest of the rot will be easier, just a matter of removing the bottom 2 inches of the cabin sides and splicing in new material.

Sabre

[IdoraKeeper]

Originally Posted by SabreKai

Espie was built in 58-59.

Considering her age, some of the stuff is falling apart as would be expected but a lot of her is still ship shape. Its a pity that people decided working with the wood part was too much bother, so I have some rot problems. Not to worry. I'm going to rip that all apart in about 6 weeks after we haul and I get the cover on. The biggest part will be to remove the rear cabin wall, and make up a new one. To do that I have to do some creative demolition of the POs' idiot welding contractor. Gonna be making a lot of sparks and using up a few cutting disks but in principle it should work out ok. The rest of the rot will be easier, just a matter of removing the bottom 2 inches of the cabin sides and splicing in new material.

Sabre

I salute you sir...only removing the bottom 2 inches of the cabin sides. I will need to do such a job on my aft pilot house bulkhead in a couple years. Far from equanimity I am already girding my loins for the travail.

Todd