Wiring Supplies - Marine vs. Automotive

Rob & Karen

I will soon be installing an automatic charging relay along with the optional control switch. I will need various sizes and lengths of wire ranging from 16 awg to 10 awg. I will also need several terminals.

Is it necessary to obtain these supplies from a marine supply house such as Defender of West Marine, or will the supplies available from local auto parts stores work? The Marine supplies (particularly the wire) are more than double the price of the automotive supplies.

I am assuming that the answer will probably be that Marine supplies are required, but I thought I would ask before spending the extra money.

Thanks for any input.

Rob

thataway · Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject:

You want tinned, fine stranded wire, plus tinned marine grade connectors. There are places which are cheaper to buy than West Marine. There are some on the internet, and occasinally they are present in local towns. For example National Standard Parts is only a few miles from my house and I drive by their warehouse almost daily.
Jamestown Distributors is another supplier--there are some which are less expensive.

I often buy the spools of wire and crimps by the 25 or 50 pack, because it is so much cheaper, and you always have the stock available when you need it.

T.R. Bauer · Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:37 pm Post subject:

It may be just up here, but Napa a lot of this type of stuff too.

rogerbum · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:02 am Post subject:

tsturm · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:06 am Post subject:

rogerbum · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:28 am Post subject:

Maybe it is just an "Alaska thing"? Do they also carry wood chips for the smoker? Wink

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:02 am Post subject:

The hardware/general store/universal emporium/U-Name-It-U-Got-It-Joint type of stores featured in Alaskan communities that are not exactly metropolitan megaloposies often have a lot of marine stuff intermixed with all the other survival gear necessary for rural living and boating.

The best selection of boat heater types on display I've ever seen was in a Ketchikan hardware store down on the waterfront. Noting like this in California!

Joe. Thumbs Up

Valkyrie · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:04 am Post subject:

Definitely go with the marine grade. When Valkyrie was less than a year old we had a number of electrical problems and a local repair outfit with a recommended electrical guru traced the problem to the use of automotive grade wiring and fuse boxes. And except for two weeks in the Chesapeake for our shakedown cruise, Valkyrie had not been in salt water at that time. Since they were replaced with marine grade - no problems.

Pay for the good stuff!

Nick
"Valkyrie"

SENSEI · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 9:36 am Post subject:

most NAPA stores can have the marine grade next day if they don't have it in stock. when I rewired Sensei I bought
all the electrical suplies there.

tsturm · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:11 am Post subject:

GOYO · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:54 am Post subject:

Interesting that this thread came up. I was on amazon.com and saw a very complete selection of ancor marine grade wire and connectors. Very suprised to see that on amazon.

marvin4239 · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:06 pm Post subject:

Our local Home Depot carried Ancor marine grade terminals and wire for quite a while. I guess they decided to no longer carry Ancor and put all their Ancor stuff on sale to get rid of it. They had some great deals on small spools of wire typically at 1/4 the price of West Marine. May be worth checking your local Home Depot.

journey on · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject:

Just a comment on NAPA. This summer we were up in Wisconsen, at Lake Superior. The bow roller gave up on the trailer, and I went to a boat deler to get a new roller. No soap. Finally went to a NAPA store in Munising, Michigan, desperate. When I asked for the bow roller, 7 1/2", the answer was "black or yellow?" When the town is too small to support a boat supply, NAPA takes up the slack. And does a good job.

Local knowledge.

Boris

gljjr · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject:

Napa has a full marine catalog that you can get on request. I actually picked one up for finding parts for my old 27'. Most of the items in that catalog can be gotten within a few days if they don't have them at their distributor.

After having to rewire my sled's lights and dashboard due to the use of it in the salt, there is no way I would ever use non-marine grade electrical parts on a boat.