'nother new C-Dory and rookie boat owner

[siddfynch]

Hi all,

I finally took the plunge last week, after 2 yrs of shopping around and tuning my interests down from an 18' aluminum skiff to a 22' C-Dory with pilot house and cuddy cabin. Got skunked on a couple local C-Dory purchases - being a rookie, I got beaten to the punch by savvy vets who pounced on good deals while I was still doing things like coming to this site to research bottom paint. I registered on this site a few weeks ago, but this is my first post.

Anyway, I jumped on a boat that was for sale remotely, trusting the seller and a remote appraiser to fill me in by phone, then drop it off at my house while I was out of town. It's a mixed bag - I probably overpaid, and the boat is not quite as turnkey as promised, but I'm glad I have it, and can now turn my attention to getting her fixed up.

First, I want to say how helpful this site has been in my search. There's a lot of advice on fixing that is obviously helpful. Maybe a little less obvious is that all the posts on trips taken, photos of boat layouts, and other such things have ben very helpful for seeing the POSSIBILITIES of the different makes and models. So thanks for sharing the successes as well as the advice. Although it's my first boat, I have run 14 to 26 footers around Alaska as part of my work, so have some exposure to them - not as much as a hands-on owner, but more than someone straight out of the armchair. My intent for this new boat is overnight trips in PWS, Seward, Homer, etc.

With that, I have a few questions that I cannot find the answer to.

First, my boat: it's a 22' Classic, 1983, with a 2006 Evinrude E-Tec engine. Uglier than the pics you guys have on this site, so I am loathe to post them.

Question #1: What is the wood laminate on the inside and outside back of the pilot house on this model? I'm talking about the console, drop-down table, and shelf behind the driver. Is this material a teak veneer, or something else? I'm trying to figure out whether to stain or sand it.

Question #2: I need to replace a 15' strand of 12/2 wiring and a 15' strand of 12/1 wiring. I figure I'll drop down in size (10/2 and 10/1), but the cost has surprised me. At least $50 just for the 10/2. Can I simply replace the 10/2 with 2 strands of the much cheaper 10/1? If so, I can buy a spool of 10/1, and my cost per foot goes way down. Or is there a safety concern in making this switch?

Question #3: The Lowrance 2800M turns out to NOT come with the chartplotter option. Does anyone have any experience with this "Navionics" card that goes into it? Is the coverage worth the $200 from West Marine, especially for Alaska waters? My only experience is with the Garmin setup, which uses a different system (and which was good enough for me).

Question #4: The electrical panel is quite the rat's nest of wires, with one bus bar, two fuse panels, and the steering cable. Has anyone on here retrofitted a cover for this whole shebang to try to keep it out of the way of toddlers and sleep-kickers in the v-berth?

Question #5: This one is really puzzling me. I have dual batteries wired to a 1--Off-2-Both Blue Seas switch. Battery 1's negative is wired in series to Battery 2. The positive cables from Battery 1 and Battery 2 go directly to the 1 and 2 terminal on the Switch. The remaining Switch terminal is wired to the motor. Now, there is also a separate wire running from Battery 2 to each of my two fuse panels. The result is that all of my electrical components in the boat can be turned on regardless of the position of the battery switch (1, 2, off, both - it all works the same).

Is this incorrect? From reading this past week, it seems like the point of a switch is usually to isolate the electronics from the starting system. Is there a benefit to my boat being wired the way it is? Regardless, what's the simplest way to achieve system separation under my setup - should I be running my positives from the fuse panels straight to a terminal on the Blue Seas switch (instead of the battery)? If so, where do my negative cables from the bus attach (still to Battery 2)?

A lot of questions here, I realize. If anyone can take a stab at any of these numbers, I'd sure appreciate it. I'd like to get her out on the water as soon as this weekend, if possible.

Thanks,

El Sidd

 

[snal]

1st...congratulations!
2nd...sorry...can't help with the questions.
3rd...post some pics!...I've yet to see an ugly C Dory!
4th...update yer profile and add yer location...we're family here!
5th...It took me 3 years to find mine!

 

[flapbreaker]

Question #3: The Lowrance 2800M turns out to NOT come with the chartplotter option. Does anyone have any experience with this "Navionics" card that goes into it? Is the coverage worth the $200 from West Marine, especially for Alaska waters? My only experience is with the Garmin setup, which uses a different system (and which was good enough for me).

El Sidd

Yes, the chip is worth it. Also, you will get a free chip in the mail they call thier "fish n chip" which has very detailed bottom contour data. You might look into buying the chip from www.landfallnavigation.com I believe they sell it for about $179.00

can't help with your other questions.

 

[journey on]

You just found out that copper is expensive. You have two options, and none of them are at West Marine. First, rewire with normal household wire. I know it's not tinned, but then a normal C-Dory doesn't spend much time in salt water. I used untinned battery cable and it's worked weell for three years now.

Second, try this link for marine wire: Marine Wire and see if it saves you any money.

Boris

 

[siddfynch]

You just found out that copper is expensive. You have two options, and none of them are at West Marine. First, rewire with normal household wire. I know it's not tinned, but then a normal C-Dory doesn't spend much time in salt water. I used untinned battery cable and it's worked weell for three years now.

Second, try this link for marine wire: Marine Wire and see if it saves you any money.

Boris

Boris, that Marine Wire place is terrific - approximately 1/4 the costs of the wire up here in AK. Thanks a bunch.

 

[Dora~Jean]

OK, I'll make an attempt at #5.

siddfynch wrote:

Question #5: This one is really puzzling me. I have dual batteries wired to a 1--Off-2-Both Blue Seas switch. Battery 1's negative is wired in series to Battery 2. The positive cables from Battery 1 and Battery 2 go directly to the 1 and 2 terminal on the Switch. The remaining Switch terminal is wired to the motor. Now, there is also a separate wire running from Battery 2 to each of my two fuse panels. The result is that all of my electrical components in the boat can be turned on regardless of the position of the battery switch (1, 2, off, both - it all works the same).
Is this incorrect? From reading this past week, it seems like the point of a switch is usually to isolate the electronics from the starting system. Is there a benefit to my boat being wired the way it is? Regardless, what's the simplest way to achieve system separation under my setup - should I be running my positives from the fuse panels straight to a terminal on the Blue Seas switch (instead of the battery)? If so, where do my negative cables from the bus attach (still to Battery 2)?

Your Blue Seas switch appears to be wired for your engine to charge either your #1 battery or your #2, depending upon the switch position. If the switch is in position BOTH, then both batteries will be in parallel and charged together.

As far as your house electronics, it appears to be hard-wired to Battery #2, switch as no effect.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each wiring setup. In order for you engine to charge Battery #1, you must have the switch in either the #1 or BOTH position. Then once it's fully charged (check by meter after charge is removed and maybe with a slight load (an interior light), should read about 12.4 volts or so), place switch in the #2 position to maintain the house battery via the engine charging system. With this scheme, you'll always have the #1 battery for starting should the #2 (house connected) become too depleted to start the engine. That is at least one advantage of this setup. Requires diligence though in making sure the switch is switched when needed and determining that the #1 battery is charged.

There are numerous other setups which I believe would serve you better, such as including a VSR device that automatically charges the second battery once the first achieves a certain charge voltage. Others might chime in, or you can use the search function to find several discussions relating to battery configurations.

Good luck with your boat, enjoy it.

 

[Catch 22]

hey, first congrats on the new boat, if you need to feel better about how she looks at purchase, check out my album, mine is a real "fixer upper", i recently picked up an '81, and it was really ugly, 3" of mud in the whole back deck, and green from moss, i acually thought it was a blue accent for a month till i buffed the boat and found out it was black that was really oxidized, and a half inch of growth on the bottom, its fun to get an ugly one and make it look good again, i just rewired the whole boat for two banks, and isolated the house from the starting, they charge together but the house can only drain one, BOTH is for an emergency starting situations, wiring pics to come soon, im no expert though, my rear bulkhead has taken water in where the old controls passed though it, it is so rotten i could poke my finger though it, may want to check that area for rot, i think its 3/4" marine plywood, im replacing mine this winter and will glass it to the hull for a quieter ride, everytime it take it out, the fasteners holding to the hull fall out, again because of rot, good luck have fun, i know i am...

 

[thataway]

Congratulations on the purchase of a Classic.

#1 Some of the early boats had wood grained "DecaGuard"--or a teak grained laminate over the plywood. If so, consider putting Cetol over it, and this will still look good and preserve the laminate.

#2. Probably best to replace the wire with #10. I prefer marine wire, especially for long runs. The wire will have a double cover in the duplex/triplex wire; with a good vinly cover over each strand and a protective vinly sheath over the two wires to protect from chafe or shorting. I personally prefer marine wire over automotive wire. The marine should be tinned and a series of finer strands. I don't think that Boris mean solid household wire--but a stranded common wire.

#3. The chart chip from Navionics is worth while--get the chip specific for your area. You probably will use the Navionics Silver with that old a chart plotter. I have owned a Lowrance 3000 and 3300--but am nor familiar with the 2800M.

#4. The "usual" cover is made out of Sunbrella, with snaps in about 8 places. Some of the 22's had a fiberglass cover--not sure if that is being made currently. It would be very easy to fabricate a cover using 1/8" door skin plywood, covered with a layer of light glass cloth. You could "stitch and glue" the cover and make it in an evening--do a cardboard mock up first.

#5. Your battery question is well answered. The batteries are not in series--the ground is just a common point, which is normal. Be sure that you have a "make before break" switch, so that if you change the switch position, that there is always continuity with the alternator. If you open the output circuit when the alternator is charging, you will blow the diodes (unless you interrupt the field current--and stop charging output, or have a completed circut to charge a battery). I also like adding a Voltage Sensitative Relay, But with careful battery use, this is not necessary. With the VSR, you connect the starting battery directly to the alternator, and when its voltage reaches a predetermined level, then the second battery is combined to be charged. Thus, the #2 battery is isolated at start, and when you are using the power at anchor etc.