Fishing wires aft

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plaineolde
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Fishing wires aft

well, the mast is back on the boat after having the rigging replaced. I decided to add wind instruments, so now I need to run the wire from the masthead unit back to the pedestal. I stuck my head into the bilge and, looking aft, I can see two 'cutouts' in the hull reinforcement where the wires for the speed and depth sounder go, along with the bilge hose. Where the heck to these come out in the aft cabin? To me, it looks like the engine bed seals that area from the forward section of the boat and the wires don't come out there. Sure wish they'd left me a messenger line when they fished those through at the dealer..!

Gary and Cathy Price
1997 C36 Mk II Tall Rig/Wing Keel Imagine...
Hull # 1617
Worton Creek, Md.
Northern Chesapeake Bay

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LCBrandt
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Posts: 1282

My strategy when I installed the mast-mounted radar on High Flight was to route the wires to behind/beneath the Power Distribution Panel, then below the aft cabin closet, up from there and through the conduits laid in place by Catalina during production, to the lazarette.

The part of the explanation above that I glossed over - the segment from the mast step to the Power Distribution Panel - I found the most challenging. Basically, with the two main batteries removed (and terminals carefully covered with a non-conducting material to prevent accidental shorting), I ran the cabling forward from the mast step, along the portside of the bilge beneath the salon table, then underneath the center walkway, to route slanting upwards alongside the aft-side of the batteries. Once there you're home free - sort of. I used plastic tie-wraps to secure the cable bundle it in place.

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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Peter Taylor
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Posts: 107

To add to Larry's explanation, on my boat, there is a conduit along the starboard side of the boat from under the nav table to the stern. You can get to it through an inspection port under the nav table and then by lifting the plywood bottom of the aft hanging locker. The cables can be accessed at the stern from the aft starboard storage locker where in my case the Raymarine control unit is mounted.

Peter Taylor Melbourne Australia. Altair  #2227 2005 C36 Mk11

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plaineolde
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Posts: 753

Thanks for the replies.

I don't think my boat has the conduit through the aft cabin. I've run quite a bit of wiring back there, including power to the autopilot (raymarine S1) and a high capacity charging system (Ample Power). The access port under the nav station is there; in the aft cabin hanging locker, there is an 1 1/2" hole leading under the nav station. I had to add another to accommodate the 2 gauge cables for the charging system, along with a couple holes through the forward compartment under the berth into the compartment holding the centerline water tank. There is no plywood bottom to the hanging locker, all wiring is in plastic split tubing. To run power to the autopilot, I had to go along the hull to deck joint, tying it to the existing wiring for the cabin lights.

So, I was attempting to avoid this circuitous route, by going under the center of the boat, through whatever channels there appear to be there. The dealer ran the wiring from the speed/depth transducers through there, I've just never seen where those wires go, hence my question.

I think I left a messenger line up through the battery compartment, but I used up all my swear words running wiring to the autopilot, so I was hoping the other route might be easier :)

Gary and Cathy Price
1997 C36 Mk II Tall Rig/Wing Keel Imagine...
Hull # 1617
Worton Creek, Md.
Northern Chesapeake Bay

hilbre
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Posts: 218

On my 2003 model there are two conduits running from the lower part of the locker in the aft stateroom to the stern on the starboard side. In my case they are both pretty full but I have always left a messenger line in place for future use. You have to climb into the aft locker at the stern and the conduit is located quite low down. A mirror should help locate the conduit ends as well as indicate how full they may be. When I added an analog Radar unit last year, I ran that thick cable from the base of the mast along the port side of the boat to the stern, all other cables went through the conduit. My next job is to pull an NMEA 0183 cable from the C80 unit at the helm back to the distribution panel and terminate it in a NMEA multiplexer so I can feed the DSC in the FM Radio and add an AIS receiver.
John Meyer
Hilbre 2134
Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro, CA

John Meyer
Hilbre
C36 MKll, Hull 2135

Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro, CA

BudStreet
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Posts: 1127

I pulled two sets of cables for the AIS/Chartplotter interface through those conduits on the starboard side of the aft cabin last month. There are three of them on our boat, one is 110volt wiring, the other is 12 and the third is data cables now. It wasn't obvious that they were there but I found the little buggars.

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plaineolde
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well, if your 95 has 'em, I guess my 97 does too. Where exactly to they start? Behind the drawers by the hanging locker in the aft cabin?? Can't believe I've never seen the danged things.

Gary and Cathy Price
1997 C36 Mk II Tall Rig/Wing Keel Imagine...
Hull # 1617
Worton Creek, Md.
Northern Chesapeake Bay

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LCBrandt
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Posts: 1282

Gary, the easiest way to find them is to look down in the starboard lazarette first. Follow the wires bundles down there and see what route they take going forward along the stbd side. Then you'll know what you're looking for at the opposite end.

Usually the PVC conduits begin behind the aft cabinet. It's easy to remove the cabinet, just take the drawers out, then remove 4 (or is it 6?) screws, and the whole cabinet frame will remove.

See photo below (from #2109)...

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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BudStreet
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Posts: 1127

What Larry said especially about starting from the aft lazarette. I didn't take the entire drawer unit out, I just pulled the 3 drawers out and was able to get at them from there though it probably would have been better to take the whole unit out it's so easy to do.

On our boat there's a shelf along the hull at the head end of the aft bunk and it has a wood cover on it. I thought maybe the wood was covering them so I pulled that out. It's not covering them it just sits on fibreglass, they're under the fibreglass that the wood cover sits on though.

Herbert Lape
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Joined: 12/22/14
Posts: 4

[quote=BudStreet]What Larry said especially about starting from the aft lazarette. I didn't take the entire drawer unit out, I just pulled the 3 drawers out and was able to get at them from there though it probably would have been better to take the whole unit out it's so easy to do. On our boat there's a shelf along the hull at the head end of the aft bunk and it has a wood cover on it. I thought maybe the wood was covering them so I pulled that out. It's not covering them it just sits on fiberglass, they're under the fibreglass that the wood cover sits on though.[/quote]

I wish I had read this before making the same erroneous assumption. Ah, live and learn. I'm a new catalina owner and just joined this site. No need for self discovery now that I've read this thread and others in order to fish a solar panel wire to my batteries. Thanks!

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Channel Islander
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Posts: 378

Welcome to the site and to the Association, Herbert.

Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA

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HowLin
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Posts: 355

What everyone said above...  plus, after runnng wires for my AIS, RAM mike, and a few other things that starboard cable trough on my boat is now full.  So, the last thing I ran (flux compass heading info for my new radar which is stern-pole mounted, plus solar panel cables) I ran down from behind the battery/power panel, alongside the house batteries, under the floor to the area under the sink, then (following the hot water heater hoses) under the galley floor, along the port side to the port lazarette,,,  whew!, but it gets there...

---- Howard & Linda Matwick ----

--- S/V "Silhouette" - Nanaimo, BC ----

--- 1999  C36 MkII  #1776 M35BC ---

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