Boat Wiring Project

[Squirm88]

Had a project done that I've been meaning to get around to ever since I bought my boat. Over the years, the wiring in the console had turned into quite a mess. I didn't think my 2004 Pathfinder needed a full rewire job. I was was able to work with St. Marks Pro Marine to get everything squared away. It will be much easier to track down future issues with neat and labeled wiring. I dropped the boat off on Wednesday and got it back Friday morning. Here's some before and after pics.

Before


During


After

[onefishtwofish]

Very clean. Love the bus and the labels. I love wiring stuff, weird I know. I may just take that on with mine, because my before is worse than yours!

My TM was not running right a few years back, with full 24 volts at the batteries. Took a reading at the TM wires and it was 7 volts! Pulled all the old wiring, put in new wires and new connectors. What a difference! Full 24 volts at the TM then.

[Juan]

That looks great! I may need to follow your lead.
Couldn't help but notice...it looks like your rod holders drain into the console and not the bilge. Doesn't that cause some moisture /mildew in there?

[Salty Gator]

That looks great! I may need to follow your lead.
Couldn't help but notice...it looks like your rod holders drain into the console and not the bilge. Doesn't that cause some moisture /mildew in there?

Was thinking the same thing, but the inside of his console looks much better than mine, super clean. Nice work squirm. Looks like i have a project for today

[Vitz]

Out of curiosity, what did they charge for the work?

[FishWithChris]

Awesome - glad to see it was a forum member's boat that got cleaned up! John does some great work and is incredibly passionate about the services he provides. Combat Vet and one heck of a community member.

[silverking]

The "after" photo is a great example of how a boat wiring should look. Hat tip to St. Marks Pro Marine.

Do you have external caps on the console rod holders when not in use? That would cut down on water/moisture. There are also after-market drain plugs/hoses where you could route any water into the bilge or out on to the deck if you're so inclined. From personal experience, constant salt spray inside the console will lead to corrosion and mess up those neat connections in short order.

[Salty Gator]

The "after" photo is a great example of how a boat wiring should look. Hat tip to St. Marks Pro Marine.

Do you have external caps on the console rod holders when not in use? That would cut down on water/moisture. There are also after-market drain plugs/hoses where you could route any water into the bilge or out on to the deck if you're so inclined. From personal experience, constant salt spray inside the console will lead to corrosion and mess up those neat connections in short order.

I doubt water gets in. The inside of his console is incredibly clean. No mildew at all. I wish mine looked half that good, and I’m on the anal side of boat maintenance/ cleaning. Any tips squirm? Oh and the wiring looks great

[Squirm88]

I really have not had any issue with water in the console. I'm not really getting a ton of salt water spray when I'm fishing. Boat rides very dry. Also, when the boat is not in use, I keep it with a boat cover on, and under a covered carport. I'm sure that helps keep the moisture out.

I'm sure prices vary depending on what shape your current wiring is in and what parts will be needed. When I was shopping for a quote I texted John at St. Marks Pro Marine some pictures of the current wiring. I sugget if you are interested you text or call John. He was able to get me an estimate based on pictures and the final bill was pretty close. I also had him change a release well pump and work on the bilge pump float switch. He also ran new trolling motor wiring from the console to the bow. I couldn't figure out why my trolling motor was not working even though I was getting 24 volts to it. Turns out somewhere under the deck the power wire had a cut in it that corroded badly over time. As a result, it wouldn't deliver full power under load.

[flatsbroke22]

I have the same boat(Pathfinder) if you look closely the bottom of the console it has a slight bevel to it to allow water drainage to the edge of the console. There is a drain hole in the aft bottom corner to let the water out onto the deck.