Fittings electrical systems in Cape Cutter 19

[Paul Flint]

Dear All

I'm new to owning a Cape Cutter 19, having down-sized to 'Chunky Monkey' three months ago, and am getting items together to fit an electric system to the boat. These to include a tricolour navigation light (purchased) for the top of the mast, waterproof control panel with 6 circuit breakers and battery indicator (purchased), interior LED lighting, charging points from which to run and recharge phones and tablets for navigation, trickle charging from a solar panel and perhaps, eventually, a tiller pilot.

Apart from the fact that Chunky Monkey already has a TackTick depth sounder and log, that uses a miniature solar top-up system (perhaps standard in many CC19s), it will be a case of starting from scratch. I envisage the battery sitting aft of the centreplate, behind the small bulkhead, and have seen some useful comments on this forum about fixing batteries in place.

As there is a lot of experience available through this forum, I should welcome advice from members on things that really should be done and also things, at all costs, to avoid doing (even with respect to other upgrades).

I’ll share my own experience as I progress – when the weather has improved!

Many thanks and seasonal greetings to everyone,

Paul Flint

[zimp]

Dear All

I'm new to owning a Cape Cutter 19, having down-sized to 'Chunky Monkey' three months ago, and am getting items together to fit an electric system to the boat. These to include a tricolour navigation light (purchased) for the top of the mast, waterproof control panel with 6 circuit breakers and battery indicator (purchased), interior LED lighting, charging points from which to run and recharge phones and tablets for navigation, trickle charging from a solar panel and perhaps, eventually, a tiller pilot.

Apart from the fact that Chunky Monkey already has a TackTick depth sounder and log, that uses a miniature solar top-up system (perhaps standard in many CC19s), it will be a case of starting from scratch. I envisage the battery sitting aft of the centreplate, behind the small bulkhead, and have seen some useful comments on this forum about fixing batteries in place.

As there is a lot of experience available through this forum, I should welcome advice from members on things that really should be done and also things, at all costs, to avoid doing (even with respect to other upgrades).

I’ll share my own experience as I progress – when the weather has improved!

Many thanks and seasonal greetings to everyone,

Paul Flint

Dear Paul, difficult to answer your very general question but let me say something about the electrical system of Zimp. The battery is placed under the cockpit floor, aft of the centreplate. There is main battery switch to switch off all electricity when there is nobody on board. Zimp has a circuit breaker panel with 12 circuit breakers. There are separate circuits for navigation lighs, GPS, tiller-pilot, cabin lights, 12V outlets, radio, compass-light, log/depth and voltmeter. The outboard charges the battery. The battery is a simple 35 Ah lead battery in a box. The box is fixed with straps.

[Paul Flint]

Dear Bert

Many thanks for responding. It sounds as if I may be proceeding in the right direction.

My local marina, when servicing the 6HP outboard that came with the boat, advised me that it wouldn't be cost effective for me to adapt the outboard to recharge the battery, which I had hoped to do. It certainly makes sense to me to harness the outboard's potential.

I've retreated indoors at the moment during our challenging weather to varnish the wooden fittings that can be removed from the boat.

All the best, Paul

[zimp]

Dear Paul,
That's definitely true, installing a charging unit on an outboard will never be cost effective, but it is convenient. I use a CTEK charger to make sure that the battery is 100% at the start (March) and the end (November) of the sailing season.
Bert

[Phil Morgan]

Hi Folks
I am new to CCs and just bought one with no electrics (Sea Breeze). I plan to use her for cruising and would like a decent set of electronics, mast lights, vhf, solar etc... Any words of wisdom from the many years of experience in the group would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Phil

[Justin Greig]

Hi Phil, I suggest you start with the things that you feel will be essential for the type of sailing you plan to do, and then work out the size of battery you need. The limiting factor is not so much the battery (there is room for quite a powerful battery in the space behind the centre board winch), but keeping it charged.

As has been mentioned elsewhere the charging output of an outboard is pretty ineffective unless you are running at full throttle, so I don't think that is a viable approach to keeping your battery in good shape. If you have a pontoon mooring with shore power then a CTEK is the way to go. I moor on the Broads and my boat is only connected to mains when I bring her home for the winter, so my first step was to add a solar panel. I bought a 50W semi flexible panel that is glued to the deck just in front of the forehatch. The space is just sufficient to take an 88mm x 35mm panel like this one https://tinyurl.com/4nt94kkh. Make sure you pay for a good quality controller as that is a critical component. My setup keeps my 75AH battery in good shape all year long.

I run a tricolour masthead light, LED cabin lighting, a Quark AIS receiver, an electric bilge pump and (very occasionally) a tiller pilot. I also keep a tablet and my phone charged while they run Navionics. I have a handheld VHF, and now that I have a hollow carbon mast I have rigged an aerial extension inside the mast. Because overhanging trees are a hazard to anything at the top of the mast, I didn't want a normal whip antenna at the top of the mast.

Do come to the Rally at the end of May and see what everyone else has done - I learned more from my first rally than all my solo efforts to work things out in the preceding year. See Paul Hardy's post in Association Events.

[Phil Morgan]

Hi Justin
Many thanks for your reply, it all sounds very sensible. I think that I have a solid mast? Trying to find out as we speak. Keen to put some lights and a vhf up there. Has anyone done this with a solid mast? I have the CTEK on my shopping list and a solar set up, so thanks for the tips. Think I will go for a 95ah as I will go for a tiller pilot at some stage.

[Dennis]

Hi Phil
Did you manage to sort out your mast. A "solid" Honor Marine mast will have an approximately 20mm square hole running top to bottom, slightly offset to avoid the hounds and tabernacle bolts. There should be a cord inside to enable pulling through cables.
I have mast head Tricolour and anchor lights plus VHF aerial, all of the cables are routed down the "hole".

[Phil Morgan]

Hi Dennis
Thanks for the message. I have found the hole thankyou. No string but should be able to get something through. Bit behind schedule atm, just getting round to the battery!