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Mar 30, '05 1:12 PM
by joetighe for everyone

Hello,

I bought a Ballad this last summer. I want to replace the old electrical system. I plan to move both batterys from the v-berth to the quarterberth. My main concern is running the wiring for the mast. Has anyone done this? Is there an internal conduit for the wiring, or are the wires and halyards unseparated and thus subject to fouling? I've thought of installing an external conduit (pvc) for the new wiring, but I don't like the excess windage from such an installation. Any help?

Thanks.

Joe Tighe

Tags: electrical

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9 CommentsChronological Reverse Threaded

msn-larry's pal wrote on Mar 30, '05

Hello Joe,

My Albin is 1977 model. I have had the mast removed and rewired it and added a new nav. and anchor light to the mast head. The mast does have conduit for electrical. One for the steaming light and one for the mast head. I used #12 wiring for the light because of the distance to avoid the voltage driop. Attached is jpg of mast at base. Good luck.

Larry's Pal

msn-joetighe wrote on Mar 30, '05

Thanks so much. My Ballad is a 78, so I'm guessing the mast should be a similar design.

msn-bostonheik wrote on Mar 30, '05

We removed the old conduit in the mast, which was too small to carry
all the new electrical lines we wanted to put in. We replaced it with a
PVC pipe with a larger internal diameter. We drilled out the old
rivets on the old conduit, withdrew it, and used the existing rivet
holes to insert rivets to fasten the new pipe. The only trick is
keeping the new tube in alignment and against the inside of the mast
when drilling and riveting. "This Old Boat" book describes the
technique.

Hope this helps.

Heik

Heikki Erik NIKKANEN MD
Home Address: 15 Burnside Avenue
Roslindale MA 02131
Mobile: 617.905.7868
Pager: 617.732.5700 x 30339

msn-joetighe wrote on Mar 31, '05

Heik,

How many new wires did you install? I plan to run wiring for the masthead light, steaming light and a pair of deck lights (6 to 8 wires total, i.e, both hot and return). I'm hoping to do this without pulling the mast by splicing the new wires to the old and pulling the old wires through the conduit--simultaneously running the new wire through the conduit. Will the existing conduit be large enough? What was the diameter of the conduit you removed (close estimate)?

Thanks.

-Joe

msn-basinet wrote on Mar 31, '05

Joe,

Am sure I will open Pandora's box with the following reply; opinions are what makes life interesting!

Have owned an Albin 30 for close to ten years and don't fully understand moving the batteries aft. Gave serious thought to moving batteries aft when I rebuilt the electrical system; new panel, A/C dock power, voltmeter, etc. Also recabled and installed a charger just forward of the hanging locker; in addition went to larger batteries to accomodate auto-pilot etc. Granted there is problem with the present installation due to the length of the cables and related deficiencies, however in my estimation the balance of the boat was of more importance. Considering the time the electrical system is in use vs. time under sail did it for me.

A friend, and fellow Ballad owner, has kept the same configuration with an additional battery for a refrigeration system. The 3rd battery is mounted just aft of the galley above the fuel tank. Certainly would think twice about this if the boat used gasoline vs. diesel.

Regards,

Dan Sullivan (Acqua di Vita)

msn-bostonheik wrote on Apr 1, '05

Might be OK. I had many more lines running up top. Conduit is about an inch.

msn-joetighe wrote on Apr 1, '05

My main rationale for moving the batteries are space and electrical drop. The stowage under the quarterberth awkward and practically useless for anything besides infequently used equipment. Right now I keep tools under there, but I find that I need these more often than I don't (hah!). Moreover, since quartberth stowage is curvilinear, it makes storing anything really difficult; everything just rolls around in there. I plan to build a battery box under the quartberth to fit two batteries. This will lessen the voltage drop as well as make the space more useful and efficient. In the old space in the v-berth, I'm adding another water tank; this gives me greater water independence and should balance the shift in load from moving the batteries. I am somewhat concerned about putting the batteries off of the centerline (alongside the engine compartment to port); they could leak when the boat's heeled. But, then again, the bow has taken some pounding and the batteries were never a problem then. I guess everything is a compromise.

Thanks, Heik, for the dimensions.

msn-laperla10 wrote on Apr 1, '05

Moving the batteries from v-berth to quarter berth is not a good idea. There is a reason for the batteries to be where they are and that is weight distribution. The Ballad is already somewhat heavy aft and your plan would make it worse. Your best option is to install a new battery under the quarter berth for engine start only. The forward batteries for house electronics. Keeping the two banks separate assures engine start at all times. For this to work you need to install a device called a battery combiner for proper charging, see www.xantrex.com. The February 2005 issue of Sailing has a good article, Getting Wired.
Good Luck!
Tomseman
PS. I know Swedish so I have the advantage of being able to also read solutions at Svenska Balladklubben.DS

msn-joetighe wrote on Apr 4, '05

Thanks for the advice. Too much weight aft is something I've considered already, which is the reason for adding the extra water tank should I move the batteries to the quarterberth. This should, I think, balance the load if I move the batteries. I also plan to add a bow roller for a permanent anchor off the bow. As it is now, I have to carry the whole darn thing forward every time I drop the hook. Weight distribution is certainly a concern, but I think this can be overcome with careful planning, complement loads and well-planned, purposeful stowage.

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