Boat Wiring Simplified - The Basics

[@RCWilkes]

You have helped me tremendously on my pod toothboat. I appreciate your knowledge and appreciate you. Sharing it with the rest of the pontoon voting worlds. Once again thank you very much

[@tomspontoons]

Great! That's what this channel is all about (and hopefully some fun stuff too). Thanks for watching and for sharing our content!

[@colleenfi9111]

Thanks! Made clear possibilities for thw renno!

[@tomspontoons]

Happy to help!!

[@tritownnow]

Good explanation. So everything is grounded back to the battery and nothing is grounded to frame/structure of boat?

[@tomspontoons]

CORRECT! I am all for a ground block if it’s somewhere covered and out of the elements. Maybe in a battery compartment or under the dash. A proper wiring harness takes care of all of that for you though and simply grounds it to the battery negative. A great way to look at it is that none of the manufacturers I’ve seen have ever grounded to the frame/structure of the boat. Their harnesses incorporate a ground from the battery negative post that it shared at a switch panel or fuse block under the helm. Great question!!

[@tritownnow]

@@tomspontoons Thanks for the follow up! You teach well! Keep up the great work Tom! 💪🏻

[@tomspontoons]

@@tritownnow thanks!! Happy to help!

[@davidcobb4527]

Hey Tom, great video. I have a question re a pair of docking lights/small light bars. I’ld like to run a couple of relays, one each, to help reduce the load. Where would you tie them in to the respective wires from the lights, close to the switch panel, or under the seats?And can I tie them together and then run them into one switch? OR…would you recommend wirining the two lights together, run to one relay, then to a switch? Thanks so much Tom. Love your vids! And just took possession of all my Pontoonstuff/Canadapontoon seats, consul and flooring kit. So jazzed to get started on putting her all back together now!! If only the weather would cooperate!! Cheers pal.

[@jimmycole8735]

Would you recommend a fuse box or just one inline fuse going to the switch panel?

[@tomspontoons]

Either a fuse block, switch panel with fuses built in, or in line fuses between switches and accessories. Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXvbpJVqfZp8lZI&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE

[@crc120]

Could you make a video about wiring a new key and kill switch when wiring a boat from scratch?

[@tomspontoons]

If I get the chance I definitely can do that. I typically only install the outboard manufacturers’ parts for engine rigging components instead of aftermarket or universal stuff. What kind of motor are you rigging for?

[@Y-gul1960]

It's pronounced STARBERD 😊

[@tomspontoons]

It's funny because if you google "Starboard" it tells you that it's Starboard, but often pronounced Startbird....Starburst is our preferred way to say it lol