Location of battery on/off switch

No, the circuit breaker only cuts power to certain items.

You need a battery switch - like what is shown above. They are very easy to install, but you'll need to make up another battery cable to go from the battery to the switch. The current cable will attach to the switch, instead of the battery. DO NOT buy battery cable based on cost. Buy good quality, marine battery cable only - the best thing would be to buy it from a local store - they'll probably make up the ends for very little cost.
 
Thanks for the help! Is it worth putting in the switch or do you think I will be ok without it???
 
Hotbirk said:
Thanks for the help! Is it worth putting in the switch or do you think I will be ok without it???
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Well, that depends. Most owners of bowriders do not have a switch. But, what would you want the switch for? You can easily go 3 or 4 weeks without using the boat and it will start right up.
 
If that is the case I doubt I need one... I will probably be out at least every other weekend.
 
wish2fish said:
If I forget to turn my switch off I have had problems trying to start 2 weeks later.
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You probably have either an excessive (not normal) draw or the battery has seen better days. The only difference between your engine and Hotbirk's is that you have fuel injection, which means an ECM (computer). The ECM draws an extremely small amount of power and that wouldn't account for starting problems after only a few weeks.
 
wish2fish said:
what does the radio memory use? i only have one battery.
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That uses a tiny bit, as well. The other thing that draws constant power is the auto bilge pump - but between those three things, the bilge pump draws the least amount. Something else must be going on that you're losing battery power that fast.

Oh... if you don't care about radio memory, you pull that individual fuse out.
 
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Hotbirk said:
Thanks for the help! Is it worth putting in the switch or do you think I will be ok without it???
Click to expand...

Hotbirk,

If your boat only has a single battery, then a simple ON/OFF switch like the Blue Sea 6006 is all thats needed to isolate the battery from all boat loads, except the bilge pump which should remain wired directly to the battery. To install a switch, all you may need is the switch and a short section of appropriate sized battery cable. You may be able to find a pre-made length with 2 proper sized eyelets on the ends.

For short term storage during the season, when the boat may only sit a week or two between uses, then a switch may not be of any real benefit. For longer term storage, the switch can be useful to prevent parasitic loads from draining the battery. Disconnecting the NEG cable for long term is usually simple and will be just as effective.

If your boat has dual batteries, then a dual-circuit battery switch is a must.
 
A battery switch should be as close to the battery as possible, definitely no mor than 40 inches away. That is the industry standard. Heres a pic of the one I installed on my 72 190.
CRW_4237_edited-1.jpg
 
Ike said:
A battery switch should be as close to the battery as possible, definitely no mor than 40 inches away. That is the industry standard. Heres a pic of the one I installed on my 72 190.
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Ike, do you happen to have a reference for this? I ask because on my boat it's about 10' away. Installed that way from the factory - and I've other OEM installs like that. Not that OEM is always correct, but I'm curious.
 
Well, I picked up my boat from the shop yesterday and looked for the switch back at the storage facility. Saw a small black box attached to the transom near the battery, with a TINY red button on it. Don't think it's a battery switch, but based on what folks have said about the purpose of the switch and how often I use the boat, I'm not going to worry about it. I have a really good relationship with the dealer, and don't feel the need to bother them with this.
 
ABYC and the USCG do not specify a location for the battery switch. The USCG does not even require one. ABYC only requires one for a boat with a battery (or battery bank) CCA rating of of 800 or more. However installing one is a good practice. It allows you to shut everything off when you are not around to keep an eye on things, and in case of an electrical fire (God forbid) turn off the juice. Location is ambiguous.

ABYC says as close to the battery as practical. Here's the whole reference from ABYC E-11 AC and DC systems

11.6.1.2 Battery Switch
11.6.1.2.1
A battery switch shall be installed in the positive conductor(s) from each battery or battery bank with a CCA rating greater than 800 amperes or 100 Ah if CCA is unavailable.
EXCEPTION:
Trolling motor conductors connected to dedicated trolling motor batteries provided with overcurrent protection at the battery and a manual means of electrical disconnect separate from the trolling motor controls.
NOTE: Conductors supplying the following may be connected to the battery side of the switch (See FIGURE 11):
1. Electronic equipment with continuously powered memory;
2. Safety equipment such as bilge pumps, alarms, CO detectors and bilge blowers;
3. Battery charging equipment;
4. Impressed current systems.
11.6.1.2.2
A battery switch shall be mounted in a readily accessible location as close as practicable to the battery..
11.6.1.2.3 Battery Switch Ratings
Battery Switch Ratings - The cranking/starting rating of a battery switch shall not be less than the maximum cranking current of the largest engine cranking motor that it serves. The minimum continuous rating of a battery switch shall be the total of the ampacities of the main overcurrent protection devices connected to the battery switch, or the ampacity of the feeder cable to the switch, whichever is less.
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So why forty inches?

Because the USCG and ABYC both require overcurrent protection to protect wiring from a power source to whatever is being powered. The fuse or circuit breaker has to be within 7 inches of the source of power unless it is protected by a sheath of some sort (the definition of a sheath is very broad and can even include just wrapping the wire with electrical tape). Then it can be up to 40 inches away. So for a switch to be placed in the circuit before the wire reaches the fuse panel, it has to be within that 40 inches. There are some exceptions. The wire to the cranking motor does not have to be protected (but on many new boats it is.) From 33 CFR 183.455

Sec. 183.455 Overcurrent protection: General.
(a) Each ungrounded current-carrying conductor must be protected by a manually reset, tripfree circuit breaker or fuse.
(b) A manually reset, trip-free circuit breaker or fuse must be placed at the source of power for each circuit or conductor except:
(1) If it is physically impractical to place the circuit breaker or fuse at the source of power, it may be placed within seven inches of the source of power for each circuit or conductor measured along the conductor.
(2) If it is physically impractical to place the circuit breaker or fuse at or within seven inches of the source of power, it may be placed within 40 inches of the source of power for each circuit or conductor, measured along the conductor, if the conductor is contained throughout its entire distance between the source of power and the required circuit breaker or fuse in a sheath or enclosure such as a junction box, control box, or enclosed panel.
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There is also an exception that allows for placement up to 72 inches but it is more restrictive and requires more protection for the wire.

The ABYC Standard is in E-11, 11.10.1 LOCATION OF OVERCURRENT PROTECTION - DC CIRCUITS and is virtually the same wording as the federal regulation.

A couple of caveats: the USCG rule applies only to recreational boats with permanently installed gasoline engines: i.e. inboard amd I/Os, not outboards. But it is good practice to do this on outboards.

The ABYC E-1 standard applies to all recreational boats with DC or AC systems, but is a voluntary industry standard. Most of the boating industry follows it. This includes Canada where the regulations are taken almost verbatim from ABYC, and Europe where the ISO standard (contained in the Recreational Craft Directive) is very similar and achieves the same result. So what I am saying is everybody in the marine manufacturing and repair industry uses ABYC.
 
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Pete, am I reading that wrong, or is the 40" in reference to circuit protection (fuse/breaker) ONLY, not a battery switch? It also appears that even in regards to circuit protection that the length requirement is not mandatory?

Also, just for reference, is what you copied and pasted unedited, or do you add comments in there (such as "so why 40 inches")?
 
NorCalGlenn said:
Well, I picked up my boat from the shop yesterday and looked for the switch back at the storage facility. Saw a small black box attached to the transom near the battery, with a TINY red button on it. Don't think it's a battery switch, but based on what folks have said about the purpose of the switch and how often I use the boat, I'm not going to worry about it. I have a really good relationship with the dealer, and don't feel the need to bother them with this.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a manual-reset circuit breaker.
 
The copy of the USCG and ABYC standards are not edited. The "why the forty inches" is my own words. I should have made that clearer and yes the 40 inches is the USCG and ABYC standard is for overcurrent protection. As I said, the battery switch is not required. This is my interpretation of the rules. It just makes sense to put the switch in the wire before it gets to the overcurrent protection. I will go back and put the regs and standards in quotes.

The over current protection requirement is mandatory (in the USA) for recreational boats with inboard gasoline engines (that includes I/Os). The battery switch is not mandatory. ABYC standards are not mandatory (they are not laws), but because of liability and safety issues, as I said, just about everybody uses them as the de facto standard.
 
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OK, that makes more sense. For what it's worth, I didn't mind your comment in there - it just made the reading a little confusing as I then wondered what else was added/changed/edited.

Thank you for taking the time to post what you did, Pete.
Dennis
 
I spent 20 years of my life with the USCG answering questions like this. The public (me included) is often confused about what is a law and what is an industry standard. I lost count of the number of times I have heard a marine professional say, "it's a Coast Guard requirement" when it isn't. So I try to make things clearer, but sometimes I have to clarify the clarification. LOL
I have a web site that covers this stuff at newboatbuilders.com.
 
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