Battery location.

[macawman]

My new 14 ft. Jon has a spot at the transom that is obviously designed to hold an restrain a battery box.
However, the trolling motor is at the front of the boat which is not well designed as a battery location. Can I run wiring from front to back without creating trolling motor problems or reducing battery life?

 

[Scott F]

Why do you think running wires from the back to the front on a small boat could cause problems? Use the proper sized wire with solid connections and there would be no issues. Tens of thousands of boats including one of mine are wired with the batteries in back and work just fine.

 

[macawman]

Just wondered about voltage drop to the motor due to additional resistance of more wire.

 

[nccatfisher]

Just wondered about voltage drop to the motor due to additional resistance of more wire.

I actually put all my batteries in the front and of course run the majority of the big wiring to the back to a terminal block. I do so to get as much weight forward and balance it out. I have no problem at all with cranking capacity which is more draw at once than a trolling motor. You have to just size your wire accordingly.

Many times you can see what size wire you need, then get your wire at a welding supply much cheaper.

 

[eshaw]

It just depends how many amps you're going to be using. Most trolling motors use 6 guage wire and a 50 or 60 amp circuit breaker. My chart states that you can use it up to twenty feet long even with minor voltage drops of 3 percent. Do yourself a favor and ground to the battery, not the boat.

 

[macawman]

Thanks for the response, eshaw. That is most useful information. Nccatfisher had a very good point about weight distribution. Battery at the bow doesn't fit my plans for "fleshing out" the front ldof the boat, but perhaps I should rethink this.

 

[Shaugh]

If you've priced that thick wiring you'll know it can get crazy expensive when you need 14 feet.... One little secret I've found is to buy jumper cables on sale and modify the ends to your needs....

 

[mbweimar]

If it's a new boat, and you want your setup to last, it's best to buy good wire. Tinned copper will resist corrosion, and when used with proper heat shrink and connectors, will give you trouble free service for years.

Through my years of electrical engineering, I've taken plenty of shortcuts. 99% of the time I end up having problems later, and have to go back and do it the right way.

I used 4 guage wire for my Terrova setup on my boat with a waterproof 50 amp circuit breaker. The run was about 13 feet from my console to the bow.

 

[macawman]

So, I'm thinking of putting the battery at the front of the boat for better weight distribution and a close connection to the trolling motor and then run wiring to the back for low wattage items like the depth finder and bilge pump. Should be able to use much smaller wire. Maybe 10 or 12 gauge?

 

[mbweimar]

It depends on the amperage your TM draws. If it's a 12v 55lb thrust, expect 35-40 amps. I would use 6 guage wire just to be safe. 8 guage, depending on how long the run is, may get pretty warm, and create more of a voltage drop.

 

[earl60446]

So, I'm thinking of putting the battery at the front of the boat for better weight distribution and a close connection to the trolling motor and then run wiring to the back for low wattage items like the depth finder and bilge pump. Should be able to use much smaller wire. Maybe 10 or 12 gauge?

12 gauge would be plenty big for what you are doing.
Tim

 

[macawman]

Thanks for all the good input, everyone. I appreciate the good advice.

 

[lovedr79]

i relocated my battery to the front, ran wires back to the motor and console. deleted the "starter battery". used the trolling motor battery for all power.

 

[water bouy]

I believe DC amperage is calculated differently than AC. To be safe I bought a 16 ft long set of #2 gauge jumper cables for about $20 for the starting battery up front. Wonder what size starting lead wire they use at the factory on small and medium motors.

 

[lovedr79]

Exactly what I did.

 

[bcbouy]

If you've priced that thick wiring you'll know it can get crazy expensive when you need 14 feet.... One little secret I've found is to buy jumper cables on sale and modify the ends to your needs....

i got my wife to bring home some 3/0 welding cable so i could mount my winch at the back of my truck in case i needed to reverse pull it.she brings me 30 feet of it.i cant even imagine what it would cost retail.