Boat Rewire

I am going to completely rewire our Ribtec in the next month or so. I believe that I need to use a wire siutable for the marine envoirenment which has a high tin content.

Does anybody know what cable I need and where to get it from, bearing in mind I am allergic to high prices charged in chandlers

Thanks Stuart

Aquafax in the Hamble stock cables for marine use. Reels of tinned single core cable, available in a range of colours, £5.86 less 25%.

It's agood idea to seal the ends of the cables if they are at all likely to get damp. One way to do this, which I've used for many years, is to buy silicon tube which is used as fuel tubing for model aeroplane engines. It can be sourced in various diameters. It is also used as exhaust pipe in the larger sizes. The large size will fit starter motor cables. It's very flexible, it takes a 'tack' to the surface it is in contact with, it's heat resistant to hundreds of degrees celsius, it's very stretchy (It can even be forced over the connector which you've accidentally forgotten to fit the sleeve to first.), it's water, fuel, oil and alcohol (?) resistant.
The way I normally use it: lightly grease the end of the cable, slide the silicon tuble over the cable outer, solder on the connector and then slide the silicon back over the soldered shank of the connector. Extending a cable by jointing is similar: Fit the sleeve, tin both ends of the cable for about 5-6mm, bring the ends into contact by overlapping, flush solder over the ends, ensure there are no sharp nibs of solder and then slide the sleeve over the joint. It will be completely water tight.
One thing to watch for though, ensure the end of the tube is clean cut because a wee notch is a stress raiser and it may travel along the sleeve. The situation where I've found this happening is where the sleeve has been stretched over a connector and it has been cut by sharp corners of the connector as it passed over.
Hope this is of help.
JW

Thanks Guys

Good info

Stuart
May I suggest that you use tinned mulitstranded wire, tinned because it stops the corrosion tracking up an unsealed multistranded wire and multistrand because the vibrations on boats overtime cause the cores to break and multistrand gives you redudancy and as they are all in the same wire will give conectivity. Also if you can get the outer insulation thats resistant to petrol etc.

Other tips are use marine grade connectors not the cheap car type, more conductive surface and tin coated.
Solder the ends of the wire before crimping and use a proper tool (I'll be down your way at the weekend if you want to borrow it for a while).
Then use glue heat shrink over the terminal to seal the end, the bigest problem is to get the different colours, label the cables and put some clear heat shrink over the label giving enough overlap to hopefully stop the mositure tracking up there.

if you want to go the whole hog route, all connections wrap in in insulation tape, then self amalgamating tape, layer of insulation tape, layer of skotch cote ( a sealent like bostick ) then a layer of denso tape ( fabric tape impregnated with a creosote like slime) if you do it right its good for 20 years offshore!! a touch of an over kill me thinks.
Rgds
Jelly

Hi Stuart,

Good luck with the rewiring, I found this site most helpfull for electrical bits.

http://www.indexmarine.co.uk/

Prices are reasonable aswell, will you be out on the water next w/end. Tried to organise a run up hamble but no takers. It is still too cold for most.

Regards