Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-30-2014, 11:21 AM   #1
Member
 
GunPilot's Avatar
 
City: Casa Grande, AZ
Vessel Name: Justus
Vessel Model: 1976 Albin 25 Delux
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 5
A25 Refresh

Hi all - if you don't mind me chiming in. - Sunset's pictures look very familiar to me as my A25 looked almost identical in terms of the wiring, although I would say mine was a bit more tragic. I guess that is just something to face with these old boats.

I just spent quite a few hours (months) tearing out virtually all of the wiring in the wiring panel and battery box areas. I left the factory wiring runs in as they were mostly ok. Nothing electrical worked on the boat when I got it, except the starter and a few lights.

Rather than a battery switch, I set everything up on the house batteries and ran an echo charger to the start battery. I constructed a battery box similar to what you have (mine was a rotted flat piece of ply when I got it) and used two 6v golf cart batteries plus a marine starting battery. I installed a fan to cool the box and a temp sensor for it.

I used two Blue Sea fuse blocks in the wiring cabinet and ran everything through there, with the exception of a Blue Sea switch panel on the helm for the lights, bilge, etc. That switch panel is fused with 10a on each switch. Boat had basically every wire run directly from the 12v battery to a switch with no fuse or breaker when I got it.

It had no way to charge the battery when I got it - even the alternator wasn't charging due to a faulty key switch not energizing the field. Now I can charge via shore power, solar, and engine alternator. Everything charges the house batteries, and they take care of the starting battery through the echo charger.

Best decision I made was to rip the existing junk wiring out. I found literally pounds of wire that went nowhere - whole multi-conductor cables (not original) that were just chopped off but still in place. I'll post a pic of the wire that came out but did not go back in. Life got much easier with a clean slate.

I changed everything over to LED and installed a battery monitor. With every light on my boat on, the draw is barely 1 amp - just one of the festoon incandescent lights drew that much before.

The boat came with radar - the seller didn't list it on the ad or include in the price since it wasn't working. I found the cable terminated under console - not connected to anything. Connected to 12v and the radar fired up and went to work. Score.

Shore power is a connector routed to some household Romex and a few outlets, with no breaker. Breaker will be installed.

I tossed the macerating toilet overboard and will install a porta-pottie in its place. No place I plan to run the boat will allow that bottom-dumping toilet. The enormous through-hull bugs me now. I have the seacock shut off but man that is a big opening in the hull. In hindsight I may have been able to install a holding tank instead.

There's lots more to talk about on it but I'll stop here.

-George
GunPilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 03:03 PM   #2
Guru
 
AusCan's Avatar
 
City: Adelaide
Vessel Name: Kokanee
Vessel Model: Cuddles 30 Pilot House Motor Sailer
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,218
Great job George!

Total rewire. - That's what most of us with 30+ year old boats should be doing. Its just that we don't want to be out of commission for long, so we just add another circuit. Maybe next year.
AusCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 04:44 PM   #3
Guru
 
N4712's Avatar
 
City: South FL
Vessel Name: Oliver
Vessel Model: Nordhavn 47 Hull# 12
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,607
Pictures!!!!
__________________
Thanks, Oliver
M/V Oliver
Nordhavn 47 Hull #12
N4712 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2014, 09:23 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Moby Nick's Avatar
 
City: Rockford, IL
Vessel Name: Du NORD
Vessel Model: Albin-25
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 350
Have enjoyed reading of your electrical project, Gun Pilot!

Our A-25, the Du NORD came to us very much like yours. I agree, an electrical mess pretty much goes with the territory in these old Albins. I am about to rip out ours and use a couple of circuit breaker units (one to include meters) instead of the fuse bar having multiple wires leading off each fuse. Like your boat, only the ignition and a few lights worked when we got her.

However, after a lifetime of sailing, the last 18 in a 28-ft trailerable Yawl, we are starting to become real fond of our 1976 Albin.
Moby Nick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2014, 08:16 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Sunset's Avatar
 
City: Sharbot Lake
Vessel Name: Manatee
Vessel Model: 1976 Albin 25 DeLuxe
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 278
Plus one one the pic demand Gunpilot! Battery room AND back of panel. I have finished the battery room and installed the breaker panel but have left the fuse panel a rats nest for the time being as I finish painting the deck, bottom paint, hull polish and shine. Escaping the damn wiring for a while. I figure I can do the house circuits after launch.

On deck I have finished Undercoater (prime) and sanding and just waiting for a clear shot of weather to begin first coat of Easy Poxy off-white. Could not remove all deck hardware.
__________________
1976 Albin 25 DeLuxe; 1990 Thundercraft 1750
Sunset is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2014, 05:17 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Moby Nick's Avatar
 
City: Rockford, IL
Vessel Name: Du NORD
Vessel Model: Albin-25
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 350
I am just now remounting ALL of the Du NORD's deck hardware. Everything above the hull/deck joint had been removed in Nov for professional repainting in Dec. The only things left to do are the handrails and the canvas snaps; that was a formidable pile of hardware.
Moby Nick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2014, 09:45 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Sunset's Avatar
 
City: Sharbot Lake
Vessel Name: Manatee
Vessel Model: 1976 Albin 25 DeLuxe
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 278
Nick - here's hoping we never dock side by side!
__________________
1976 Albin 25 DeLuxe; 1990 Thundercraft 1750
Sunset is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2014, 09:57 AM   #8
Member
 
GunPilot's Avatar
 
City: Casa Grande, AZ
Vessel Name: Justus
Vessel Model: 1976 Albin 25 Delux
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 5
I'll get some pics up but I don't know how photogenic my panel is. It started out looking pretty good and then the wires took over. The difference is, they are all connected to something now, and fused, and they work.

Here's a pic of the stuff that came out that didn't go back in, either because it wasn't connected to anything, didn't work, or wasn't needed after updating stuff:
GunPilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2014, 10:29 AM   #9
Member
 
GunPilot's Avatar
 
City: Casa Grande, AZ
Vessel Name: Justus
Vessel Model: 1976 Albin 25 Delux
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 5
The forum doesn't seem to like Dropbox links so I'll have to upload the pics elsewhere. In the meantime, I am almost ready to splash the boat. Need an aircleaner sock for the intake and a few other odds and ends.

In other news, last night a huge branch from the neighbor's tree broke off and landed less than a foot behind the boat where it's parked on the trailer :/ Would have crushed the boat if it landed on it.
GunPilot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2014, 10:31 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Moby Nick's Avatar
 
City: Rockford, IL
Vessel Name: Du NORD
Vessel Model: Albin-25
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 350
We may have more in common than Albin-25's, Suinstreak! I used to have a 14-ft Crestliner Jetstreak, an aluminum runnabout that had a pair of tailfins like a 1957 Chrysler. I bought if well-used in the 1970's and converted it to a trailerable sailboat. It looked weird but worked well.
Moby Nick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2014, 04:26 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Sunset's Avatar
 
City: Sharbot Lake
Vessel Name: Manatee
Vessel Model: 1976 Albin 25 DeLuxe
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 278
I believe I've seen pics of that model. Truly unique! I'm going to sell mine to help pay for Albin upgrades.
__________________
1976 Albin 25 DeLuxe; 1990 Thundercraft 1750
Sunset is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:53 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012