Extending starter cables to remote battery location

[Coho Ghost]

Gentlemen,

I have a 15 foot Livingston Pacific skiff with a 25 hp Merc electric start. I'd like to get the weight of the battery out of the stern area to up near the bow.

Can I splice extensions to the cables coming out of the motor? What size wire? How should the splice be done? Do the wires need to be in conduit?

Or... is this whole thing a bad idea?

Thanks for the input,
Coho Ghost,
up in Washington state

 

[NYBo]

Re: Extending starter cables to remote battery location

Not a bad idea at all. A 25 doesn't take a lot of juice to start, so I would think that 4 gauge wire should work. Running it in conduit to protect it isn't a bad idea if it's going to be run in an exposed area. Can you mount heavy duty buss bars to act as the connection point (instead of splicing)?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Extending starter cables to remote battery location

There are some very nice AC wiring splice kits available in the electrical dept of any home improvement store. It includes everything you need. The wire cannot be any smaller than what you have and since it will be a longer run, the wire gauge should be increased to the next size up.

 

[Coho Ghost]

Re: Extending starter cables to remote battery location

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.

Coho Ghost

 

[RickJ6956]

Re: Extending starter cables to remote battery location

The wires are not required to be run in conduit. If you decide to do that to protect them, don't use EMT or other metal conduit. Use PVC with a diameter large enough to allow the wires to lay loosely inside. Also, don't seal the conduit. Consider drilling a couple of weep holes in it so it can drain if it fills with water.

The most common wiring route is to run it without conduit inside the gunwale using cable ties with screw eyes to hold the wires in place. The cable ties are usually not fully tightened around the bundle.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Extending starter cables to remote battery location

The only disadvantage of putting the battery in the bow, besides the cabling, is that the battery will get more vibration and pounding up there. It may not last as long.

 

[RicMic]

Re: Extending starter cables to remote battery location

I did the same thing a few years ago, no problem at all. You do need to do it right though. I would use at least #4 marine grade wire and one of the waterproof splice kits OR just replace the wire thats on the motor now and run full lengths and then you don't have to worry about splicing it or having splices in an area where they aren't very accessable.