| Circe
| Thursday, February 18, 2010 Although I didn't yet have the main electrical service panel in stock--I had it on special order--it was time to lay out the plywood electrical panel space so that I could make various cutouts and apply several coats of varnish to prepare it for installation. I cut out a paper template of the panel in question and determined its location, followed by various other templates or avatars for the other items I'd be installing in the panel: propane solenoid control; battery switch; 12-volt outlets (multiple); and bilge pump switch (not shown, but due for delivery tomorrow). I left room as needed for trim, hinges, and accounted for the actual panel sizes, and laid out the cutouts in an appropriate manner. |
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Once I was satisfied with the positioning, I cut out the openings as required, and test-fit the components I had on hand. Late in the day, I applied a coat of varnish to the panel. |
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I spent the remainder of the day on electrical wiring runs. With all the basic locations for interior lighting, outlets, and other fixtures now determined, I strung wires for each of the devices as needed, including mast wiring and speaker cable. Most of the wires ran forward along the starboard side, the most convenient and efficient route for wires leading forward, including the mast wires, so I started there. Leaving abundant extra wire for the eventual trim-out stage, once it was time to install the lights and so forth, I then cleaned up and tightened the wires through their various clamps and supports. I ran messenger lines through the wire chases along the hull, which would one day be covered by wood strips, to make future additions more convenient. |
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I ran wires to the chainlocker and lazarette for the pulpit-mounted running lights. In these cases, I found it more convenient to simply make up the the final connections immediately, which allowed me to then tie up and tighten the wires leading back to the panel. I also ran wires aft for the propane solenoid valve. |
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With the bulk wiring on the starboard side complete, I began the process on the port side. The wires here had to run around behind the engine room, through the conduit buried behind the icebox, and forward along the hull as needed. I was able to pull multiple sets of wires through at once to complete the forwardmost wire runs, enabling me to once again clean up the wires and secure them cleanly along the forward sections of the run. There was more work ahead on the port side, including additional wires for the galley and completing the initial wire runs around to the electrical panel location; as of this writing, the first three pair of wires still led aft to their wire reels. |
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