electrical fields?

[Bigfishrule]

I recall a thread about electrical fields on boats and was wondering if anyone can recall the links. I was Just wondering the correct way to ground electronics on a boat. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

John
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[mikecromaine]

I WOULD EITHER MAKE A GROUND BAR OR RUN ALL THE GROUNDS BACK TO THE BATTERY. I AM REDOING MY BOAT AND I AM MAKING A GROUND BAR TO RUN STUFF TO AND A FUSE BOX TOO FOR ALL THE HOTS. THAT IS JUST WHAT I AM DOING. I AM IN THE ELCTRICAL AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS. I SELL ALTERNATOR AND STARTERS AND PARTS TO REBUILDERS. SO I UNDERSTAND DC VERY WELL.
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[Gumbo]

I agree--ground to the battery. I've read of several horror stories of guys grounding to the boat frame of their aluminum boat. The current passing through the boat reacts with the water resulting in electrolysis, which causes galvanic corrosion. What all that means is that the chemical reaction eats your boat away.

Motors come with sacrificial anodes (zincs) to allow this process to take place on a replaceable part, since it is inherent with electricity and water. But grounding the boat, whether intentionally or unintentionally, will turn your boat into one big, expensive anode. When leaving your boat in the water, make sure you submerse your cativation plate on your motor, which is where the zinc anodes are located, so that they can do their job (though most motors have two, with one located so that it is always submerged when the boat is in the water.

Things to watch out for are premature draining of the battery, white crusty build-up on metal parts (usually below water line and more pronounced if you recharge your batteries while the boat is in the water), wiring exposed to the elements causing a stray current when you're docking near power sources. Also, another form of corrosion, though I'm not sure it's galvanic, is from metal-on-metal. For instance, if you use steel screws or snaps (for your cover) on an aluminum boat, then the two different metal types will result in corrosion. Stainless steel is probably the least susceptible to metal-on-metal corrosion.

You can find more details on galvanic corrosion on the Web. That's all I know--which should be enough to watch for the signs and keep me out of trouble. Good luck.

[mikecromaine]

MAY BOAT IS FIBER GLASS NO METAL PERIOD SO I MADE ALL MY CIRCUITS.
TO THE BATTERY AND THE GROUND BAR. LIKE YOU WOULD IN YOUR HOUSE WITH AC.
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[glassyeyedPaul]

Gumby, I was just thinking that downriggers does emit ions which can spook the fish, and that there is a very expensive Cannon downrigger on the market that claims they can prevent the downrigger ball from emitting ions.

I just have a regular easy-troll 2 downrigger, and I would like to know what to do to keep it from spooking fish with the electrical field that seems to come from the boat through the downrigger cable line? Grounding?
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[kd...]

Here you go.

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