Using Boat as Your Ground???

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baptistpreach

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I'm wiring my boat and a guy from my church who is more knowledgeable about this than me suggested grounding my battery to the boat, that way I can just run wires to the aluminum of the boat instead of having a closed (?) circuit going back to the battery. Is there anything wrong with doing this? My fishfinder will be wired with the trollng motor (seperately to avoid interference) to another battery which I will just run directly to the battery. Will I have any problems if I run the rest of my electronics to the switch panel for positive and to the boat for ground? I don't want to become a portable electroshocking boat - it would kinda take the fun out of fishing. Thanks for the help guys! I'm almost there!!
 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DO NOT USE YOUR BOAT AS A GROUND!!!!!!!!!!

That is, unless you need a good spaghetti strainer in the near future.

The electrolysis will eat your boat alive.
 
Quackrstackr said:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DO NOT USE YOUR BOAT AS A GROUND!!!!!!!!!!

That is, unless you need a good spaghetti strainer in the near future.

The electolysis will eat your boat alive.

X2
 
I agree, never use your boat as a ground, always make all connections to the battery.
 
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:


Thank you thank you thank you!!! He admitted he didn't know about boats, but didn't see why it would be a problem. You guys are the best!!
 
Quackrstackr said:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DO NOT USE YOUR BOAT AS A GROUND!!!!!!!!!!

That is, unless you need a good spaghetti strainer in the near future.

The electrolysis will eat your boat alive.
NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X
 
Great advise so far.

You can reduce the number of wires you run by using one ground wire for two circuits provided the combined load of both circuits is less than the max rating of the wire.

For example-
If you run 16 gauge wire 20 feet to feed your fishfinder and LED lights, one power wire to each, you can use one negative wire for both of them. Say the fishfinder draws 1 amp and the lights draw 3 amps, and the wire is rated for 5 amps. 3 + 1=4 amps which is less than 5 amps. The only other thing is the power and negative wires must be run back to the same battery.
 

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