Moving batteries under console - 23SF Where to run wires?

[FishStretcher]

Originally Posted by keith

Thanks for the advice guys.
One more question. I am doing my calculations for amp draws and adding them up. I have a total of around 280 max amps. Is it necessary to run ground wire back to the engine to support that max amp at 3% loss? It would be highly unlikely that I run the downriggers, crab pot puller, trim tabs, both bilge pumps, both vhf's transmitting, radar radarring, all while spotlighting at the same time! Jeez, I get a headache just thinking about all that going on!

You need power and ground back to the outboard to start it so the cable required for cranking is what is required. I have what you have done and I am almost legal. The 2 or 4 gauge pair to start the outboard is fine. I have fuses after my battery selector switch into a distribution point. The word escapes me but a threaded terminal with cap rated for 500A for hot and ground, one each. From there, appropriately rated *fused* cable to each blue sea systems fuse panel that includes ground. Those are good for 100A each. But I feed both thru a single cable with a 70A breaker. Technically I think I need fuses at the batteries or within 7" to be fully compliant. I also have an inline fused solar panel that will charge batteries with that breaker off, and an inline fused kicker charging harness.

Basically the existing 2 wire outboard starter cable that came with my yamaha is all I use running aft. The current draw is low enough on that to run it thru my battery switch, so I do that.