Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by hullinthewater on 10/13/14 - 4:41 PM

Trying to organize electric and mechanical cables from rear sump to motor on my 1987 Custom 17 [Super Sport conversion].

Anybody ever use FlexWrap with the Velcro closure?
http://www.we-supply.com/browse.cfm/4...13015.html

Kind of pricey, but looks like a good method to keep electrical and mechanical cables separate in their own tight bundles to keep rear deck uncluttered.

Edited by Phil T on 10/14/14 - 5:30 AM

Posted by jfbazb on 10/14/14 - 7:28 AM

I got the same problem. I'm going to look in to plastic tubing though like you see on some of the higher end outboard installations. If you are a fisherman like I am I think it would be less prone to getting hooks snagged on it. I had a scare last weekend 5 miles offshore when I embedded a hook in my fuel line. Luckily it didn't go all the way through.

Posted by Finnegan on 10/14/14 - 1:40 PM

This is how I dressed the cables on my Montauk, with EVERYTHING to port, including the battery and stern light wiring. Nothing is to Starboard, and the transom of the boat is very clean and uncluttered. The jackplate helps, and so does moving the battery box as far aft as possible. Even the bilge pump discharge is bundled into this package. Steering is Baystar hydraulic, which eliminates the rigid starboard side cable completely.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgolt...3075827354

Posted by dauntless-n-miami on 10/15/14 - 7:01 AM

Hello to all, I came across a zippered rigging sleeve that might be interesting. It's made from Sunbrella material and available in a few different lengths. Check out the site. http://www.thmarine.com/

Also available for bundling motor rigging is the Vinyl spiraled wrap and comes in a few standard colors. The mesh sleeve mentioned earlier is nice but the velcro attachment may eventually yield to exposure. That sleeve is intended for indoor use or protected exterior environments.

Angel M.

Posted by Jay Fitz on 10/15/14 - 8:32 AM

RogueII wrote:
Why not just use cable ties? If done correctly it will look pretty "clean"

I agree. I'm in in the audio/recording business and all the techs I've seen over the years always use wire ties for cable management. You just need to use enough of them close together and clip the ends for a neat, clean look.

Posted by Whalerbob on 10/15/14 - 10:43 AM

I bought some black corrugated tubing at Pep Boys that comes split down the middle for packaging wires and it seems to be working well. I just pack whatever wires I want in there and then put a couple black zip ties around it to hold it all together - easy, clean, cheap.

Previously I used the black vinyl spiral wrap described above and that works very well too.

Posted by Walt Krafft on 10/15/14 - 11:23 PM

#10

I work as a toolmaker at a plastics manufacturer that makes wire ties, split loom, spiral wrap, and lots of other useful plastic parts. There are a few things to keep in mind with plastic parts: Without getting into exotic materials, the only color that is UV stabilized so it won't fade or breakdown in the sun is black. The colored wire ties and spiral wrap can fail in less than a years worth of sun. Just after molding the wire ties are very brittle and need to be moisturized. If they dry out in use they can break. If they dry out in storage before use, place them in a bag with a little water for a couple of days. Depending on how the tag end of a wire tie is clipped off, it can leave a very sharp edge. That is something that needs to be checked so one of the passengers or crew does not get scratched or cut.
I am looking at bundling the cables in stainless steel mesh with heat shrink tubing securing the ends to try and discourage mice and pack rats from chewing on them when the boat is parked in the barn, and I think it will look neat. When I dragged the boat out of the barn a few months ago for the first time in 25 years, the wiring and cables were a mess (gone?). I think the rats worked out a deal with the barn cats on which end of the boat to chew on and which end to poop in. Over time the whole thing became a chewed-up litter box for both vermin. Virtually all the rigging and wood work were trashed. I hope after my rebuild that it won't happen again.
There is nothing wrong about using any of these parts, just know the limitations. A lot of the fun of working on and looking at boats is all the different ideas people have. The boats on this forum show outstanding design, ingenuity, workmanship, and attention to detail.