Drilled the first hole in my boat today! <installed USB charger port and fuse block>

[Julian]

Yup...the hole drilling has begun! LOL

Spent way too long today installing an additional 2 port USB charger on the port side of the boat for guest phones. I'm not quite done with the wiring as I'm going to either install another switch for the stereo connections and my new fuse box, or run them all through the existing house switch. But for now it is fine as I've only got the one USB plug installed and it draws millivolts when not active.

Here are the steps of the install:

1. Remove a panel in the storage/changing room to ensure there was room behind where I wanted to install the plug. Plenty of room.
2. Prepared wire ends with female spade connectors for the plug
3. Then I pulled the wires through to that location...I used a wire puller...pushed it back from the storage locker to the battery area, connected the wires to it and pulled them through.
4. Drilled the 1 1/8 inch hole in the boat
5. Put the back of the plug over the wires behind the hole and then stuck the wires through the hole
6. Connected the spade plugs and pushed plug through hole aligning it.
7. Got in locker and tightened down the nut on the back (this would have been much easier with two people!)
8. Then I installed a fuse block and wired my plug to it.

Photos are on my phone...so I'll upload them once I post this.

I also bought:

• 2 Fuse blocks with 6 positive and negative terminals(1 for behind the helm, 1 for at the battery)
• Marine grade 8 gauge duplex wire to connect the fuse block
• Wire loom to cover wire runs to the helm fuse block I added

 

[Julian]

This is the hole drilled and wires pulled through from behind


Here is what is looks like from behind (shot from the storage closet


This is what I installed. If you are wondering the suction cup bracket you see is for my XM Onyx radio that consumes the existing USB and plugs into the external input you can see here. The onyx has lifetime XM (not sold anymore).


The final result....


And the fuse block I installed

 

[Julian]

I have a 150amp bus bar on order to connect all the grounds to.....that will be one of my next installs. Also have a dual bank guest charger on the way...need to figure out the solar charger connections before that goes in.

 

[2nazt]

What fuse box do you have? Great install by the way!

 

[Julian]

What fuse box do you have? Great install by the way!

I went with a blue sea 6 circuit with negative bus and cover just so I dont have to mess with it again!

 

[SAGERFLY]

I ordered the same fuse box as you, and a dual USB charger with battery voltage indicator. Did the fuse box come with the large guage positive and negative wires that go from the battery to the fuse box? If not, where did you get them? Thanks.

 

[Julian]

I ordered the same fuse box as you, and a dual USB charger with battery voltage indicator. Did the fuse box come with the large guage positive and negative wires that go from the battery to the fuse box? If not, where did you get them? Thanks.

The fuse blocks do not come with any wiring. I bought a 50' length of marine duplex wire on Amazon, it was 8 gauge duplex wire - which is plenty for the sorts of things I plan on running from my panels. Probably not the cheapest place you can find it, but I was in a hurry at the time! Having both wires together makes running it cleaner and easier, but isn't required. Then I bought wire loom to wrap all my wires in- I should have gotten 25' of the loom!

 

[SAGERFLY]

The fuse blocks do not come with any wiring. I bought a 50' length of marine duplex wire on Amazon, it was 8 gauge duplex wire - which is plenty for the sorts of things I plan on running from my panels. Probably not the cheapest place you can find it, but I was in a hurry at the time! Having both wires together makes running it cleaner and easier, but isn't required. Then I bought wire loom to wrap all my wires in- I should have gotten 25' of the loom!

Thanks. I may be sending the USB port back after reading it may not provide enough power to charge a smart phone. Do you know of the 2.1A will charge a normal Samsung smart phone?

 

[Julian]

2.1A is about the highest power you'll find on USB charge connections.....so if it is dual 2.1a you are all set!

 

[Julian]

You'll see that the one I put in says 4.8a, but that is per plug....so 2.4amp max for each plug. Just make sure your plug isn't doing the same thing and isn't saying 2.1 amp TOTAL, but 2.1 amp per USB plug....

 

[Ancient canoe]

So considerate. No way I am drilling holes for passenger phone chargers.

 

[Julian]

So considerate. No way I am drilling holes for passenger phone chargers.

Need to keep the wife and daughter happy....and makes the boat more useable over all. Much rather have it the way I want it....and mods like this are fun to do!

 

[Ancient canoe]

As I typed that, I was thinking there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that my phone would be the one plugged into the lone USB port.

 

[SAGERFLY]

I don't think my 192 has a USB port.

 

[Julian]

Heck....I think I'm up to 8 large holes drilled in the boat so far:

1. 5" speaker hole in the port side by chair
2. 5" speaker hole on the starboard side by helm
3. 1 1/8" hole on Port side for USB charger
4. 1 1/8" hole on starboard side for USB charger
5. 2" hole by helm for Fume detector alarm
6. 3/4" hole in the transom for transducer cable
7. 1" hole by the helm for GPS cables
8. 3-4" large hole for external VHF speaker
9. Lots of small holes that hold up fuse blocks, hanging rods, towel holder, wiring etc

Still yet to install:

1. Bilge alarm
2. Perhaps a fixed tube inflator--I like this idea...but since I have a 12v outlet in the stern wet storage...not sure it is all that needed.

 

[jayasaki138]

@Julian What kind 1 1/8" drill bit or hole cutter do you use? I want to install the dual usb charger with voltage reading in my brand new boat. I am a little nervous. thanks.

 

[Julian]

@Julian What kind 1 1/8" drill bit or hole cutter do you use? I want to install the dual usb charger with voltage reading in my brand new boat. I am a little nervous. thanks.

Just a normal hole saw like this one. Start in reverse, then once you have a groove, move to forward.

 

[zipper]

I went with a blue sea 6 circuit with negative bus and cover just so I dont have to mess with it again!

I installed the same 6 fuse panel last fall in the head storage area and ran 8' of #6 thhn to feed. It is a nice addition and I use it currently, to feed power to my marine radio, hummingbird 565 and kenwood amp. Three positions left to fill.

 

[Julian]

I installed the same 6 fuse panel last fall in the head storage area and ran 8' of #6 thhn to feed. It is a nice addition and I use it currently, to feed power to my marine radio, hummingbird 565 and kenwood amp. Three positions left to fill.

You must have pulled up the gas tank floor to make it there with only 8'!

 

[zipper]

@Julian I installed the fuse panel on the aft wall of the head/storage compartment on the port side. I have mounted a marine radio and a hummingbird 565 on the port dash and Installed it there for them. I fed it with 6ga. and fused to 60a. I added the kenwood amp to it with 30a fuse. the amp is in helm storage forward of the radio and fed with 10ga. under the floor in front of ski locker door. So no fuel hatch removal yet, although I have other reasons for getting in there as soon as I order a #4 square bit.