Scottie
Jetboaters Captain
- Messages
- 451
- Reaction score
- 566
- Points
- 212
- Location
- Helena, Alabama
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2013
- Boat Model
- X
- Boat Length
- 21
Big day for my 212x. On my 2013, you had to lift the port seat to get to the battery switch that was installed by the previous owner. Since that seat slips under the engine hatch seat and the smaller seat in front of it, it was really kind of a pain. Also, with no hinge on the seats like the newer boats, it caused a fair amount of unnecessary wear on the seat cushions, and it was really easy to SMASH a finger. I picked up a really nice battery switch box from boatoutfitters.com (excellent service too by the way). I cut a rather large hole in a very noticeable location(I hated that part), re-routed battery cables and made a couple new ones. The install turned out really great. The box is water tight when closed, so no worries washing down, and access is super easy. I also ran new 4ga power and ground up and around the bow to a new blue sea fuse panel in the helm. I moved power and ground for my head unit to the new circuit and cured the "pop" when starting the engines with the stereo on. For me, the battery switch being accessible is a huge improvement. I took a lot of pointers from this forum so thanks to everyone for that.
Parts list:
*Battery switch box - https://www.boatoutfitters.com/battery-switch-box-single
The most difficult part of this is certainly locating and then cutting the new hole. The battery box requires a 7" square cut-out, and the box itself needs 4" in depth. (AT LEAST. REMEMBER YOU WILL HAVE BATTERY CABLES PROTRUDING FROM THE REAR OF THE BOX). I have subwoofers under the port seat that boarders the engine hatch, otherwise that would have been a much easier place to install the box. On my boat, there's an indention in the fiberglass under the port seat(right in front of the glove box). You can see this in one of the pics. I have no idea why it's there, as I can't imagine that being a comfortable place for anyone to sit without the cushion. This meant that my box had to be located as far down the face as possible to clear that indention. It was pretty tight, as you can only go so far down the face before running into the slope to the floor. I cut a template from cardboard and mocked it up, a number of times. When I finally decided on what I wanted (and what I thought would fit), I drilled a small hole in the top left corner of the eventual cut-out. I inserted a custom switch box depth gauge (yellow straw from WD-40 can) to make sure I had the depth I needed and the box wasn't going to hit anything. At this point I considered the consequences of having a giant hole that wouldn't fit. I decided that if that happened, I would disassemble the box and just screw the front cover over the hole. It would be a massive failure, but at least it would look fine, and it would still be a fairly useful access hatch. With that, I convinced myself to cut the hole. After covering the area with painter's tape, I used a battery powered jigsaw with a fine tooth metal blade. I went slow and had NO chipping or splintering of any kind. Nice smooth cut. The box fit perfectly, first try! From there, I removed my existing battery switch and mounted my new terminal block in its place. I connected the cables that were connected to the common post of the old switch to my new terminal block. I created my new positive cable and ran it from the terminal block to the common post on the new switch. I ran the new cable, and the cable from each battery bank out the new hole I'd just cut and connected them up to the switch. I turned on the switch and tested everything, twice, before cleaning up with some zip ties, etc., and mounting the box in its final position. My box did not come with mounting screws, so you'll need some short stainless steel ones to finish the job.
*Final Thoughts:
This project was a huge upgrade for me. So nice to just reach down and move the switch when needed, without lifting the seat or opening the compartment in any way. If I had it to do over again, I might consider having boatoutfitters.com make a box to my dimensions. In my case, there's a few inches towards the bow that the box could've extended into. This was useless space before and it is still. If the box occupied that space also, then you'd have some dry storage in there for keys, wallet, phone, or what have you. Might not be useful, but more useful than the dead space. Also, the latch on the door is a GEM products slam latch. You could get that same latch in a locking version. Lockable access to the battery switch might be a good thing in some situations. In any case, if you already have a battery switch under the seat, then this is a nice upgrade. If you're adding a 2nd battery and switch, then I don't see a lot of reasons not to do it this way, aside from expense.
Parts list:
*Battery switch box - https://www.boatoutfitters.com/battery-switch-box-single
- You can get this with or without a switch installed. I had an older off-brand switch I was tempted to re-use, but decided to go ahead with a new Perko switch. This was a good decision. The new Perko switch is an improvement over what I had, and having it already installed in the new box was a big plus.
*Terminal block - https://goo.gl/eUnNvN- This is needed to extend your existing +12v runs from the engine hatch. You'll have a +12v run for each engine starter and one for your existing auxiliary electrical circuit. These are connected to your existing switch or direct to the battery if its still the stock configuration. I already had a battery switch installed so mine were terminated to the common post of the existing switch. I basically replaced the existing switch with the terminal block and made a new 4ga cable, approximately 4 feet long, to connect the terminal block to the common post of the new switch. I got both a red and black terminal block just in case I need to do something with the grounds, but I did not use the black terminal block. There's lots of different options for the terminal block, but its a simple piece, so I wouldn't re-invent the wheel. I would've liked to have used one with a built-in cover, but I couldn't find one. I used a red sleeve from a spare ring terminal to slide over the post and it works fine.
*Battery cable - I was already running a new 4ga circuit, so I used what was left of the 25ftof 4ga wire (Oxygen free copper) and crimped on ring terminals for what I needed. If you plan ahead and know the length you'll need, you could easily buy a pre-made cable for your needs.
*Stainless steel screws - for final mounting of the box.
Installation:The most difficult part of this is certainly locating and then cutting the new hole. The battery box requires a 7" square cut-out, and the box itself needs 4" in depth. (AT LEAST. REMEMBER YOU WILL HAVE BATTERY CABLES PROTRUDING FROM THE REAR OF THE BOX). I have subwoofers under the port seat that boarders the engine hatch, otherwise that would have been a much easier place to install the box. On my boat, there's an indention in the fiberglass under the port seat(right in front of the glove box). You can see this in one of the pics. I have no idea why it's there, as I can't imagine that being a comfortable place for anyone to sit without the cushion. This meant that my box had to be located as far down the face as possible to clear that indention. It was pretty tight, as you can only go so far down the face before running into the slope to the floor. I cut a template from cardboard and mocked it up, a number of times. When I finally decided on what I wanted (and what I thought would fit), I drilled a small hole in the top left corner of the eventual cut-out. I inserted a custom switch box depth gauge (yellow straw from WD-40 can) to make sure I had the depth I needed and the box wasn't going to hit anything. At this point I considered the consequences of having a giant hole that wouldn't fit. I decided that if that happened, I would disassemble the box and just screw the front cover over the hole. It would be a massive failure, but at least it would look fine, and it would still be a fairly useful access hatch. With that, I convinced myself to cut the hole. After covering the area with painter's tape, I used a battery powered jigsaw with a fine tooth metal blade. I went slow and had NO chipping or splintering of any kind. Nice smooth cut. The box fit perfectly, first try! From there, I removed my existing battery switch and mounted my new terminal block in its place. I connected the cables that were connected to the common post of the old switch to my new terminal block. I created my new positive cable and ran it from the terminal block to the common post on the new switch. I ran the new cable, and the cable from each battery bank out the new hole I'd just cut and connected them up to the switch. I turned on the switch and tested everything, twice, before cleaning up with some zip ties, etc., and mounting the box in its final position. My box did not come with mounting screws, so you'll need some short stainless steel ones to finish the job.
*Final Thoughts:
This project was a huge upgrade for me. So nice to just reach down and move the switch when needed, without lifting the seat or opening the compartment in any way. If I had it to do over again, I might consider having boatoutfitters.com make a box to my dimensions. In my case, there's a few inches towards the bow that the box could've extended into. This was useless space before and it is still. If the box occupied that space also, then you'd have some dry storage in there for keys, wallet, phone, or what have you. Might not be useful, but more useful than the dead space. Also, the latch on the door is a GEM products slam latch. You could get that same latch in a locking version. Lockable access to the battery switch might be a good thing in some situations. In any case, if you already have a battery switch under the seat, then this is a nice upgrade. If you're adding a 2nd battery and switch, then I don't see a lot of reasons not to do it this way, aside from expense.
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