Electrical wire to seacock

[Tmacmi]

There is a wire tied out to the side screw on the engine compartment seacock.

I haven’t tracked it back yet, but is there ANY reason why a wire should be there?

[belizesailor]

Bonding.

https://www.proboat.com/2015/04/the-...tems-revealed/

[slug]

Originally Posted by Tmacmi

There is a wire tied out to the side screw on the engine compartment seacock.

I haven’t tracked it back yet, but is there ANY reason why a wire should be there?

Yes

All of your wet metal. like sea cocks, are connected together for lightning protection and galvanic corrosion protection

The connection should be clean and tight ...low resistance

[Tmacmi]

Originally Posted by slug

Yes

All of your wet metal. like sea cocks, are connected together for lightning protection and galvanic corrosion protection

The connection should be clean and tight ...low resistance

Well, that's interesting. I've learned something new.

Here's the thing. None of my other seacocks are connected together with ground wiring. Nor is my rudder shaft.

[Chris31415]

Originally Posted by slug

All of your wet metal. like sea cocks, are connected together for lightning protection ...

If that’s the purpose, I hope it’s a large wire.

[Tmacmi]

Originally Posted by Chris31415

If that’s the purpose, I hope it’s a large wire.

???? can you elaborate?

[Pete7]

Bonding to seacocks seems to be an American idea, that isn't to say its right or wrong, just different ideas on a theme. European yachts don't have bonding to seacocks, but do bond the P bracket and rudder shaft to the negative bus bar, engine and the hull anode.

The multi strand wire on mine is quite thin, there is no way it will take a lightening strike, but then it isn't intended to and I doubt there is much wiring that could.

Pete

[Montanan]

If one is setting up a grounding wire to transfer lightning strikes to the water it would need to be a large cable from the top of the mast all the way to a exit point so as to handle the extreme current. I would never tie a lightning protection system to a sea cock as you probably would blow the seacock to pieces. Instead one would tie the cable to a large copper plate on the outside of the hull below the water line.

If one is just bonding the boat the wire does not need to be large but the resistance should be low as you are just leveling the voltage differential to avoid galvanic corrosion.

[Tmacmi]

As an aside, growing up we had a wooden mast. If we got stuck in a thunderstorm he would attach long bronze chain to the back stay and let it drag in the water.

Now back to my wire to the seacock. If I track it back, where should I find it end?

Electric panel?

[Pete7]

Anode eventually.

Pete