What is this for?

[SkiprJohn]

Aren't boats of a certain age fun? You just keep finding more and more "gifts" from former owners.

[captain58sailin]

After pulling a bunch of hoses that went no where, I am now pulling a bunch of wires that aren't connected to anything. "And the best goes on, and on, and on." I still have more hoses to remove, just had to take a break from that to clear my head. I am quite sure I will have to repaint my water line once I am done.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

Just an update for those who are interested. The valve manifold led to nothing, just cut off hoses, it appears to have been something for a water system judging by the type of hoses that were secured to it. The other mystery item was as Atoll said, drain for gray water. Thanks to all for the helpful tips. Next stop is "Where do the hell do all these wires go? Why do I need them?" I'm not hollering for help, just musing about my project.

Tracing old wiring can be a huge pain. I have pulled and tossed a trash bag full of old wires and cables left by the PO and still have a lot to sort through.

One I could not figure out. A pair of wires next to the nav table coming out of the wire bundle connected to nothing. Nice wires and built in so I figure they must go to or come from something important.

Started following them around the boat. Really difficult since they were wrapped in a bundle with a dozen or more other wires, many coming and going from the bundle, traveling through bulk heads, under the floor, back up through a conduit, on and on. Finally lost them about 20' away when one bundle joined another with about a dozen pairs all the same color.

SO, why do I tell you all this (besides ranting)? I found a cute little gadget at Harbor Fright (spelling mistake intentional) that is a wire tracer. Don't remember the price but wasn't a whole lot. Hooks up a signal generator to one end of a wire and a hand held gadget that beeps any time you hold it close to that wire. Very, very handy and easy for tracing wires around the boat. Lets you find out pretty quickly if it goes to something or is old junk to pull and toss.

[captain58sailin]

Thanks, my signal generator is hollering at my helper, "Look for the small blue wire, I'm pulling on it, can you see it move? No not that one, the other blue one, there you got it pull, pull, pull!" A signal generator would probably save my voice. I'll take a look at it, I have many more wires to go. My rant goes like this, " I will hunt down all the POs of this vessel and kill everyone of them!" "How stupid are those people anyway?" And then I load my pipe with some fresh tobacco, take a drink of coffee and let the throbbing vein in my forehead go down.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Aren't boats of a certain age fun? You just keep finding more and more "gifts" from former owners.

Gifts. Yes here's a partial list of the gifts left for me.

Two very corroded faucets stored (for spares?) when the PO replaced the ones in the heads with new which were by then also very corroded.

Three full sized garbage cans of extremely frayed and chaffed lines, Irish pennants and rope ends, many no more that 3-6' long.

One trash bag full of old wiring including: the signal and power lines for two dead transducers that were both left lying in the bilge still connected to the wires, three coax cables to the masthead 2 VHF (one old and cut, one "new") 1 Loran that was long dead, wiring for an autopilot stolen from the boat 25 years ago, lamp cord used as power wire for several lights and electronics and more.

One medium trash bag of melted, gooey electrical tape.

One small bag of tie wraps. NOTE: putting a bunch of tie wraps on a crappy wiring job does not make it a good wiring job.

Several small, very cheap Walmart bilge pumps.

I could go one but it will just annoy me all over again so better stop now.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

Thanks, my signal generator is hollering at my helper, "Look for the small blue wire, I'm pulling on it, can you see it move? No not that one, the other blue one, there you got it pull, pull, pull!" A signal generator would probably save my voice. I'll take a look at it, I have many more wires to go.

Save your voice and maybe relationship with your helper.

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

I will hunt down all the POs of this vessel and kill everyone of them!" "How stupid are those people anyway?" And then I load my pipe with some fresh tobacco, take a drink of coffee and let the throbbing vein in my forehead go down.

In my case there was only one owner but he was a nice guy and did the best he could. So I look at what the boat is becoming and smile, at least until I find the next boondoggle.

[captain58sailin]

Oh I take it in stride mostly. I curse the POs for the amusement of my helper. My helper has a good sense of humor and I don't shout at him, I just raise my voice enough to be heard on the other end of the boat through two compartments and one fish hold. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the enormity of the project and then I have to narrow my focus down to just 1 wire or hose depending on what is in front of me. I have made good progress in the forward section of the engine compartment and am slowly working my way around to the back. I still have to wrestle with the hydraulics (sigh), but that is waiting until I finish with wires and water hoses. Things are going apace and I should be able to install the soundproofing in the overhead in the next couple of days.