2010 170 MONTAUK Trolling Motor Wiring Path

[rmaxwel]

Q1: can two conductors of size 4-AWG be installed under the rub rail of of a 2010 170 MONTAUK?

Q2: is running two 4-AWG wires under the rub rail of a 170 MONTAUK a good or bad idea?

Q3: [what is your opinion of] advice I received to install electrical conduit under the gunwale [to carry two 4-AWG conductors to the bow from the console with the method of getting from the conduit under the gunwale to the center console to be determined].

Q4: [with no rigging tunnel to the bow from the console and not using the under-rub-rail path,] what other way can two 4-AWG conductors be run to the bow from the console, other than just laying them on the cockpit floor?

Give me ideas of how to run two 4-AWG cables to the bow from the center console of a 2010 170 MONTAUK.

Show me illustrations of any new method.

BACK STORY
I plan to install a bow mounted trolling motor that operates from 24-Volts and provides 80-lbs thrust on a 2010 170 MONTAUK in the state of Texas.

In order to look for a rigging tunnel in a 2010 170 MONTAUK from the console to the bow area, I cut a hole, but no rigging tunnel or wiring path was found. See Figure 1 below.

Fig. 1. A large hole cut into the hull of a 2010 170 MONTAUK to explore for a hidden rigging tunnel between the bow and center console.

IMG_1663 (1).jpg (43.64 KiB) Viewed 268 times

I have read about laying [two 4-AWG electric cables] on the floor [of the cockpit] but have not seen any pictures [of that method of running the wiring for the trolling motor].

[jimh]

Q3: [what is your opinion of] advice I received to install electrical conduit under the gunwale [to carry two 4-AWG conductors to the bow from the console with the method of getting from the conduit under the gunwale to the center console to be determined].

Q5: did that advice include photos illustrations of the method?

If so, please show the illustrations of the method so it can be assessed for being either a good or bad idea. i would like to see the cable path from gunwale to center console, and where that crossover occured.

[jimh]

In order to look for a rigging tunnel in a 2010 170 MONTAUK from the console to the bow area, I cut a hole, but no rigging tunnel or wiring path was found.

I know this comment is in hindsight, but in looking for the presence of a rigging tunnel from the console to the bow, it might have been more prudent to look first for its exit at the console end.

Such a wiring path may only exist if the hull was fabricated with the trolling motor pre-wiring option.

[MarkCz]

If you buy silicone sheathed marine tinned duplex cable it is very flexible and lays flat on the floor. I used Anchor brand bonded cable. The red and black are joined together. I went with AWG-6 cable for my [unspecified year] [unspecified length] Montauk.

[jimh]

If the one-way distance from battery to trolling motor is 10-feet, with a 24-Volt DC system voltage (13.2 * 2 = 26.4-Volts nominal full charge level), wire of 4-AWG would limit the voltage drop to only three-percent with a current of 153-Amperes. At 26.4 Volts and 153-Amperes the electrical power is over 4,000-Watts. Conversion to horsepower is more than 5-HP.

Q6: what is the maximum rated current capacity for the electric motor?

Q7: did the manufacturer of the motor require use of 4-AWG cable?

[rmaxwel]

A gentleman in Virginia told me “Wire run down the rub rail. 4 awg.”

[Moderator's note. Two photographs were posted without captions. Several questions were asked concerning what was to be demonstrated by the photographs. Those several questions were answered. The outcome was that the photographs did not illustrate any information germane to this discussion. The two photographs, the several questions about them, and the answers to those questions have been removed from this discussion.]

[MarkCz]

I have a motor guide Xi5 24-Volt trolling motor. Maximum current is about 45-Amperes.

[Big V]

I also have a 2010 170 Montauk. I plan to install a bow mounted trolling motor. I referenced the post (url below) which mentions there is a tunnel that runs from the console to the bow for the wires for the bow light. I assume there wasn't much of a change between the 2010 and 2014 model?
Thanks!

https://continuouswave.com/forum/viewto ... f=6&t=4411

Also, here is the electrical harness diagram taken from the 2010 owner's manual

Fig. 4. Wiring harness path from Boston Whaler resources.

electrical harness diagram.JPG (63.12 KiB) Viewed 139 times

[rmaxwel]

Update. I let the professionals at Jorgensen Marine take over [the installation of a trolling motor on my 2010 170 MONTAUK].

The [combined sidelights lamp] was removed. 8-AWG wires and a 14-AWG wire were run to the console.

[The trolling motor will be a Minn-Kota 80-lbs thrust] 24-Volt 60-inch Terrova “Spot Lock” number 1363786. This trolling motor was on sale for $2,599.

The bow rails will be cut.

One 24-Volt ProGuide Lithium Battery will be installed, along with a battery charger.

An aluminum plate will be put under the trolling motor and adhered with 3M4200.

The trolling motor will be screwed in. The wiring will be [permanent]

Q12: what other [electrical] items may be needed for the trolling motor [electrical] rigging?

Q13: what effect will occur from the trolling motor battery chemistry being lithium and the engine starting battery chemistry being lead-acid?

Q14: how many hours labor will be needed for the installation [of all the gear described so far]?

[jimh]

Update. I let the professionals at Jorgensen Marine take over [the installation of a trolling motor on my 2010 170 MONTAUK].

Q15: Will the large hole you cut near the bow be used in the installation of the trolling motor?

8-AWG wires and a 14-AWG wire were run to the console.

What was the wiring path used?

Please give the exact location from where these conductors were run to the console, and the path of the cables.

The TOPIC of this thread is the wiring pPath for a trolling motor on a .c2017 170 MONTAUK, so knowing the wiring path that the "professionals" used would be very appropriate information to add to the discussion.

[jimh]

Q13: what effect will occur from the trolling motor battery chemistry being lithium and the engine starting battery chemistry being lead-acid?

I do not see how there could be any element in common between the trolling motor battery (24-Volts) and the engine starting battery (12-Volts), other than perhaps their negative terminal mosts are connected in common. The 12-Volt battery will be charged by the propulsion engine charting circuit. Your new 24-Volt trolling motor battery will apparently be charged by a different "charger", but since you have provided no information about this different "charger" there is no basis to know anything about the new "charger", so predicting any sort of "effect" between the batteries in impossible.

Also, there are many types of battery chemistry using Lithium, so the identification of a battery as being a "lithium" battery really provides no specific information about the chemistry in use. In Lithium battery chemistry, there are several configurations, and each configuration might have its own specifications about the charging voltage and the float voltage.

Generally most lithium batteries are not directed connected to either their load or to their charging source. Most lithium batteries incorporate an internal battery management module. The internal battery management module has the ability to disconnect the battery from its load or charger if the battery management module decides that the load or charging current may harm the battery.

Modern batteries of both lead-acid chemistry and lithium chemistry are generally marked clearly on their cases with specifications for the charging voltage and float voltage preferred.

[rmaxwel]

[The installation of new wiring between the console and the bow] was as follows:

• the [combined sidelights lamp at the bow was removed] and the wires [attach to the lamp] were cut];
• the [remaining wires that were routed to the center console] were attached to an electrician's fish wire
• at the console the existing wires for the navigation lamp were pulled out, pulling in the electrician's fish wire to the console, using the already existing path;
• the installer connected two 8-AWG wires [and an additional 14-AWG conductor} to the fish tape, and pulled back to the bow.[/list]

The installer noted that two people were needed to get the new 8-AWG wires pulled through [the path from console to bow].

A new plate will cover the exploratory hole made at the bow, and the trolling motor will be connected permanently at the new plate [to the new 8-AWG circuit].

The 14-AWG conductor pulled in will be for future use.

A 60-Ampere circuit breaker will be installed.

A 110-VAC operated battery charger will be installed.

[Moderator's note: three photographs of another boat showing its bow railings were deleted. Please start a new thread to discuss the bow railing modification on your boat, perhaps when you get the installation of the trolling motor finished. This thread's topic is just on the wiring path and the electrical cables, battery, and other electrical elements of the installation.]

[MarkCz]

You may want to add a battery disconnect switch so that you can disconnect your 24-Volt battery from your trolling motor before charging. I have read that charging while still having the trolling motor connected may create problems.

I only mention this because you said you will be hard wiring your trolling motor.

Some circuit breakers can be used as a battery disconnect so that may also be an option.

[jimh]

You may want to add a battery disconnect switch so that you can disconnect your 24-Volt battery from your trolling motor before charging. I have read that charging while still having the trolling motor connected may create problems.

I only mention this because you said you will be hard wiring your trolling motor.

MarkCz offers very good advice. While a battery is being charged, the actual voltage and waveform of the current supplied by the battery charger may not be completely harmless to the electronics and electrical components of the trolling motor. Charging often imposes significant voltage artifacts onto the otherwise pure-DC nature of a battery.

In additional, unless there is a simple disconnect provided at the trolling motor itself, such as an easily detached connector at the motor, there should be a simple method to disconnect the trolling motor power cable from the battery cable at the bow to permit the trolling motor to be removed from the boat when not needed.

Whenever a connector is used in an electrical power circuit, the circuit that is connected to the power source MUST be provided on a connector whose contacts are female gender or sockets, in order that the power circuit is not openly exposed. The connector for the load that will plug into the power is then provided on a connector whose contact are male gender or pins.

Some circuit breakers can be used as a battery disconnect so that may also be an option.

More good advice from MarkCZ. Unless the circuit breaker is specifically designated that it can be manually opened and closed an unlimited (or very large number) of times, the circuit breaker is not designed to act as a switch and may only be rated for a rather modest number of openings and resets.

[jimh]

RMAXWELL: thanks for additional details about the wiring path, but your narrative has raised several more questions:

Q15: was the navigation lamp at the bow re-installed?

Q16: if the navigation lamp was re-installed, how was power provided to it?

Q17: what happened to the original wiring that powered the navigation lamp at the bow after they were used to pull in the electrician's fish wire?

Q18: what is the anticipated future use of a single 14-AWG conductor now in the rigging path from console to bow?

Q19: was there a wiring path discovered between the original path of the navigation lamp circuit and your newly cut exploratory hole in the bow area?

[jimh]

The original questions in this thread were asking about use of 4-AWG conductors to power the 24-Volt trolling motor, but I note that in the actual installation used the conductor size was significantly reduced to be only 8-AWG conductors.

Q20: what caused you to change the conductor size to 8-AWG from the originally suggested 4-AWG conductor?

[rmaxwel]

The 8 awg is recommended for the distance run and the other sizes would not have fit through the cavity.