Beware Wiring Schematics on Older Boats

[CaspersCruiser]

I am posting this as a heads-up for owners of older boats and for prospective buyers of them.

The wiring schematics for my 2012 R27 have errors and omissions. For example, the “Ranger Tug R-27 Power Distribution” schematic in the owner’s manual on page 34 has a couple significant errors and omissions. It is dated 10-21-10.

1. On my boat as wired, there is a cable connecting the two house battery positive posts as one would expect on batteries connected in parallel to increase capacity. That cable is not depicted on the owner’s manual schematic.

2. According to the same schematic, the only appliances powered through the Thruster battery switch are the bow and stern thrusters. On my boat, that is incorrect. The windlass is also powered through the Thruster battery switch. Inexplicably, if one takes the owner’s manual schematics as gospel, the windlass doesn’t exist! It is nowhere to be found. That omission caused me to go on a wild goose chase a couple years ago. I simply did not know that the windlass was powered through the Thruster battery battery switch.

There are other errors such as fuses on Power Distribution Panels (PDP) not being in the position as depicted on a laminated sheet inserted into the owner’s manual. The CO detector in the wiring schematics, on the location depicted on the laminated sheet, and on the wiring at the PDP is labeled “O.C. Sensor”.

I am certain there are other errors. I just haven’t found them yet. Hopefully, Fluid Motion cleaned up their act on later models.

 

[rpmerrill]

Bill,
You are right about the CO detector. Mine is labeled O.C. also. I just chalk that up dyslexia. (Or is it lysdexia?)
My old detector timed out last month. New one is battery powered and in a more proper location.

I did notice recently that the windlass is missing. With all our discussion about it's wiring, I was wondering/hoping that the foot switch controls are entirely independent (parallel) of the helm controls. I know they can't be in series but just wanted to see it on the diagram to be sure. If I run into one of those "gymnastic" delays re-wiring the foot switches, I'd want to still have a working windlass.

I'll find out next week.
rich

 

[Martin610]

In my opinion you need to be aware of design deltas on ANY boat. The Fluid Motion boats are often fully fitted out with features and therefore a bit complex.

In an engineering process there should be a detailed design that the builders adhere to as best they can. There are usually multiple builders in different places. They often can't follow the design 100% for several reasons. Sometimes they don't have the parts, things get done out of sequence, project schedules, are just a couple reasons. With something complex like a boat the builders are supposed to track changes and create an "as built" drawing at the completion of the job. However time and cost often prohibits that. Product management makes the cost decisions, not the engineers.

The schematic is a starting point, you usually have to work things out from there.

In my case we produced designs, that my team tested, and would then be deployed to phone company offices all across the country. It was amazing how creative things could get when we did trouble shooting! But using the design to level set the respective teams knowledge we always got things fixed. As boat owners we can too.

 

[CaspersCruiser]

In my opinion you need to be aware of design deltas on ANY boat.......

There is a difference between a design delta and complete omission of a major power-using system such as the windlass.

 

[OverTime]

The manual I use for my R-29 CB has a completely different engine in it than the one that is in my boat! 😀

 

[nzfisher]

My windless and downriggers were on the same circuit per stock 2011 25sc. Probably the same if that helps.

 

[OverTime]

Also, the wiring diagram that I'm using (R-29 from the Ranger Tugs website) shows a different battery configuration than the one on my boat . Plus, I'm still trying to figure out how to kill power to the wine cooler. The diagram shows it coming from the same circuit as the reefer but pulling the reefer fuse only kills the refrigerator, not the wine cooler too. I guess the title of this thread could be "Beware wiring schematics on ALL boats! 🙂

 

[OverTime]

I'm still trying to figure out how to kill power to the wine cooler. The diagram shows it coming from the same circuit as the reefer but pulling the reefer fuse only kills the refrigerator, not the wine cooler too. I guess the title of this thread could be "Beware wiring schematics on ALL boats! 🙂

UPDATE: On my boat, 2025 R-29 CB the wine cooler is plugged into its own 110 outlet easily accessible when you pull it out. It is on the same circuit as the galley outlet. I'm planning on using this area as a new storage compartment. It is huge in there and it connects to the little compartment under the cabin shelves separated only by an easily removeable partition.

 

[PanaSeaAhToo]

Boats all have their challenges when it comes to wiring. Regarding the windlass on my classic R25, I discovered that the power came from a tap into the front thruster wiring. What was interesting was that a chart folder had been put in the port locker under the bunk and had tripped the breaker just by bumping into it. Once discovered, I made a simple cover for the breaker so that it was not bumped into by items stored there. An hour to find, 15 minutes to fix, no cost. I also have come to believe that the power for the CO detector is derived from an alien force field, thus I remove it in the winter after adding proper connectors to its feed wires.
In fairness, I have seen much worse on other boats. One was an entire control panel wired (by a well-known factory) with those very primitive snap clips used to splice automotive wires that are useless and corrode almost immediately. Another was a friend's almost new boat that quit in the middle of the first season last year. The dealer knew it was starved for fuel but could not find the problem. When the dealer finally started tearing out the entire fuel system, he found an inline filter on the fuel line from the tank that was built into the boat so it could not be seen or serviced. It was plugged with what was obviously debris from the fuel tank. The manual stated it should be replaced at 20 hours but gave no indication where it was located. I believe they had to cut the floor to get it out.
If it makes you feel better, my son is a captain of a $15 Mil yacht which is about to be "deconstructed" by removing the top of the engine room, the back of the main deck and part of the bridge deck to remove a blown engine. It takes a big hole to extract a 2,000 HP V12 diesel and no provision was made to do this. In case you think you are having a bad day, consider that this boat is only three years old and the current owner has had it for two weeks. It came with a sterling mechanical survey.
Some problems are relative🙄. I got my first boat in 1954; I'll take my Ranger thank you.

 

[OverTime]

If it makes you feel better, my son is a captain of a $15 Mil yacht which is about to be "deconstructed" by removing the top of the engine room, the back of the main deck and part of the bridge deck to remove a blown engine. It takes a big hole to extract a 2,000 HP V12 diesel and no provision was made to do this. In case you think you are having a bad day, consider that this boat is only three years old and the current owner has had it for two weeks. It came with a sterling mechanical survey.

I was looking at a boat once, took it out for a survey, everything looked real good. I got a call from the seller that night saying "The engine blew...you can have it as is for $50,000 less".

 

[NorthernFocus]

The biggest problem with the wiring schematics is that Ranger supplied them. They should have stuck with the simple functional drawings with a disclaimer that they did not reflect actual wiring.

It's ironic that from day one they had such a good reputation for customer service when 90 percent of said service would have been unnecessary with some basic QC at the factory. I'd suggest that a little design/manufacturing input from someone who actually worked on boats would have been good. But I realize that's a pipe dream.

 

[William Sanborn]

Guess I got lucky. the used 2011 RT-27 That I bought came with a box full of all the Instillation and operation manuals for all the system, and previous owners had upgraded some of the system and included is a 3 ring binder full of all the wiring schematics. Got a question if I have the flyer I'll share copies.

 

[gregc]

I was always told to only regard the diagrams of any old/used boat as suggestions, not truth.

 

[CaspersCruiser]

I was always told to only regard the diagrams of any old/used boat as suggestions, not truth.

Always something to keep in mind, but when the ORIGINAL documents were suggestions, not truth the day the boat rolled out the factory door, it’s a problem.

 

[NorthernFocus]

In those early days they had not settled into a couple of boat "packages" to choose from. There was basically a menu to pick and choose desired equipment. The schematics that I have show all of the possible options. On my boat there are wires to nowhere coiled up and wire tied in the nether spaces. So apparently they wired the boats to accommodate all possible options, used what was necessary based on the ordered boat, and tucked the surplus wires out of the way.

When I bought my boat I was appalled to find multiple small wires with in-line fuses connected directly to the main battery busses in the lazarette. It was basically a bird's nest in there. One of the first things I did was to trace everything out and "red line" the schematics. Then I installed an auxilliary fuse panel in the lazarette to eliminate the in-line fuses. Also the ACRs were wired wrong. I bought the boat used so can't attest to how much came that way from the factory or what may have been done by the two prior owners. I'm fairly confident the person I bought the boat from didn't do any wiring. No idea about the first owner. The in line fuses must have come that way originally as they show up that way on the schematics.

At any rate, it's just another boat....