Electtrical Grounding in Al Boat

[flywrapper]

After adding more stuff, I'm going to re-do the electrical system on my Al boat. Has elec start OB, 2 el riggers, ff, lights, 12v trolling motor (2 batteries) Question is, do I ground all batteries (3 total) to the boat. All ground wires go back to the ground on the batteries.

Thanks,
Rick

[troybuz]

Rick,
Your goal should be NOT to ground to an alluminum hull. Use a ground bar, and try to isololate all your electrical contections to avoid hull grounding. Now, with that said, you can not always isolate everything, such as when you have an electric start trolling motor.
The idea of having a "Hot" boat comes from when your boat has an electrical charge from improper grounding. Having a "Hot" boat is not a good thing, especially for fishing.
Good luck, and I am sure others will chime in.

[BiteFactory]

Yes, what troybuz said. It can cause accelerated corrosion.

[USS Minnow]

Excuse my ignorance..
What is a ground bar and where would I find it on my new smokercraft?

DO NOT use your hull for a ground!!!!

USS,
A Ground Buss (bar)


Dual Buss (Ground and Power)

[Gundog]

You do not want to use your boat as a return ground path through the hull but you do want to bond your hull to the ground. Connect all of the grounds back to the battery never just connect to a spot on the hull with any single device. You can either connect all ground wires to the neg post on the battery or better yet use the ground bus bar Keta has shown then from the neg terminal or ground bus bar run a single ground only one to the boat hull do not run a bond on each end of the boat or it will cause current to flow throught he hull between the bonding points causing excellerated corosion to occur.
GD