Whenever you are going run wire for a circuit where the conductors need extra protection from chafing or weather boat cable would be the correct wire choice. Sometimes boat cable is a more appropriate choice than single conductor boat wire.īoat cable is nothing more than several marine grade wires contained inside a protective jacket. This yields the proper #14 wire size for this circuit. Then move down to a distance of 20 feet, the total length of wire needed to provide power to the pump located 10 feet from the power source. To get the correct wire size for this livewell pump from the table you would need enter the table at 5 amps. Sticking with our previous livewell pump example, if it were located 10 feet from the power source and had a current draw of 5 amps it would need #14 wire. Wire sizes specified in the table should limit voltage drop in a 12-volt DC circuit to under 3%. The table below shows wire sizes (purple) for low-voltage DC circuits (under 40 volts) based on the distance (red) from the power source to the appliance and the current draw (blue) of the unit. This is usually clearly stated in the accompanying documentation. Next, you’ll need to know the current draw of the unit you are installing or rewiring. To select the proper size wire to do a particular job requires you know two things.įirst, you’ll need to know the the total distance between the power source (battery, bus bar, or circuit breaker) and the equipment being powered. The table below lists a sampling of wire colors and uses. This follows standard marine industry color-coding listed in the table below. For example, to color-code the wire for a livewell pump installation, the negative wire to the pump would normally be black and the positive wire from the controlling switch to the pump would be brown. Whenever possible use boat wire with insulation color-coded to the type of circuit you are wiring. This type of boat wire stands up well to hydrocarbons in or around engines and bilge areas while also providing good corrosion resistance. When selecting wire for your boat stick with American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard sizes made from stranded tinned copper with oil resistant insulation rated at 105✬ dry and 75✬ wet or higher. Start any repair or installation project by picking the right wire for the job by choosing good quality wire or cable properly sized and color-coded for the job at hand. See our Marine Wire Size and Ampacity chart behind the West Advisor tab, to select the right wire for your job.In the harsh marine environment only top shelf boat wire or marine cable will suffice. These duplex wires are available in 6-20 AWG to meet the demands of a variety of circuits. Because this cable is rated for 75☌ (167☏), meets USCG and ABYC standards required to be run through engine rooms. The exclusive vinyl insulation protects the wire from saltwater, oil, battery acid, gasoline, and UV damage while remaining flexible in temperatures down to 40☌ (40☏). The flat cover is easy to write on to keep track of circuits on larger jobs.Īll of Ancor’s wire is thin stranded tinned copper to offer the most flexible, corrosion and vibration resistant wire available. Ancor designed its marine grade duplex wire specifically for marine use and conveniently packs two individually insulated conductors into a single flat cover to help speed up the wiring process. Using the right wire for the job will reduce the time spent fishing it through your boat and give you the confidence it won’t let you down. Run two conductors at once with duplex wire designed specifically for the marine environment

Marine wire gauge chart