Things You'll Need:
- Screwdriver, standard slotted blade
- Screwdriver, Phillips
- Drill and bits
- Metal or wood file, depending on the vessel's construction
- Wire
- Wire cutters
- Wire screw cap connectors
- Hammer
- Fish tape
- Electrical tape
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Step 1
Determine where you want your lights. Cabins should have--at a minimum--an interior light above the doorway to the cabin. Cabins should also have a low-intensity reading light on the wall above each bunk. Other spaces can be lighted as desired.
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Step 2
Decide what path you want the wiring to take. If your boat is equipped with a circuit breaker panel as the center of its power distribution center, begin tracing the path for the new wiring there. If your boat uses a common bus bar, begin tracing your path at that point.
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Step 3
Determine what bulkheads or walls stand in the way of your wiring. Remove the interior panels of walls, with a hammer or screwdriver as appropriate, to determine if you can have a "clear run" for the wiring. Most interior walls and bulkheads will already have "pass-through" holes for existing systems; this will simplify the wiring job, because no new holes will have to be drilled. In this case, wiring will require only that you fish the wires through the existing pass-through holes. Do not reinstall the interior panels until the wiring project is complete.
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Step 4
If the bulkhead does not have a pass-through, one will need to be drilled, which means you will have to remove the interior panel at the bulkhead and drill. If you drill a hole for the wires, use a file to remove any burrs from the edges of the hole; burrs will cause wear on the wiring, which may lead to a short circuit or even a fire.
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Step 5
Drill a hole in the wall, centered on the chosen location of the new light unit. Have your assistant standing by at the first pass-through or obstruction to ensure that the fish tape goes through the hole. As your assistant passes the tape through or around one pass-through or obstruction, he should move to the next pass-through or obstruction. Feed the fish tape into the hole and toward your assistant and keep feeding the fish tape until the tape reaches the point where the wire will be joined to your vessel's power distribution center. Have your assistant attach the wire to the fish tape and pull the wire back through the pass-through holes until the wire reaches the point where you wish to mount the light. Pull at least 1 foot of wire out of the hole.
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Step 6
Connect the "pigtail" on the light to the wire with electrical screw cap connectors, and over-tape the screw connectors with electrical tape. Push any excess wire back into the hole, and mount the light using the screws provided with the light. Go to the power distribution center and connect the wire.
