How to Install a Boat Stereo
Putting music in your boating life is not difficult. In fact, it's a project you can undertake while you are playing on your favorite body of water, as long as you can heave-to for a bit to do the work and keep a few simple facts in mind: most boat stereos are water resistant. Waterproof stereo systems are much more expensive than a water-resistant stereo in a "splash cover," a plastic enclosure that keeps your stereo dry. You also have to pay attention to the placement of the speaker wires, so your guests do not trip over them while they walk around the boat.
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Drill and bits
- Speaker wire
- Wire cutters
- Marine stereo splash cover and mounting bracket
- Plastic cable 1-piece raceway, 3/4-inch by 1/2-inch, 5-foot lengths, adhesive backed
Instructions
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How to Install a Boat Stereo
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1
Drill holes to mount the splash cover and to allow the wiring to pass from the common power bus (located in your console or dashboard). Four holes---two for the mounting bolts, one for the power cord and one for the speaker wires---will be needed. Make the holes just large enough for the bolts or cords to pass through. If you mount the stereo on a console, like those found in Boston Whalers or most pontoon boats, you will need to drill two more holes, one on each side of the bottom of the console, for the speaker wires to pass through.
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2
Tie the stereo into your boat's power by attaching the power cord to the common power bus located in your console or under your dashboard. While your stereo has its own fuse, that fuse protects the stereo, not your boat's electrical system. Good practice suggests that you should attach an in-line fuse between the common bus and the power cord using electrical "twist" connectors.
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3
Connect the speaker wires to the stereo quick-connectors and feed them down through the hole in the console or dash.
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4
Lay out two of the cable raceways on your deck so each will go directly from the dash or center console, one to the port side of the boat and one to the starboard side of the boat. Then, lay out raceways on the deck along the sides. If this arrangement does not create a potential tripping hazard for people walking on deck, strip the covers from the adhesive on the bottom of the raceways and press them into place. Open the hinged top of the raceways, place the speaker wire inside, from the console to the end of the raceway. If you are not using adhesive-backed cable races, but are using inverted channels, pull the speaker wire from the console to the port side, cover it with the channel, then pull the wire toward the stern; stop where the speakers will be mounted and cover the wire with a channel. Repeat the process on the starboard side.
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5
Mount the speakers. Boat speakers are highly directional and in most cases, the best location to mount stereo speakers is about amidships. Attach the speaker wires to the speaker.
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Tips & Warnings
While most marine stereos will work if you mount them vertically, they generally work better if mounted horizontally. If you pass the power cord down through its hole in the console or dash, you only need a hole large enough for the cord, not the plug that attaches to the stereo. In most cases, box speakers will be more flexible than flush mount speakers simply because box speakers can be turned to accommodate the situation and flush mount speakers require a large hole to be cut in the boat. Do not cut the speaker wire too short; coil a few extra feet of wire, secure it with a wire tie and push the extra wire into the raceway or channel.
Cutting holes in a small boat's hull should be undertaken with trepidation, simply because you don't know what cables or wires you might cut. The use of box speakers is encouraged in all vessels of less than 20 feet in length.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Illustrations by the author
