www.iFourWinns.com

Hello,
I purchased a 2000 248 Vista last fall and I am adding a windlass.
The boat has a rocker switch in the dash that is wired and I have found them in the rope locker and they have power when switched, I also found the two heavier wires #8s for powering the windlass in the rope locker, they have eyelets installed for connection

I assume they are not connected on the other end as they are just installed in the wiring harness so you can add a windlass without pulling wire.

The heavy wires have no power and I cant find the other end !!!!!!!!

Where do they come from, Is there a breaker? or are they bundled somewhere????
Typically where would they come from?

I have looked in the fuse box under the shifter, the engine compartment by the battery

Any help would be great

Thanks

I would look behind the radio, if I recall you can see the wires coming to breaker panel. no experience here just guessing.

_________________

2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

Well, my 2009 278 has a breaker for the windlass at the battery master switch, so it could be close to there.

Logic does not always prevail at FW though. My boat has a breaker at the master switch ( on the boat systems battery circuit) for the stereo. Fine. The amplifier is not connected to that breaker or the systems battery though, it's connected to the engine start battery ( via a 70A breaker in an open box just lying there, not screwed on to anything with the cable ends exposed, what's the sense of that?)

I would not bother finding the other end. You will find that those wires are not big enough for the load you are running. I put a windless in my 248 when we had it and pulled new wires right up the port side with no issues. I mounted my windless breaker under the step beside the trash can.

_________________
2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

Thanks for the responses

I will check to see if they pass through behind the radio and shore power AC panel in the galley.

I have a rotary battery switch in the rear of the boat I can check behind that panel also.

would the breaker be one of those small push button types?

I will look again this week and post my findings

KH

if its the same as a 268, they would be behind the battery switch panel. On the 268 we had there was the ship systems switch and a windlass switch. the windlass switch was blank on ours.

I agree with the other comments on 8 gauge being under size. I ran 2 gauge when I installed on the 268

Good Luck, this is one of those projects that is very rewarding when you can hit the button to pull the anchor when its rough. It save the admiral and I a few heated discussions.

_________________
Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

Why in gods name would you go to all that trouble?

I have the new state of the art power windlass. It's even voice controlled!


REBECCA, PULL THE DAMN ANCHOR UP!!!!

_________________
07 Azure AZ200,
Previous boat,
95 278 Vista,
And a lot of others.

Ontario, Canada

Today I checked all the mentioned areas with no luck

I even called the local Four Winns marine dealer and talked to a service tech and he was stumped after I told him all the places I checked and was suprised it was not by the battery switch.

I am going to try a tone generator and see if I can pick it up in one of the wire harneses

The winch I am using is the Powerwinch 36 it has a low amp draw and will work fine on the #6 wires

I will post my progress

Later

KH

KH, in looking up a Powerwinch 36, it looks like it is a horizontal unit. I just want to tell you my experience on using a horizontal windlass, I used a Lewmar H700. I had nothing but problems with it, the rhode would jam, and worse yet when it was rought or I was near other boats and trying to retrieve the anchor, the line would completely jump off the gypsy, needing to make a mad dash for the bow to correct it.

After one season I pulled it off and replaced it with a Lewmar V700, and did not have any issues with the above. Again not sure on the 248, but when the option was ordered on a 268 it was a maxwell vertical unit. I think the verticals look nicer too becuase most of it is hidden in the anhor locker.

Just a FYI. Good luck with the install whatever way you go.

_________________
Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

I had a V258 a 2007. The wires are NOT there. It makes some sense if you think about it. You are going to need #8 to #6 wire depending on how far/how much wire is needed. Were talking about 60 to 90 bills worth. It just adds to the cost of building the boat.

And yes, I would go with the V700 too. It just depends on the boats design.

I used the maxwell on my 248 when I installed it.
And the wires were there on my 248 but again as stated before not nearly big enough.
Good luck on the install

_________________
2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

I found the wires !!!!

I hooked up a Home depot wire tracer to the two wires in the locker and traced them through the cabin headliner and through the cabinet behind the shore power panel heading toward the battery switch.

I could pick up the signal through the padded upohlstry down the side of the boat to about 3ft shy of the battery switch just above the pocket for the camp cooler then it stopped .

I had to remove all the screws around the cooler tub and pull it out.......

The wires were zip tied in a bundle at the very top of the space all buried in the spray foam they seal the voids with. I had to chop the wires out of the foam and cut the zip ties.

They were long enough to drop down in the back corner of the hull behind the battery switch

Why the hell would they do this !!!!!!! the wires could have been bundled behind the switch.

I have installed the winch, finished all the wiring and installed foot switches on the deck.

I hope it will be trouble free after all the work

Thanks everyone for the helpful input.

Happy boating

KH

Glad you found them! Such large wires I had a hard time snaking them though the cabin.