Kevin

I own a 20’ aluminum Northriver Seahawk with a Yamaha F-150 and have discovered that there is a direct connection between the DC ground and the aluminum hull.

Is this OK? The battery stays up all year.

I am a fisherman so I worry about marine electrical issues keeping the fish away from my boat. I use braided line on my downriggers now just to help avoid some of those issues.

Any help from you would be appreciated.

Thanks

Ken

Ken,

A DC ground connection between your engine and your hull is almost impossible to avoid. Your negative battery cable is connected to the metal on your engine. The engine is bolted to the hull.

You want to avoid using the hull as your ground circuit. Always wire DC systems on your boat using two wires. One for positive wire and one for negative wire.

Kevin