Is ok or not ok to run a ground from the neg. post on the battery straight to a brace or the transom of the boat. Then just ground my accessories straight to the boat? I’m trying to keep from running so many wires up and down the boat. Any suggestions or thoughts would be great.

No, No, No. Go to academy and get something like this. The ones at Academy are single and you can screw it to the transom and it will be isolated from the boat

You can ground your battery to your boat, BUT electrolysis will eventually break down any weak spots in the boat which you will the have to deal with


Run the extra wires!!

Thanks Yall.... This site is so helpful!

Isn't the battery already grounded to the hull through the motor? I know my negative battery cable just runs straight to a bolt on the engine block and the motor is bolted to the hull.

Electrolysis

The only time power is flowing to that ground is when you turn your key to start the motor. Electricity only passes from the hot starter wire, through the starter, through the block, and back to the ground. Electricity is going to take the shortest, easiest route and that's why it doesn't pass through your hull.

Why would you want to run it through your hull? It's not that hard to run 1 more wire.

x2 on what taxes said. Take and run a single wire from the battery to a ground buss bar, then u may run another wire from this buss to another buss in the front of the boat and they make them with mutiple terminal screws.

I agree with all that. I've had a small electrolysis issue and installed cutoff switches on both my batteries.

BUT, that still doesn't explain that it seems like the hull is always grounded by the negative battery cable going to the block, which is bolted to the hull (regardless of key switch position). Are y'all saying you just want to make sure the negative leg always has an easier route to travel (dedicated negative wire) instead of running through your hull?

May I ask wat the he'll you grounding like that?? And why you wana go back to da battery just cut and splice it's easy

Yes. You want an easier route. Besides, you've seen what happens when you don't run a dedicated ground leg. You don't have to take our advice if you don't want to.

motor is grounded to the transom, but I tried using the boat for groung before I figured out what was wrong, ate about 40 holes from a pinhead to dime size in my transom. lot of resistance from the motor back to the boat too, also has an anode on the foot too. isolate the ground

the motor is grounded to the boat but battery is not directly grounded to the boat. when the silinod is open you wont be passing current.

you will if the motor is charging the battery , but you have a full size ground wire to direct the current. and an anode to keep it from eating away at your boat and motor. you cant stop your boat from being grounded, but you can stop it from being your conductor of ground.

X3. I stand corrected. Overlooked that part.

the motor is grounded to the boat but battery is not directly grounded to the boat. when the silinod is open you wont be passing current.

let me finish what i ment:

if the battery were grounded through the hull it would pass current all the time.

correct also. but the ground back through to the transom is a high resistance connection. lots of moving grease coated parts. but the ground cable is a good path back, thats why the current travels through it better. its not the only path, simply a better path. and without the ground wire, you would have some serious electrolisis problems and your starter may not even turn. with just the transom connection.not trying to sound like a know it all, just do a lot of work and troubleshooting on boats. I wire big boats with dual battery systems, and have run into about everything.