Missing switch on the lower station

[pschauss]

On the control panel of my lower station there are positions for eight switches. The one on the lower right hand side is missing. just an empty hole. Any idea what was supposed to be there ?

[SteveM]

I'm curious what someone will post....mine is missing as well.

[Bruce]

Many of the older boat switches that get removed, bertram also, is the one that was for battery parallel.

[pschauss]

On my boat the battery parallel switch is a toggle switch on top of the instrument panel.

[Pete Fallon]

Pschuass,
I didn't have a lower station 1961 Express,s but most of the 31's that I surveyed (over 40 ) had eight switches on the fly bridge and lower stations with metal tags that were embossed They were Cole Hersey push pull switches the top ones (2) were Ignition switches, (1)Anchor light switch on the port side, (1) Navigation light switch on the starboard, (1) Two Blowers on the same switch on the port side, (1) Forward bilge pump on the starboard side (1) Windshield wiper both off the same switch and (1)Instrument panel lights- . They might not all be in that exact order but that is what I had and they were not changed in 54 years. I had the boat for 37 years and completely rewired the boat with Anchor Marine cable and removed all the old Bertram stripped color coded single stranded wire. I hope this answers your question

Pete Fallon

[pschauss]

Pete,

Thanks. Apparently one of my boat’s previous owners moved that switch to a spot near the electrical distribution panel.

[Pete Fallon]

pschauss,
The original early 31's had an Attwood bilge pump under the cabin sole forward section, it was a 1200 gph pump with a built in float switch that was wired to the switch on the instrument panel with a leg going directly to the battery. I was fishing one day when I smelled wiring burning. I was the hot wire going directly to the battery , if I wasn't on board the boat would have gone up in smoke. That hot wire charred the wooden support for both cabin sole hatches and started to char the bulkhead under the door. Come to find out the float switch was hung up and kept the pump running for who knows how long. Needless to say that pump went into he trash and a new Johnson 2200 gph pump was installed.
If your redoing the wiring on your boat please redo the 110 supply and the heavy black 3 conductor wire that feeds the outlets throughout the boat. when you replace the old wire you will find that the insulation on the inside is all dried out. Replace with 10/3 marine grade boat cable rated for 600 degree temp.
Pete