What Is Marine Battery Wire?

[Greg Anixter]

Marine battery wire, and cable, like many different types of wire and cable, is specifically designed to perform a given function admirably despite the prevailing conditions. In the first place, a wire is a single conductor, often in copper, that transfers a current of electricity, whereas cable is made up of many small conductors that are woven, wrapped, or otherwise arranged together.

Marine battery wire, then, along with marine cables, is designed to carry a current from a boat’s battery to other locations on the boat. Marine wires, and cables such as these, all possess a number of qualities that make them well adapted for their use on a boat.

In the first place, marine battery wire and cable needs to be extremely tough and extremely durable while at the same time being as flexible as possible. While wire is a single conductor, typically marine battery cables are made of very fine strands of copper conductors woven together. The reason for this is that while a single thick conductor in the form of a wire is very tough, it is not very flexible and indeed is stressed too many times can even fail. Therefore, it is typically to find marine battery cable composed of a high number of very fine strands that give the cable a high degree of flexibility.

This additional flexibility is critical on board boats and ships because the wires and cables will be subjected to many instances of undue stretching, flexing and vibrations. In the first place, a motorboat presents a situation in which there will be constant vibration while the motor is live - and even a stationary, idle boat is going to experience some degree of constant fluid motion. Additionally, marine wires and cables need that flexibility to navigate the tight recesses within the structure of a boat, often making sharp turns around corners.

Flexibility is one measure of the toughness of marine battery wire or cable. The other thing that gives marine cables an uncommon degree of durability is the fact that typically, each conductor constructing the cable is individually tinned to afford it a higher degree of corrosion resistance. If boats are remarkable for the fact that they are in constant motion, they are even more remarkable for the fact that the marine environment is one of the most reactive, corrosive environments in the world. Exposed copper doesn’t stand a chance - tinning the strands helps to provide additional longevity to the cables.

Those are a few of the things that help to typify marine battery wire and cable and the factors surrounding them they require them. If you’re looking for marine battery wire or cable - or any other electrical wire or cable, get in touch with the aptly Electrical Wire & Cable Specialists at EWCSWire.com. Right on their website you can shop through their collection of marine cables and other specialty wires and cable and you can even use their live chat to help you resolve any questions you might have about their high quality, American made products. You can also reach out to them at 800-262-1598 or at [e-mail].