I used to think there was something like a standard color code, but then I learned that trailers were different. Then I bought stuff from Amazon (no instructions) and learned that the UK, Europe (IEC) and China also have unique codes, and they are different.
So now I can figure out my Chinese stuff. My boat, on the other hand, has parts from Asia, Europe, and the US, and there is no color code I can derive. So I stick with black and red and label the ends where they are not obvious.
(BTW, the reason ABYC does not use Black for the 12 V negative is to avoid confusion with the 120 V hot. My boat doesn't have a 120 V system, so I'm not worried. The IEC also specifies a different color for the high voltage neutral (blue).
Drew, first thanks for your excellent work and publications. Regarding your blurb about wiring I think you mean 120v L1 "hot", not negative since it is AC. But since we're on colors on boats are there standard or de facto colors for the running rigging lines?
ReplyDelete^^ Thanks, good catch. I noticed the error in the mag article but forgot to correct this post.
ReplyDeleteI am working on an article for rope color codes, but the short answer is not really. Seldon and Jimmy Green suggest one scheme, but it has problems:
* The ropes they identify tend to be the most obvious, like the mainsheet or jib sheet. The control lines that are easier to forget have no standard color.
* The suggested colors may be available in the most common cruising Dacron, but not in high tech rope and the chandlery won't stock all the colors in every size. Obviously.
The reef colors make sense. Green for 1st, yellow for second, red for 3rd. But other than that labeling the clutches makes a lot more sense to me. Of course, you can't buy all the labels you need, but printing them on vinyl paper and covering with Mylar sail repair tape works very well.