If the outboard has a starter or alternator or any other electronics, it
will probably be connected from DC ground to the water. Or if not, maybe
plan for it if you (or the next owner) ever change outboards to one with
wiring someday.

Dave


"gaffcat" wrote in message
m...
I am building a wood 40' sailing catamaran. The mechanical propulsion
will be an outboard. I have read a lot about boat wiring and they all
talk about having a ground connection on the engine block thereby
making a connection to ground through the propeller shaft etc. With an
outboard I will not have a permanant connection to the water ground so
do I need a separate ground connection to somekind of conductive
wetted surface? I have been designing the boat to not have any
underwater metal pieces, do I need one? ABYC and USCG regs talk about
ungrounded systems but not the pros and cons or implications.

fritz