Long Wire Runs and Voltage Drop

Question:

I am installing a Maxwell VW10-8 / 12V anchor windlass on a Hunter 35.5 sailboat.  It has a 1000W output and the circuit breaker required per manufacturer is 135A. The cable run will be 85 to 90 feet which is probably a little high but would rather over estimate then under.  The manufacturer instructions recommended for this model is 2/0 AWG for a 80’ -105’ cable run. Do you think this acceptable for the best performance? I think I figured the voltage drop correctly and this would put it around 6% drop. What recommendation do you have? - Keith

Answer:

Yep, you're going in the right direction. Based on your length of cable run for windlass, a wiring selection of 2/0 seems is a good choice. To further offset voltage drop, always remember to run your engine when using your windlass.