New electrical panel..... A learning oportunity.

[mitiempo]

Terminal strip.

[Me-and-Boo]

Terminal strip prior to rewire.

[David M]

Since this is not your expertise then consult with a professional. There are plenty of ways of making mistakes. You don't have to have the professional do all the work, just have him take a look and let you know what needs to be done and have him help you along the way if you have any questions.

I also agree with getting a couple books on marine electrical systems so you can start learning the basics.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by David M

Since this is not your expertise then consult with a professional. There are plenty of ways of doing this wrong. You don't have to have the professional do all the work, just have him take a look and let you know what needs to be done and have him help you along the way if you have any questions.

We rewired our previous boat ourselves, but did what David suggests. Our good friend is also an electrical whiz. We had him design a new electrical system for our 34' ketch (1973 Grampian-34) based on our needs. You can see the proper schematic that he drew for us in the photo album here (www.elysian.ca -- the boat is now for sale ). With a design plot stuck to the bulkhead for constant consultation, we were able to do almost all the work ourselves.

It was a big job, but well worth it. By the end of it you will be a decent electrical handyman(woman).

I strongly second the comments about getting good equipment and good tools. Quality ratcheting crimpers, cutters and wire strippers cost more, but make the job a lot easier.

[Nomdaica]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

We rewired our previous boat ourselves, but did what David suggests. Our good friend is also an electrical whiz. We had him design a new electrical system for our 34' ketch (1973 Grampian-34) based on our needs. You can see the proper schematic that he drew for us in the photo album here (www.elysian.ca -- the boat is now for sale ). With a design plot stuck to the bulkhead for constant consultation, we were able to do almost all the work ourselves.

It was a big job, but well worth it. By the end of it you will be a decent electrical handyman(woman).

I strongly second the comments about getting good equipment and good tools. Quality ratcheting crimpers, cutters and wire strippers cost more, but make the job a lot easier.

Beautiful boat!!! I'll trade you an Alberg 30! Hehe.

[LauderBoy]

Boat wiring isn't rocket science. It's one of the things I like about living on a boat. It's all pretty simple and easy to do yourself.

Just invest in the proper tools(not the cheap stuff), use quality heat shrink connectors, don't wear jewelry when working with 12v, wear eye protection if you're dealing with the battery, always know the amp rating of the wire you're working with and put in place breakers/fuses as close as possible to the battery that are rated less than the wire so they blow first.

You'll be surprised how much bad wiring you'll run across in your boat. For some reason people love to save 50 cents by using those cheap Walmart plastic connectors or just some black tape. And that's on wiring that should have a 10-20 year lifespan on your boat.

This is what I yanked out when I was replacing the lights on my boat:


It wasn't any extra effort to clean it up with the new install:


The boat itself has great wiring in it. Just a lot of shoddy add on work.

[knottybuoyz]

Great Lakes Skipper is a good place to find a reasonably priced OEM overstock electrical panel.

Boat Parts - Electrical Supplies - Switch Panels

I second on the double ratcheting crimper and heat shrink connectors.

Nigel Calder and Charlie Wing have good books on basic 12v wiring, well worth the investment.