Rewiring Question - Breakers and Fuses

[RobMinton]

Currently rewiring our old '82 Hans Christian 33. Its evident that previous owners have all managed to "contribute" to its current state. So I've installed Blue Sea's 8084 AC/DC distribution panel. The problem is I only have 15 DC breakers but need 17 DC circuits. Would it be advisable to combine (for example) the tricolor mast head light and the anchor light on one breaker? ..switching them separately with an additional switch panel with fuses?

In short - Can I combine any two/three branch circuits on one breaker given the circuits don't exceed the breaker's 15 amp rating?

Thanks in advance...

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by RobMinton

In short - Can I combine any two/three branch circuits on one breaker given the circuits don't exceed the breaker's 15 amp rating?

Thanks in advance...

You are correct.

[toddster8]

...and the smallest wires in the circuit match the breaker.

You can also use sub-panels, which can really simplify the wiring. E.g. all the gadgets at the nav station could go to a fuse block inside the nav station that is in turn fed from a single breaker in the panel. That way one breaker/switch brings the whole station to life. (As long as said gadgets have their own switches so that you can turn one off if not needed.) All of my LED cabin lighting goes to a switched terminal strip in each zone, and those switches all lead to a common bus that is fed from a breaker. My cockpit instruments (sea talk bus) actually require a sub-panel because the autopilot has different fusing requirements from the instruments. So one might as well hang a power point and some lazarette lighting on it too, without extra cables running back to the panel.