you just never know till you check

[bluwateronly]

Hello, just waiting for parts for my sea panther and decided to go down the list, it's long. Well, I needed new switches at the helm for running lights,ect. I got some great switches and went to put them in and found out the excisting setup was wired direct to bus bars that were wired to selector switch yep, no fuses or breakers. If I had one short in any of the lights it could have brought down all my electronics or started a fire Yes, I went to west marine and bought a blue sea fuse panel with cover and installed it on Sunday) Wow, I'm glad I caught this before I went out again. This looked like it was done at factory but I still find it hard to believe. The boat is 76 Bombay Clipper31.

[AllThumbs]

Perhaps they used one main fuse by the battery to protect the whole issue?

[Omatako]

Perhaps in 1976 fuses hadn't been invented yet

[bluwateronly]

If they did it's gone now. I am sure that some kind of fuse or breaker was used I just can't believe that it would have been done that way at the factory. The boat has alot of PO wiring issues and I'm sure he had something to do with it Oh, I have the wiring diagram I will check it tonight. Duh, should have checked that first. But, it's done right now I have a seperate fuse for each device and the box is in a place I can get to also. I also finished up the installation on the VHS and wired it direct to house battery with an inline fuse the radio worked great got a radio check from 20 miles away so I think it's working great. PS, don't do a radio check with the coast guard, I got scoulded and my ass still hurts

[bluwateronly]

Ha ha, I guess my age is showing cus I don't think 1976 was that long ago but in the boat world it sure seems it is.

[sander06]

I was in grad school in 1976. Yep, showing our age.

That was a hoot concerning your doing a "radio-check" with the Coast Guard. I think you should have known better, but live and learn. Still laughing.

The original factory AC wiring on our 1982 boat was regular old solid core household wire. Not even close to code. I had to replace the works with braided wire, a real PITA!!! You're dead-on when it comes to never knowing what you'll find, especially with the infamous PO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sailingdog]

The problem with this is that the one fuse has to be sized to handle all of the loads...and if you have some of them off, it may allow a short to continue long enough to start a fire... You really need to have individual fuses for circuits that are SIZED to the load on the circuit.

Originally Posted by AllThumbs

Perhaps they used one main fuse by the battery to protect the whole issue?

[bluwateronly]

Hello Sailingdog, are you talking about the fuse box I put in because, each device does have it's own fuse now and I can put the correct amp fuse for each device. I used all marine wire and switches and fuse box so I think it's done right. I guess I better check my ac wiring as well. I know I don't have a GFI outlet so I know that has to be done cross my fingers that I don't have to replace all ac wiring as well, that looks like quite a job. If I don't get the parts for the motor soon I will probley have rebuilt this boat in the mean time

[bluwateronly]

oops, sorry Sailingdog did not read what you were replying to.

[sailingdog]

LOL... GRR... WOOF...

Originally Posted by bluwateronly

oops, sorry Sailingdog did not read what you were replying to.

What I did on my boat is to wire the DC breakers to either fuse panels or fused switch panels that lead to the individual devices. The breakers are large enough to cover the load of all the items on the breaker, but each individual circuit is protected by a fuse of the proper size.

For instance, my electronics breaker goes to a six-position switch panel like this one:



Currently, the panel has the GPS, VHF, Autopilot and Instruments on it... but I do have two free positions for future expansion.

Makes trouble shooting the system a lot simpler too.