Above the Waterline

Marine Outfitter

805 455 8444

Electrical Systems

1)   Fuse every wire.   ABYC code states that a wire has to be fused within 6 inches of its source of power, or 42 inches if it is enclosed in a protective sheath.   A source of power is defined as a battery, battery charger, and anywhere a wire changes to a smaller wire.    This is the most important thing to know about electrical systems on boats.

2)  Place your panels where they are needed.    Have one master panel that runs several smaller sub panels in other parts of the boats.    This eliminates alot of copper wire on a boat and places the panel in a closer location to the appliance it supplies electricity to.

3) Keep your electronics high and dry and away from sources of electromagnetic interference like speakers, motors and compressors which you will want to keep low.

4) Shrinkwrap every terminal in a bilge area.

5) Place batteries low and central on the boat.   Their weight can improve the handling characteristics of the boat.

6) Cover terminals with dielectric grease or vaseline after you have put the connection together.   Corrosion sprays migrate into the joint causing additional resistance. 

7)  Use lockwashers on every connection.  

8)  Do not use nylock nuts on electrical connections.   

9)  Turn electrical systems and electronics off when not in use.

10) Do not ground DC appliances that have continuity between negative and case ground.    This causes current to flow along the grounding wire.

11)  Do not use AC appliances that have continuity between neutral and ground.    This causes current to flow along the ground wire.

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Email James at       or telephone 805 455 8444

Above the Waterline, Ltd.,    6 Harbor Way # 226, Santa Barbara, CA, 93109, USA