New Electrical Distribution Panel

[Russell]

The recommendations of using a piano hinge or something similar to make a fold down panel is very good. The previous owner of my boat did just that, piano hinge on the base of the panel, then made an oval hole in the top of the panel and used one of those turn tabs, like those you use on your dodger to deck connections, on the top. If I need to get in the panel I just flip that tab and it opens up.

One thing he didnt do though, which I highly recommend, if you have your AC power incorperated into the same panel, make sure its covered! So if you have the quick access setup your not opening the panel in an emergency and exposing yourself to 120v shock potential. A new blue sea panel probably already has some sort of built in cover for AC, but if it doesnt, add it. When I bought my boat I took a tupperware container and cut out slots for wires, and covered the AC section of the panel, just in case. When I do get around to replacing and relocating my panel though, my AC panel will be seperately mountined and all wiring isolated. AC power scares me (as it should everyone), especially now that my boat is setup to pump 240v AC.

[Mark Yashinsky]

Closed:
<a href="http://www.users.cloud9.net/~yashinsk/i ... .JPG"><img width="540" src="http://www.users.cloud9.net/~yashinsk/i ... 6.JPG"></a>

Opened:
<a href="http://www.users.cloud9.net/~yashinsk/i ... .JPG"><img width="540" src="http://www.users.cloud9.net/~yashinsk/i ... 3.JPG"></a>

[Mark Yashinsky]

Do you have a terminal strip mounted in the port cockpit locker, above the fuel tank? Second Chance has that and it allows one wire to run from a breaker, to the terminal strip, then muliple wires can run from (many bridged) terminals. When I redid S.C.'s panel and added some breakers, to better segregate functions,

The panel:
<a href="http://www.users.cloud9.net/~yashinsk/i ... .JPG"><img width="360" src="http://www.users.cloud9.net/~yashinsk/i ... 2.JPG"></a>

And completed:
<a href="http://www.users.cloud9.net/~yashinsk/i ... .JPG"><img width="360" src="http://www.users.cloud9.net/~yashinsk/i ... 2.JPG"></a>

Also rearranged breaker grouping, the top is Cabin Lights, so I can see what I am doing, when I com on board at night, the 12V Outlet has its own breaker (no inline fuse!!) and the same thing for the Stereo, and I even have a spare breaker. Notice the pilot light and volt meter is replaced w/ a column of color coded leds (right side) set up in a moving dot format. Even have the C27 logo at the bottom. Just have to plan it out.

[s.v. LaVida]

I put a bass panel in LaVida and am very pleased with the construction and performance.

Rit

www.bassproducts.com

[Warren Kaplan]

Do you have a terminal strip mounted in the port cockpit locker

Mark,

I'm pretty sure I don't because I don't remember seeing one. I've had my head in the port cockpit locker a million times and I know I would have seen it if one was there.

I LIKE what you did and I'm thinkin' I may do the exact same thing you did. We'll see what my schedule looks like this spring.

Thanks for the advice!

[Mark Yashinsky]

I bought the alumimun panel(s) precut (get a couple for when for when one screws up), and drilled the holes, painted, labeled, clearcoated myself. Did not change a lot electically, except for new breakers, and cleaned up any questional wiring.

[David Sabourin]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I did buy one that had 18 positions on the DC side and 6 on the AC side. I have my firdge on a separtate switch so I think I'll have plenty of breakers without doubling up on anything.
I had considered moving the panel to the nav station but it was way too much work for the result. I've had the boat for 18 years and never had any problem with the panel under the companionway.
I will be splicing onto the some of the original wiring since it will be too short for the hinge idea which is a great one. I will use the heat shrink+crimp butt connectors for that job. Most of the equipment I've added over the years has sufficient length since I anticipated doing this for a while now.

If anyone is interested in progress I will take some before and after shots and will send along if asked.

thanks again for the great chat and ideas,

David

[Bob Ohler]

Dave, keep us updated with progress reports and photos. Bob O.

[Tom Blanchard]

David, Last winter I installed a Blue Sea model 8684 panel in my CD 36. This model has 16 DC circuits and 6 AC plus the main switch. Most of the prewiring for fuses, etc was done at home in my shop. Because the teak plywood behind the old electrical panels was in poor shape, I made up a new panel and installed it on a stainless continuous hinge at the bottom for easier access to all wiring. This panel requires a 100 amp fuse on the DC side which can be mounted on the inside bulkhead. The fuses for the meters and back lighting can also be mounted behind the panel.
This model leaves only space for a manual/auto bilge pump switch, which must be on when everything else is off, so the main battery selector switch was relocated to the side of the cabinet. The Blue Sea panel looks and performs beautifully.

[Greg Kozlowski]

We rewired the boat during the refit and installed a new Paneltronics panel in the same location as the old CD panel.

Installed the panel on a hinged frame which can be opened at any time. Have had absolutely no problems with the panel or the amp meter. Note the EPIRB in bracket on left and the round LINK 10 on right.

[img]http://files.photojerk.com/Sherpa/stair ... _scale.jpg[/img]

[Wayne Grenier]

I rewired my cd 28 years ago-I tore out and threw away the 120 volt system that I never used and replaced all the wiring, fixtures, battery cables-battery switch and the panel-I used a place called Bass Electronics in Salem Ma-they have a catalolouge of different panel configurations-you get on the phone with an engineer and they go through it with you as to how many amps a breaker should be for various electronics-ie-radar-running lights etc.-I kept it simple, down to maybe 9 circuits as I do not have alot of gizmos on my boat (less to go wrong)-but there is no sense installing a new panel with the old wiring-my original wiring was horrible-there were no buss bars for the negative return wires-they wrapped them in a big ball-soldered them together and covered them in black electrical tape-the whole mess was located behind the panel-I wonder what would have happened if the tape fell off and the negative wires hit the back (hot) of the panel? thanks-