A boat's electrical system starts and ends with the battery, and most electrical faults come down to a flat or failing battery or a bad connection somewhere along the way. Start with the battery, then check the connections. The other topics cover wiring a boat and installing electrical gear, from dual batteries and solar panels on a small runabout to the house power, lights and bilge pumps on a bigger boat.
PHOTO Dangar Marine Boat Guide
There is a problem with the boat's battery
Open ›The boat's electrical system starts and ends with the battery. It is important to check that the battery is fully charged and in good health before starting to diagnose any electrical problems.
A bad electrical connection is causing high resistance
Open ›Bad electrical connections can cause many different problems. A broken or disconnected wire will stop electricity flowing completely, but it is also possible to have a bad connection that causes high resistance.
Rewiring a small boat from the battery up
Open ›Running fused cable to bus bars under the dash, then wiring everything to them, on my runabout, the Green Machine.
Charging, battery banks and 240V power
Open ›A bigger boat needs a house battery bank, not just a starting battery, to run the fridge and lights. I show how I kept mine charged from the alternator, shore power or a generator.
Wiring a steel trawler
Open ›Renko, my steel trawler, runs on both 12 and 24 volt systems. I show how its three battery banks charge from solar, run switched power to the wheelhouse fuse panels and fit a wireless phone charger.
Lights and bilge pumps
Open ›The boat's lights and bilge pump wire to the switch panel, but each has its own rules: navigation lights must shine through set angles, and the pump must run automatically without flattening the battery.
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