Finished the cabin electrical wiring finally. Deleted the cabin wiring diagrams above, replacing them with the diagram below, that now includes wiring for running/anchor lights through a double-pole double-throw (DPDT) switch. Also deleted a photo that came in sideways. I'll take some pictures of the finished installation in the next few days.
Here are my thoughts on the electrical system from what I have, in some cases painfully, learned:
1. Every single current-carrying wire should have circuit protection, period. Battery-mounted fuses make this easy to do these days, ABYC exceptions for main battery cables be damned. Be sure the circuit protection is appropriate for the smallest wire in that circuit. Know how to use ampacity and voltage loss tables when sizing wires, and be conservative (size wires up when in doubt).
2. Do your wire and equipment layout/design first before running out to buy equipment, wire, etc. Understand how things are going to be wired. There's a lot of time to be saved, and safety to be gained, by doing your layout ahead of time. I posted my diagrams for a starting point/inspiration.
3. Understand batteries - the different types, how to size them, how they like to be charged. Read Nigel Calder's book and understand it. Another huge time saver. Note that AGM batteries being charged directly from an outboard is not ideal and will likely result in reduced battery life.
4. Be sure to bond any aluminum fuel tanks and tank fill fittings to your common neutral bus.
5. Windshield wiper installation is a complex and shockingly expensive sub-project. I highly recommend the Roca W12 wiper motors over any of the junk from AFI, Marinco, etc. The Roca motors are quiet, and feature super nice infinitely adjustable sweep that is simple to set up, maximizing the sweep area on your window. I tried to avoid the synchronized controls in favor of the Cole-Hersey knob-type controls, but regret this. Get the synchronized controller with its switch, which I may ultimately end up doing. Having 3 wipers out of sync can drive you bonkers, and my attempt to get the outside wipers in sync manually failed - now the outside wipers really only function on interval, which should get me by for awhile. Get the control!
6. For most common anchor/all around top lights and side running lights, you'll need a DPDT switch that allows the forward-facing top light to turn on when you want running lights OR you want anchor light.
7. In general, the best sequence of work is to mount ALL of your electrical equipment, roughly run ALL of your wires a little long (all of them labeled at both ends), locate wire anchors (typically zip ties with anchor-blocks) then either start terminations on the field wiring and work toward the central panel, or vise-versa.
8. Have a way to label the wires worked out. I ended up with the Brady labeling machine that prints on heat shrink and love that solution. You can also use a cheap $25 label maker and use non-adhesive low-temp clear heat shrink to cover the labels. I could not find the appropriate clear heat shrink locally.
That's enough for now.
Moving on to the electronics installation now.....more opportunities to drill holes in the boat!
