Dennis, I am positive that reading Calder's book and understanding his message is going to result in a lot of time saved. In particular, understanding how batteries charge and discharge and why, how to size cables correctly and conservatively to avoid risk of an electrical fire (including bundling, temperature rating, voltage drop, understanding ampacity), how to protect the wires with fuses and breakers and why, how to avoid electrical interference with electronic equipment, and finally, the importance of good terminal connections so you can avoid corrosion and again have a safe boat.
I remember slumping down in my chair in mild frustration, going back to that book, and realizing I had all the info I needed all along, I just had to take the time to read it and understand it. Keep tweaking your design sketches as you go. Keep your credit card in your pocket until you're confident your sketch reflects what you really want and is safe and convenient and you have the components selected that best fit your needs.
As we discussed, Jeff Cote at Pacific Yacht Systems has fantastic youtube videos on boat electrical design and installation, including solar. Those videos really cemented some things from Calder.
One resource I have not yet mentioned yet is the "Marine How To" site, which has some of the best info I've been able to find on the construction/installation side of things - what makes a good crimp connector, what tools work the best, how to get a good crimp, etc. Especially this page:
https://marinehowto.com/marine-wire-termination/Finally, I recommend ordering the current Blue Sea Systems catalog. It was very helpful to have the whole catalog on hand rather than going to the website all the time. And as I mentioned to you in private, I've grown very fond of their Circuit Wizard phone app....but was only able to use it confidently after reading Calder.
I know Brian has talked about putting together a basic electrical schematic for folks, but we all use our boats so differently, and electrical is such a safety issue, that I think if we're going to wire the boat ourselves, we need an education.
You're doing awesome everywhere else, once you get on step with the electrical fundamentals your electrical system will be on par with everything else you've done!
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