A key component of a sea-going vessel is the switch panel, where all electrical and electronic systems are brought together for easy management. Just like the circuit breaker panel mounted on the wall outside your house, your vessel’s switch panel is the first place you check when the cabin lights, running lights, chartplotter, depth sounder or other system fails to function right at that critical moment when you depend most on that fixture.
In a marine environment, even inside the cozy surroundings of the cabin, the ever-present humidity, or even worse, salty humidity, gradually causes wire connections and switch contacts to corrode, ultimately resulting in failure. So it’s in our best interests as mariners to select and install the very best quality of switch panels and wiring to ensure the longest possible service life.
Installing one or more new, high-quality electrical panels, plus a handful of extra replacement switches, will alleviate the headache and cluttered appearance of a bulkhead covered with improvised switch mounts and strands of wire balled together like a bird’s nest. Old, messy, corroded wiring and switch panel installations are not only unsightly, but they’re also potentially dangerous, as short circuits without proper protection can cause a fire. When we’re tracing a wire connection, we want to see a neatly bundled wire harness leading to clean, shiny, soldered or mechanical connections at both ends of each wire.
With the multitude of marine electrical manufacturers and panel styles available on the market, you should have no trouble picking out an AC or DC panel unit, with fuses or circuit breakers, well suited to your boat. The most basic electrical systems, such as those mounted in small coastal boats with rudimentary cabins and limited living space, may require only a tiny panel, while larger vessels with sophisticated navigation systems and below-deck amenities need larger, more sophisticated circuit breaker arrays for proper electrical management.
Paneltronics of Hialeah Gardens, Florida, produces a wide range of panels, from their humble, waterproof, six-position DC toggle and rocker switch panels to a 12-position panel with LED charge meter. Paneltronics also produces a lot of custom designs fitted to the specific space allowance and onboard electrical grid requirements of a given vessel.
With prices ranging from under $100 for a panel with six rubber-booted toggle switches and amber LED indicator lights to a large, custom panel with over two dozen switches and two or more charge meters, Paneltronics can accommodate virtually any onboard electrical system with a high-quality panel or multiple-panel array.
Blue Sea Systems, a name familiar to many coastal and offshore sailors, has a vast selection of 110V AC and 12V/24V DC panels covering a wide range of sizes, from a small-boat, six-position device selling for around $200 to their large, 36-position Blue Sea 8382 DC Panel.
Among the larger AC panels available from Blue Sea Systems is a 24-gang circuit panel with a maximum panel limit of 24 amps, which is a large amount of electricity comparable to that of a home on land. This is the type of installation we find on large, ocean-going yachts with an extensive navigation array, entertainment center, air conditioning and refrigeration.
Xantrex produces a broad assortment of electrical panels and controls, starting with their Freedom X/XC remote charge indicator panel, which uses a blue graphic display to indicate battery charge, plus load as measured in watts and three battery indicator lights. The unit is available for roughly $80 and offers peace of mind when we need a quick read on battery charge.
At the upper end of their product line, Xantrex also designs and produces large, custom AC/DC panels for luxury yacht builders. Large arrays come with one or more Xantrex Gateway touchscreen panels, which are customized to meet the demands of large luxury yachts.
Yet another brand name familiar to us sailors is Sea Dog, which specializes in panels for small boats. Their six-gang breaker-rocker switch panels come in several styles, from an LED-illuminated panel with power socket to an unlit version with a silicone rubber splash cover.
Each of Sea Dog’s toggle and rocker panels comes with a push-button fuse holder on the front of the panel, allowing for quick and easy access. At under $40 for a product well known to many coastal and offshore sailors, it’s hard to imagine a better buy for a small boat.
For those of you seeking a genuinely custom switch array on your floating palace, take a look at the selection of electrical panels from AC/DC Marine in Carson, CA. The company produces a long list of customizable gauges, engine panels and charging systems, giving you a choice of either traditional analog dials and switches or touch-screen digital displays.
While a set of AC/DC Marine gauges starts at $450, their NMEA 2000 touch-screen, multicolor display, including vessel speedometer, tachometer, depth sounder and compass with heading, costs just over $600, a lot of value for a modest investment. AC/DC Marine is a family-owned company offering versatile solutions for electrical management for any size or type of yacht.
After you have selected a high-quality electric panel for your boat, you should also invest in a set of tools and wire connectors for future installations of electrical devices. Make sure you have a good-quality wire stripper tool, which will also serve as a crimping device for connecting wires and connectors. Harbor Freight offers a good-quality wire stripper/crimper tool for under 10 bucks, a hard deal to beat when you think of all the wiring work you can accomplish with that one simple tool.
If you are looking for a professional tool, consider a Haisstronica wire stripper and crimper, a device much more heavily built with thicker grips for easier handling. The price? Thirty bucks, which even a starving boat writer can afford.
The list of high-quality instrument panels and associated tools for sailing craft continues to evolve into better, more dependable devices meeting the demands of every type of vessel and skipper. Identify your vessel’s instrument needs and enjoy safer sailing voyages with high-quality equipment and affordable prices.
