Battery Switch and other accessories help...

[cabochris]

I have an older 16 Angler. It will have full electronics and I am also installing electric downriggers. I may put in 2 batteries, or work with 1 and keep a spare battery mounted in bow also for weight/balance purposes. In either case I want to install a battery switch. My main concern an electrical fire, so I want a quick battery disconnect. But on this small boat, where would be the best place to mount the switch? All the way back on the transom inside?

Also, I really do not want to directly link any accessories directly to the battery/ies. Doing so would bypass the switch? I want the switch to cut all power. So, could I install a positive and negative buss bars near and after the switch for accessories such as the inline fused downriggers and also the positive lead going to dash fuse panel? I really do not want to run all accessories to the front dash panel. Or is that the right way to do it?

Thanks for any help, Chris.

[AstoriaDave]

Cabo,

I just finished the wiring on a (non C-Dory) 20-ft inboard-powered boat, with a very simple battery layout. Blue Sea sells a line of battery isolators (switches) that would allow you to isolate the battery for changeout. In addition, these switches are configured to allow connection of two or three 3/8ths ring terminals on the output side of the switch. I set mine up with the big cable (#2) to the starter (etc.), and a smaller one running the other direction out the opposite side of the switch, through the wall of the battery box, and immediately to a 40A inline fuse (another Blue Sea product). It would be a simple wiring job to establish a supply (+) buss right there, and run whatever you need whereever you need it.

The requirement is that the fuse (or, breaker) be within 7 inches of cable of the battery terminal. This is easy to do.

Crimping large cables was the only hurdle for this; I was able to get Englund Marine to do it, once I had the cables and terminations ready. You can also buy a $70 unit that fits into a bench vise which will do the job. Any decent marine electric shop should have crimpers for big cable (#10 is as high as the hand crimpers go; I used #.

Links to what I used:

http://bluesea.com/category/1/productline/2 (switch; mine was p/n 6005, I think)

http://bluesea.com/category/5/21/productline/overview/127 (fuse block; lots of other choices -- this was the simplest and cheapest)