As much as I hate dealing with panels, fuses, wiring or anything that relates to current, I have to do better this off season. The last couple years even the simplest connections wouldn't work or didn't last long. Does anyone have any tips as far web sites, products maybe better techniques or anything relating to wiring that they would like to share?

greatly appreciated

Tony used tinned wire, and heatshrink tubing. I am going on 5 seasons with my rewire and no real problems so far. If you need help let me know.

Heat shrink tubing, solder all connections and dielectric grease like you are not paying for it. If you need a hand, I specialize in electronics and wiring, let me know

I have to do a complete rewire this season also, will be starting in March, its the worse thing i need to do and I suck at it big time also.

Good Luck to ya!!

do it right the first time. make sure everything is neat and organized. it gets out of control quick (don't take a look at the back of my entertainment center :) )

last year I switched from all in line fuses to a fuse box with the glass fuses. I was always worried about blowing one and not knowing where the f it was.

the specialist and gary have the rest covered. marine grade wire is important. More strands help with flexing.

i think it's kind of fun turning a rats nest into something nice to look at.

i think it's kind of fun turning a rats nest into something nice to look at.

Mine is nice to look at and still doesn't work like its supposed to. I'm embraced to say it but even running lights I sux at.
Do you guys use dielectric grease on the fuses themselves?

Don't get too hung up on "Marine Grade" wire or anything. Just make sure it is good quality and tinned. It is hard to beat the prices on wire and stuff at genuinedeals.com or something like that for wire. They do have "marine" wire.

When crimping on steak-ons I always squit some corrosion resistant paste in before crimping.

At my job the last few years we have been using this product ....Cortec ECO238 | VCI Cleaners (http://www.all-spec.com/products/Cortec/Cleaners_and_Aerosols%7CCleaning_Supplies%7CVCI-01/ECO238.html) have started using it on the boat too to spray the backside of electrical switch panels. This also comes in an emitting cup if you have an enclosed electrical space. This really helps with corrosion resistance over time.

If your renewing battery cables I would suggest the solder type lugs and shrinkwrap as opposed to big crimped lugs. Less corrosion issues over time.

Had my old boat completly repowered and wired. It's amazing what a good shop can do.

I am doing a lot of wiring myself this year. The one main problem I see when joe-sixpack re-wires his boat is he uses the WRONG type of wire. Make 100% sure you use TINNED copper wire made for marine applications on everything...even your boat stereo! And as mentioned above invest in a lot of top quality ***marine*** connectors (which are also tin plated copper) that have heat shrink tubing. Those cheap connectors with exposed copper wire will crap out in no time...almost as soon as they get damp they corrode. The problem with corrosion with those copper wires/connectors is they increase resistance alot and cause a lot of problems. Just bite the bullet and get the right wire and connectors. Never use wire you bought at the hardware store even though it is the right gauge. Get the right stuff. If you do it right it will really last and be trouble free for a loooong time, cheap out and you will not get thru the season. Trust me on this one!

You always can tell when a pro does it...he has done the subtle things, proper drip loops, super neat, never cuts corners using cheap materials. It costs you but IMO it is worth it to have it done right. (The last thing you want is to have everything burn out in the middle of the night, esp in a bad spot, and you turn on you flashlight and enter a bird's nest of confused wires, it takes time to do it right or you have to pay someone who knows what he is really doing)

Also there are a couple good books on re-wring:

1) Boatowner's illustrated electrical handbook by Charlie Wing is a good easy to understand book on everything marine electrical AC/DC/battery details alternators corrosion control...etc, Lots of pictures and tables.

2) The Marine Electrical electronics bible by John Payne is also good but it is more like a text book but it covers a lot of topics in depth.

Thanks for the input guys, I feel a lot more confident.

My advice would be to read a good book about it before you start. I did my whole boat last year. Before I did it, every electronic device had it's own switch in random places around the boat. I bought a switch panel with a built in fuse box and learned the hard way that if the switch panel is going to be exposed to any of the elements, then save time and money and buy a completely sealed and waterproof panel.

If you are using the male-female connectors to connect your electronics to a switch panel or breakers, then I have another good little tip. Instead of wiring your connector directly on to the main wire, take a 6" or so piece of wire and attach that to the connector. Then connect this to the main wire using a heat shrink connector. This way, since the main wire isn't exposed to the elements, it should last significantly longer. If the connector and the small piece of wire start to corrode, then just snip them off and attach a new one. The key thing to remember is that any connectors that are exposed will be exposed to the salt and that any moisture will wick down the wire. By using a small piece of wire as a bridge between the main wire and the panel, you are never changing the length of the main wire and you can just snip the old bridge off and add another without any real problems. Plus, if you replace the bridges every year, the integrity of you main wire should stay in tact a lot longer than if you connect directly to the panel, which allows water to wick down the main wire.

I also use that liquid electrical tape liberally on every connection.

Do you guys use dielectric grease on the fuses themselves?

You can, but i usually use a product like OxGard for fuses, crimps and other attachments. Like dielectric grease, it protects against corrosion. Unlike dielectric grease, it conducts electricity.

I reserve dielectric grease for things like electronic connectors where the pins are close.

Heat shrink tubing, solder all connections and dielectric grease like you are not paying for it. If you need a hand, I specialize in electronics and wiring, let me know

I'll chime in here, Gary does great work, immaculate wiring and it is done right the first time.

tony, give me a call on my cell. more than willing to hook you up.