Let there be light!

I had a great trip for work to central FL thurs-fri and I got to visit again with Glen-L Monte Carlo builder John Amundson and see his project, Its HUGE, I think 26ft.

Back at home this weekend and I've been fearing the electrical system for some time. I just didnt know what I was doing and couldnt find the information I needed in books or online. My electrical system is plain simple but I am pretty ignorant when it comes to electrical buses and switches. So I started out making my battery box a tray to hold it between the bottom battens in the floor of the boat.

The tray will be attached to the battens and the box will be have straps to secure it to the tray. With this done I couldnt procrastinate the electrical system any longer.

I went to West Marine and the guys were super helpful. I told them what I was doing and what I already had and they helped me get everything else I needed. I came home and wired my battery + and - terminals to a DC sub-panel fuse block. http://bluesea.com/products/5025 Then I wired the - from my bow light to the - ground side of the fuse block. Next I wired the + wire from the light to the switch. This is where my lack of knowledge hit and I didnt know which of the 3 terminals on the switch the power wires went to. The switch didnt come with instructions either and I didnt want to fry anything expensive. Luckily, a couple emails to fellow builders taught me some kollege. Thanks to them my bow light now lights up and I can continue on with the rest of the electrical items. I actually really enjoy wiring now that I sorta know what I am doing.