Hi Kevin,

I have a 1978 30′ Tollycraft sedan. My question is in regards to bonding.

My boat has a fiberglass hull, twin gas motors, two stainless steel fuel tanks, twin direct shaft drive, twin rudders, battery charger, isolator, four batteries with two boat battery switches, electronics (VHF, GPS, Fish/Depthfinder), 120 volt fridge, 120 volt water heater, 12 volt lighting.

When working on the boat, I noticed a lot of the marine wiring that appears to be old bonding wires is old and has either bad connections or has completely broken away from the parts it was connected to.

The boat was recently hauled out and new zincs and a new grounding plate were installed. What is the best method for bonding (wire size, methods for attaching, one main bond wire that others are connected to, or each individually bonded, etc.)?

I’ve seen various articles on bonding but remain not completely clear on the correct way to bond the boat and make sure all grounding has been done correctly.

Please explain.

Thanks,

Chuck

Hi Craig,

Here are the current ABYC standards for marine electrical systems. Please check out Page 31 and 32 which spell out how to bond your system.

Once you’ve checked the specs, please let me if you have any other questions.

Kevin

Kevin,

If I add an Easy Add AC Shore Power System to my Catalina 250 boat wiring, is it all right to keep the Guest 2620 battery charger plugged in when the shore power is on?

Most installations that I have seen, have a separate circuit breaker for battery charging. Is this separate breaker really needed? I am also upgrading my marine electrical system to include two batteries. I would like to use a VSR based Smart Battery Switch system. Do you have a boat wiring diagram that shows both this setup and an AC charging using the Guest charger?

Thanks,

Greg

Hi Greg,

There are no issues with leaving the Guest 2620 plugged in the entire time the shore power is on.

With the complete shore power system from our partners at EzAcDc, you can either use one of the hidden outlets on the rear of the panel or one of your remote outlets to plug your 2620 directly into.

This drawing shows how to connect a dual output charger with a VSR system. The grounds of the battery charger are connect to the ground bus and the positives are connected to the battery side of the battery switch. The batteries will charge regardless of the battery switch position.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I own a 1996 Bayliner 2855. The boat is configured to enter and exit from the starboard side, but the shore power inlet is on the port side which requires some dexterity to plug it in.

I plan to install a new inlet on the starboard side and for simplicity’s sake the best access is just ahead of the radar arch which I can reach via the engine compartment, run the wire through there and around to my existing panel which is in the sink cabinet on the port side.

I have three questions about this boat wiring project.

1. Is this acceptable as it looks like a nightmare to go under the floor boards etc.
2. I understand I need a separate breaker if the run is more than 10 feet, which it will be. Can the breaker be anywhere along that run (preferably not in the engine compartment I assume)
3. Can I just deaden the ends of the existing power wire and connect the new ones to the main panel. I’m sure there are a lot of folks out there that would be interested in this.

Best regards

Joel

Ps. Excellent website

Hi Joel,

Marine electrical standards say that the breaker needs to be in the first 10′ of wire after the shore power inlet. If you select an ignition protected circuit breaker, it can be in the engine compartment.

Use good judgement when you are running your wire near areas that could chafe. 30 amp service at 110 volt has the ability to create a ton of heat (about 3,300 watts). Secure the wire at least every 18″.
I would disconnect the old wires from each end of the circuit (at the panel and the inlet) to prevent an accident if the old inlet is connected to shore power.

Thank you for the compliment about the site. I’m glad that we are able to help.

Kevin