electrical failure in 1997 26x

[beachdoc]

I would appreciate any input from 26x sailors who have had to troubleshoot wiring aboard. My cabin lights and mast lights are inoperative but marine radio and pedestal outlet for GPS are fine. I removed all corrosion from battery connections, checked bulbs, and checked fuses in cabin panel. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
beachdoc

[Moe]

There's an inline fuse in the wire that goes from the battery positive terminal up to the light switch panel. It's pretty close to the battery in the seat just behind the galley. I suspect that's blown and the other things that are getting power don't go through it.

[argonaut]

Sorry to hear about that. My original setup ('97X) included a small cheesy fuse block at the battery, from which a single white zipcord ran forward along the port wall then across at the beam, then down the center forward to the switch/fuse panel between the forward windows. This panel is the source of a wire running to the mast light plug and another running to the interior lights, another feeds the running lights run. Cheesy is really inadequate to describe the wiring on this panel, all my negative leads were attached to a common ss "ground" screw&nut which was covered with electrical tape to prevent shorts. (??!!) Four screws let you drop the the panel out where you can test it. The supply wire pair from the battery can be identified, one side connects to a post that also daisy chains to all three fuses, which in turn each feed the three switches. Since the whole thing's not working I'd suspect that supply pair could be faulty or a ground wire loose or broken.

I considered replacing this panel but it's really handy when I'm bedded down to just reach up & switch off the cabin lights from the v-berth, also for turning off the anchor light in the morning.

[Craig LaForce]

Yup, should be an easy fix.
I would suggest replacing the inline fuse holder near the battery with one from radio shack that has a nice rubber cover and holds the mini blade type fuses.

Then check the wiring behind the switch panel. mine would get hot where the black plastic plug lower center screw cover is. A loose connection in back was making it get so hot it burnt my finger when I touched it. lucky I didn't have a fire.

Amazing that they used the wire from a 99 cent extension cord to wire the boat, routed it through the galley bilge, by just throwing it in there, and then pretty much built the boat around it so it is difficult or impossible to replace. I have tried running wire up past the hull joint, but at least on my boat, there is no gap there for a wire. Some people have been able to force a fish tape or soemthing up there to run a VHF cable, but not me.