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I have installed tinned copper wire on some circuits already but now is my time for a plywood mahogany console install and finish the rest of the circuits with tinned copper. Not sure about a battery monitor and solar yet because I only have one house battery - 80 amp glass mat gel. That supply all circuits separately from my motor with is on a separate battery not linked with a battery switch . My thought on this I had read I did not want to forget to switch back and forth from two batteries and possibly run one or both down . My plan is to purchase a new custom switch board from new wire marine. I don’t have or plan to have a fridge because my yeti keeps ice for 4 days in the summer so I am good there and I have a Honda generator if I ready need power. It’s just camping.

Hi GoTo!

Looks like a plan

When we did our DC system modifications we found that our previous owner had already made some improvements over the original factory wiring which was appreciated. We then took it from there and made substantial modifications to get to where we now have a system we can feel safe and confident in on our extended trips.

If you haven’t already done so….Please don’t forget to place a battery primary fuse or circuit breaker in your new system as well as a battery isolation switch so you can turn off each battery (you mentioned that the batteries are separated for engine and house use).

While it hasn’t happened to me directly I have seen improperly designed equipment where the battery primary cable has shorted and there was no circuit protection or isolation capability that resulted in SUBSTANTIAL damage and loss.

There are nice terminal post fuses available from a variety of sources.
Circuit breakers can be mounted as well so you’re not having to hunt for a replacement after an event.
A battery isolation switch is always a good idea to quickly shutdown the electrical supply for a variety of circumstances. ( Last thing you want anyone attempting when dealing with a short circuit is decoupling a battery with a wrench at the terminals….. )

When doing your shore power mod it would be a good idea to incorporate a galvanic isolator into your system. Boats in the water, especially at a marina, all share a common electrical ground. This ground can allow for galvanic corrosion of metallic components (like your engine or engine mount) on your vessel that are in the water to become the sacrificial anode for any other vessel in the marina who hasn’t kept up with replacing their own anodes…
Here’s an article that explains it from BoatUS:
https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/ex ... -mysteries

Best Regards
Over Easy

GoTro, I did a similar electrical update last year. We modify our boats to align with the lifestyle we want to enjoy - recommend living in the boat "on paper" for a few weeks before cutting holes and pulling wire. My second electrical update was last year and think I finally got it right (for me). I gunkhole in remote areas and had a Yeti 50 (great cooler) but life revolved around getting ice every 3~4 days plus in the 'under helm seat' location I was stern heavy. I switched to a Genset (2000Watt) for a year, but the noise at anchor was offensive to me and my neighbors. Updated to an Engel MT35, 175W solar panel, and EPEver 30amp charge controller with MT50 remote display. For my desired lifestyle it works great. Also originally had a BlueSea Auto Switching Relay but if batteries were not similar age and type it would boil the lesser battery. Now have independent: Engine (Grp24 wet cell) and House (Grp31 AGM) that do not comingle amperage. I do carry a set of 6Gage jumper cables if I need to jump in emergency.

My breaker panel is a BlueSea 8081 ((5) breaker with meters) which is a quality panel but a waste of $ for me because the EPEver MT50 displays the same info as meters. Also, the shunt is 50amp so the amp meter has poor resolution. I also should tell you that I boondock in my F250 truck and utilize the Engel cooler (mounted in truck console) and solar panel (mounted to luggage rack) which helped me to justify the cost of these items. Celebrate life, Closehaul

Re closehaul just looked at that cooler online very impressive
I will study this and my options because I am totally redoing my electrical system, would like to do it right the first time around. Did I read you only have one house battery and one for your motor . some here have two house batteries. If I do purchase the cooler I want a strong system to support all the loads . Would that cooler fit under my starboard rear seat were the stock ice chest is? Also if some of you could post some pictures of your electric system.

GoTro, Yes- only (1) Grp31 AGM battery for house. It is mounted under V-berth on starboard side to balance weight. I consume ~30 amp-hr/day with refrig, anchor lt, chartplotter, depth sounder, stereo, lights, etc. I do not have a large inverter and do not use microwave unless plugged into shore power. The 105 amp-hr Grp31 battery would not handle a microwave. Recommendations are to not draw down more than 50% of a deep cycle battery's capacity for best life of battery so the 105amp-hr is well within my demands. The Grp31 is also used in my farm tractor (downsized from a 4D), so I did not need to buy a new battery. Keep it as light as you can because every 100lbs of payload costs 1 MPH speed at WOT with 50HP outboard.

The Engel MT35 is a sweet refrig and fits under the aft dinette seat with some modification. Attached link shows an installation of a sistership. https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/78601 I am in Florida and unable to take pics of my 26X installation (it was easy and can explain if you want). Engel MT35 has less weight and more food capacity than my Yeti 50qt after you consider the 20# of ice. Plus, no bacon and bananas bobbing in bloody ice water from yesterday's hamburger.

My 175Watt solar panel is overdesigned as battery is typically at 100% by 10AM after running refrig and anchor light all night. Even on rainy grey overcast days, I was at 100% by 1PM. Next year I will add a 12VDC crockpot to my galley since I have the capacity.

Question. I told a fellow boater friend the location of my battery in my 26x under aft seat behind port side galley. He was concern of off gassing when charging this battery and no way to vent it to the outside. Is this a concern, I know most 26x have their battery’s located here.

Hi GoTo!

Good Question!

And the answer is not a direct one perse…. Yes lead-acid batteries can and do outgas to a certain extent when charging…the rate of out gassing depends on the depletion of the battery(s), the type of battery (as in glass mat, simple flood, etc) the condition of the battery(s) (as in new vs old and decrepit) and the rate at which the battery is being recharged (as in trickle vs hull-for-leather). The gases of interest when a battery is charging are primarily hydrogen ( lighter than air ) and oxygen ( heavier than air ) but there is also some negligible evaporative water vapor as well.

These are really only of concern if they are confined and are capable of building up to stociometric concentrations which is VERY difficult to accomplish in a Mac26X or Mac26M given the cabin is designed to leak like a spaghetti sieve on Saturday night at a fine Italian restaurant… The aft of galley under seat compartment is fully open to the galley and under deck area none of which are sealed. The companionway panel and slide hatch have a gapped interface and admit air passage not only at the aft portion of the hatch but also at the forward interface with the upper deck. Any hydrogen that may be generated readily dilutes in the surrounding air and migrates up and out of the cabin to the exterior ( unless you have hermetically sealed your Mac’s interior ) …. So in basic general terms the outgassing really isn’t going to be a problem…

Now if you have figured out a way to hermetically seal the interior of your MacGregor please let us know as we have spent two autumns on Lake Champlain until the ice firms and the marinas pull in the finger slip docks for the winter. To keep the heat in at night we seal up with foam tubes like one uses for pipe insulation but we also leave an adequate vent to refresh the cabin air and typically don’t really need charge the batteries much when closed up.

If for some reason this is still a concern for you out of an over abundance of caution one could add one of those nice solar/battery cabin exhausting vents to keep the cabin aired out which is a sorta nice thing anyway.

But realistically for the general Mac26X or Mac26M owner there really isn’t much of a functional concern with battery outgassing…

Your boat/Your rules

Best Regards
Over Easy

Wow what a day here in Houston Texas February 25. weather temperature to 80 today. Working today on my X electric panel build and below is a list of circuits I need , can you guys think of any other circuits I might need as I am going to purchase terminal boxes and fuse blocks soon for this system

Hi GoTo!

Some additional future circuits you might want to consider:

-> spreader deck lights (for nighttime deck operations)
-> fwd facing flood light (we recently added a remote control one that makes night navigation a lot easier and safer)
-> aft / port / starboard underwater lighting (in clear waters like Lake Champlain it is fascinating to watch the fish and bottom at night and it also makes taking a nighttime dip more enjoyable in being able to see around the boat …. Down South along the coastal estuaries it lets you see the bull sharks!!! [Joke: Q- What do they call people water skiing and tubing in the coastal south? A- Bait )
-> cockpit courtesy lights

Best Regards
Over Easy

Finally finished my electrical upgrade . This was for me challenging and a fun endeavor. I will try to post a wire diagram of this job soon. If some of you find a falt in these images please post a reply .

I also ran an eight gage supply wire to small fuse box under the pedestal to supply power To my Garmin and future loads without having to run wires back to the main panel.

That looks really good.
I love the fact that you can access everything without being a contortionist!

Nice job!