Starting new with the wiring

[japtenks]

I've decided that now is the time to tackle the DC part of my Catalina 30. I think I've got it worked out, would just like a little bit of a warm fuzzy that I'm headed in the right direction here before I head off and spend some money.

I've attached what I think I'm planning on doing as far as a wiring diagram.
I do have some questions/reassurance that I'd like help with.

For the two bus bars I've chosen blue seas part number 2104, which is the heavy duty 600A bus bar for the positive and negative bus. I believe this is the correct one based one the others being rated at 250A.

As far as fusing the wires, I was planning on adding the MRBF to the bus bar and fuse it appropriate based on the wire size. Is there a cleaner/better way to fuse the loads from the bus bar?

2/0 seems to be the appropriate size for all the battery cables and battery cables to the backup and the house bank to the Battery switch, and then to the starter. This would include the negative cables as well correct?

And lastly the Positive and negative run from the battery selector to the DC panel gonna be about a little less than 30ft round trip back to the negative bus, (Nav station to the forward seat in the dinette.) I suspect I also want this to be a low voltage drop as well which would require some rather large long run of wire correct? Using the blue sea circuit wizard, It looks like i could use 0 AWG for a 3% VD or would it be better served with a 2/0 for a 2% or is that just going over kill on these large wires going all over. (another side benefit would be it would be fused already if i do not change the sizes)

Thanks

 

[jeepbluetj]

The 1-2-all switch is forward of the dinette? Where are the batteries? My switch. panel, and batteries are all at the nav station - maybe 3 ft of wire from the batts to the switch. Maybe 10' from the switch to the engine.

 

[japtenks]

I've attached a drawing of where stuff is to be located. I've also adjusted some of the line drawing with some updated stuff.

Currently the DC distrubition is located in the galley, I'd like to move it over Nav Table.

I've installed a 4 box GC2 battery box in the forward seat of the dinette, Thinking that I'll put the positive bus in there along with the ACR.

Changed the positive bus bar to a ANL fuse holder with a joiner bar. (is this a thing you can do) Chosen a smaller bus bar for the negative bus

 

[jeepbluetj]

Interesting. Cable length is definitely going to be a problem. Where does your wiring come out of your deck? 'Cause that's pretty fixed (Catalina embedded the wiring in the decks of the 30s... ) Running everything over to the nav station and back is a lot of wire.

2/0 is plenty, but it's expensive. You may think of setting up your panel on the port side shelves. I assume it's in the back of the galley now.

If ya want, Since I work in San Diego, we could get together and go over the best options for you. PM me if so.

 

[japtenks]

I'm planning on just redoing everything, I've only one original light that still works and is installed. Everything else could stand to be re wired.

The current panel is in the galley, I've been doing some work on the diagram, I think I'm going to lower the wire down to a much smaller gauge then the 2/0, that is a bit crazy overkill.

 

[japtenks]

Worked up rev 3 of the diagram, also generated some more questions.

The fuse size for 1 AWG is 208 inside the engine room, should one round down as that would be more conservative to a 200A fuse, or up to 250A?

If the 1 AWG is fused for 250A can it be used with a bus bar for 150A (Blue sea 2300) or would i need to also go with a 250A bus bar (Blue sea 2128), I'm thinking that it makes more sense for the 250A, based on fuse.

Thanks

 

[LeslieTroyer]

To my way of thinking the fuse rating should be lower than the capacity of most restrictive component -- so 200A, and the bigger buss bar.