If you do that, it’s a great time to read-wire the whole boat! The 70s wiring was a tangled mess, along with 40+ years of PO ‘improvements’.
That’s the scheme.
It all started because my steaming light went out.
Rather than fix it, I decided to replace it with a new LED fixture and run new wires. And as long as I’m getting a new fixture might as well get one with a deck light in it. And as long as I’m running new wires up the mast I might as well run them all the way to the top so I can add an anchor light. And a windex light, I’ve always wanted a windex light.
But now I need two more switches, for the anchor light and the deck light. I guess I need a new panel. As long as I’m getting a new panel I might as well re-wire the whole boat. And as long as I’m re-wiring the whole boat I might as put the batteries next to each other (they’re wired in series for 24 volts, but one is under the companionway, the other is in the old fuel tank spot back at the transom).
As long as I’m moving the batteries I should move them forward. The boat is a bit ass heavy, getting those two group 31 batteries up under the forward dinette seat would help.
As long as I’m moving the batteries I should replace that dodgy old plug on the trolling motor with a nice Anderson Powerpole connector.
And this is how every project, no matter how small, ends up costing over $500.