Help with Switch panel/fuse box

Don S/V ILLusion · Apr 3, 2026

Carl Wonderful said:
Got a C22 on freshwater.

I'm fairly new to boat wiring so looking for some guidance. I just bough a Victron MPPT 100/20 controller., a LiTime, LIFEPO4 llithium battery 100AH, bus bars, and a 100 watt solar panel and lots of marine tinned copper 16G and 12g wire. Am I missing anything?

Electronics will be using...

anchor light
deck lights
3 - 4 different cabin lights depending on situation (I like having multiple lighting options...to set the mood if you will...)
usb charger
maybe tiny fridge on long trips...
Depth sounder etc...
and I'm sure a few other things down the road. I'll prob get an inverter later on too so I can record music while I'm on my boat.

1. Recommend a simple, classic looking switch panel with 8 - 10 switches on it that's not super expensive? I like the classic old switches rather than the space age looking plastic futuristic things.

2. So little confused about this....I either need a switch panel with its own fuses on it... or I need a switch panel (no fuses) then a fuse box separate to that, right?

2a.. Any recommendation on which is better way to go or why?

what you refer to as switches are generally breakers. Lots of 10+ breaker panels available

Scott T-Bird · Apr 3, 2026

I could be wrong, but I think the fused panels went the way of the dodo bird a long time ago. If you want to abandon the fuses, then use breakers. You should be able to find breakers with toggle switches and they might fit your existing panel. Look thru the Blue Sea Systems catalogue.

Scott T-Bird · Apr 3, 2026

We typically don't see fuse panels like that on a boat. That looks more like an automotive application where there are fuses but not switches. The fuses are mounted to protect the wiring. On our boats, we typically use the panel to concentrate and mount all of the switches (because we don't typically have wall switches mounted around the boat). In the past, toggle switches would be on the face of the panel and connected to the fuses mounted in the back. Now, we tend to see the switches mounted with breakers, which serve the same function as the fuses that we used to see. My 1984 Starwind had a panel with toggle switches and fuses in the back. They were the glass fuses that you could find in 1, 2, 5, 10 amp varieties. Typically, boats come with 15 amp breakers now, but you can also find them in various denominations. The switches are rocker or toggles.

I use fuse blocks of various kinds typically at hidden locations where it is necessary to provide a fuse near a device or wire/cable junction.

You need to describe via a wiring diagram what your intentions are if you want a clear idea where and how to mount fuses.

Here is a typical toggle switch panel that will have breakers mounted in the rear.

https://www.westmarine.com/blue-sea-systems-weatherdeck-waterproof-switch-panel-eight-position-14982433.html?msclkid=8f16367d5468133b11975fad67d76226&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=MSFT_PLA_Marine%20Electrical&utm_term=4577266915322603&utm_content=Electrical%20Distribution

I thought this is basically what you are asking about in regard to switches. But you also talked about several other components that require separate mounting structures, so you need to diagram your desires.

Here is a selection of breaker/switches that may be compatible with your panel.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/14/29/Circuit_Breakers/A-Series

I don't know if these breaker switches are compatible with panels from another source. I tend to single-source these types of applications. You'll have to do your own research.

Davidasailor26 · Apr 4, 2026

There is lots to consider here - probably more than could be covered in one thread. I’d recommend starting with a good book on the topic. Nigel Calder’s Boatowner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual is my preference.

First off you’ll need a fuse close to the battery, to protect the wire between that and whatever you use for a panel. Next you’ll need to make sure you have a large enough wire gauge to handle all of your expected loads without significant voltage drop. Excluding the inverter that shouldn’t be too hard, but you should probably design the system with the inverter in mind and that could be a larger draw. The tables at https://boathowto.com/wiresize/wiresize_tables_abyc.pdf could help give some guidance there.

For the panel - the downside of breakers is that they wear out relatively quickly if they’re used as switches with many repeated on/off cycles. That’s ok for something like an automatic bilge pump switch that stays on almost all the time, but could be problematic for things like lights. That’s why a common solution is toggle switches on the front of the panel, and a fuse panel the the Blue Seas one you found behind the panel.

Help with Switch panel/fuse box

Carl Wonderful

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Don S/V ILLusion

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Scott T-Bird

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Carl Wonderful

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Scott T-Bird

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Davidasailor26

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