Passage 42 Main AC Breaker Replacement.

Terry Cox · Jan 10, 2016

Nice job. By chance did your HIN fall within the electrical recall by Hunter some years ago? Ours did and Hunter paid for everything. Basically replaced the wiring between the outside boat plugs to the main panel with the next gauge up wire.

I redid those breakers on our boat this past season. They still worked okay, but someone had bypassed the breakers and had also sheared off one of the terminal machine screws. They just placed the in and out leads on one side of the breaker. I also replaced the rubber boots with new as the old ones were shot. The breaker itself is inside the boat and seems well protected from the elements.

Allen Gunn · Aug 15, 2016

beutiful install, I wonder if hunter would pay for the internal breaker upgrade. I will find out soon as I dont like the external design either and had to replace one of four breakers. My real question though- is there 110V anywhere in the engine room for an outlet to my new battery charger so I can tap into that shore power or do I need to get power from the breaker panel or off of another outlet ?

Terry Cox · Aug 15, 2016

Hi Allen, our 1991 P42 has two 30amp shore power feeds (Buss A and Buss B) coming from the step sockets into the engine room and originally hard wired from the main power panel to a Heart Interface 1800 watt inverter/65 amp charger. I have since replaced it with an Xantrex 2500 watt inverter/charger (did the work myself). Ours does not have any kind of 110VAC sockets in the engine room.

I'm curious, how is your boat set up now for shore power, inverter/charger and house battery bank? What type of new battery charger do you have? Is the original one gone, or does the new one supplement what you have?

I doubt Marlow/Hunter would upgrade your existing breakers for cosmetic reasons unless there was some sort of electrical hazard. To find out they would need your HIN to determine whether your boat has a recall notice. You say you replaced one of the four that you have. Our boat has two, why does your boat have four?

Your post raises lots of questions.

Allen Gunn · Aug 16, 2016

Hi Terry, I just got the boat and the only thing in the engine compartment is the isolator so I've got the original battery setup with two 8ds and a car battery on top for starting.
I bought a 20 amp 3 Bank ProCharger that I have plugged into and extension cord . So I don't have an inverter and the 12 volt system pretty much four lights and electronics

Terry Cox · Aug 16, 2016

Hey Allen, we have the same; 8Ds (originals were wets, replaced with 8Ds AGM) and a group 24 starter battery. If it were my boat I would consult with a marine electrician with the intent of hard wiring your charger into the system.

Our boat is fully equipped with an 8KW Genset and two heat pumps. Shore power is set up for 60amps using two 30amp cords; Buss A and Buss B. I've never had a need for both cords since I manage power consumption within 30amps. Our main panel has a shore power Buss A circuit breaker. I would think you would want to hard wire your charger from that circuit breaker.

Curious though, what does the wire from your shore power circuit breaker connect to?

Allen Gunn · Aug 17, 2016

I assume my outside Breakers link the power cords to the panel breaker, selector. Yes my charger should pull from panel. If I install an inverter that will definitely need a batt, Shore power selector added

Allen Gunn · Aug 28, 2016

Allen Gunn said:
I assume my outside Breakers link the power cords to the panel breaker, selector. Yes my charger should pull from panel. If I install an inverter that will definitely need a batt, Shore power selector added

Hi Terry, Hunter marlow will not cover previous hunter recall. I just tried searching the net for 2/0 awg to replace primary wires to breaker panel and theres only red and black batt leads. I prefer to use factory green and white colors so hopefully my local marine electrical supply has it.
As for my hard wire to future 3000W inverter I found newer looking romex taped off by top batt shelf. Was romex factory ? The nice thing I found out last visit is radar works.

Allen Gunn · Aug 28, 2016

Also just like the pics above it shows 4 breakers across from the power cords so mines the same.

JamesG161 · Aug 29, 2016

Nice job.
I wondered why Hunter put a seemingly redundant breakers outside and near the shore power boat connection. Mine are under the Aft Starboard Lazarette within 7 inches of the connectors.
Jim...

Terry Cox · Sep 3, 2016

Allen Gunn said:
I prefer to use factory green and white colors so hopefully my local marine electrical supply has it.

Hi Allen, just got back from cruising around the islands. All DC wire on our boat is marine standard red (hot), black (ground). Never seen green or white on ours. What I need to confirm is whether the wire connecting the assortment of AC outlets is in fact Romex, which would be standard black (hot) and white (ground/neutral). I know that the AC wire at the shore power plugs to the two step breakers and on into the boat is red and black sheathed stranded copper. I remember when I installed our new Xantrex Freedom 25 that I connected solid wire Romex copper to the AC bypass side of the Freedom.

Now I'm a bit confuzzled.

As a foot note, whenever I need marine grade wire at reasonable prices of just about any size or sheath color I visit my local Interstate Battery supply store. They saved me a bundle on my wiring projects. If they do not have it in stock, they can order it in.

Allen Gunn · Sep 3, 2016

Thanks Terry I never would have guessed Interstate Batteries that's a good lead except the only problem is marine-grade wire today is all tin coated for corrosion resistance for the new codes

Terry Cox · Sep 3, 2016

Allen Gunn said:
Thanks Terry I never would have guessed Interstate Batteries that's a good lead except the only problem is marine-grade wire today is all tin coated for corrosion resistance for the new codes

You are welcome Allen. That is what Interstate got for me; tinned, marine grade stranded copper wire and at one tenth at what it would have cost me at WM. A 100' spool of wire at Interstate cost less than 15' of the same wire at WM. They had to order it in, but it only took a few days, as I recall. Just say'n.

Allen Gunn · Sep 4, 2016

Thanks Terry, Thats amazing price and my next source so now I can order enough to rewire anchor windless as thats another short subject, pun intended. cheers

PJL · May 3, 2021

ttac said:
Hello all,
I just completed an upgrade on our 1991 Passage 42 that needed to be done. Our main 120 volt circuit breakers that are under the step next to the plugs are now moved.
I moved them inside the boat out of the weather. I can tell that they have been a problem long before we purchased her.
I will add some before and after photos so you can see where I moved them and how they look now.
Dean

Just purchased the same breakers and have a question... How did you go about routing and getting the wiring to the new switch location? Also, what size wires?

Passage 42 Main AC Breaker Replacement.

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