Sourcing Boat Wiring Stuff

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C08

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My boat wiring is a mess. Everything works and things are fused but the main connector area in a compartment behind the wheel is a mass of connector blocks and few things are labelled although I can work out what most things are. It was bad when I bought the boat only 13 years ago and i have to confess I have just added to the mess, being more interested in sailing than boat renovation.
Anyway I am of a mind to bring some order into the chaos and I am having difficulty sourcing some decent connector block units with integral identification strips to replace the chocolate bar type that I have now.
Any pointers where I can get these components for a rewire?
 
+ 1 for Merlin

Though I see their Powerstore on line shop is under development, http://www.power-store.com Gives a phone number though and I find them very helpful. Though "marine" tends to add £, my own experience with corrosion on board has lead me back to Powestore products each time. My own thinking is that if I am doing the job DiY and want it to last, the cost of components is not necessarily where savings need to be made.

You are welcome to private message me, to discuss my own rewire and electrical refit experience, which includes using some of the best advice from other people who post on here. Especially in designing around a blade fuse holder for instance. We have gone from regular "issues" of an electrical nature to none, on a wet boat that does distance races etc.

Cheers
 
As a pro I have always used Blue Sea stuff but there is a relatively new kid on the block I have been using, they provide similar quality and range of stuff at a slightly better price, B.E.P., both can be found in the Aquafax catalogue and ordered from any retailer, if you get a good list together you could almost certainly negotiate a bit of discount. Get your tinned cable from Fernaux Riddall along with the open barrel F type crimp terminals and a tool from there too and try to avoid those awful red yellow blue insulated things as you will never know whether you have made a decent crimp or not
 
Based on our club combined expertise

Several boats have been rewired very successfully with multi core caravan wiring, with some ingenuity you can do everything on the one cable. (Smaller boats) This does chuck out the view or support for tinned wires!
 
Some general observations,

Plan out your junction boxes on some paper, even use a spread sheet

Water is your enemy regarding a connections, but also bad marking can cost you hours when fault finding and that tends to happen in bad weather or low lighting.

if you have the space use a waterproof adaptable plastic box to protect against corrosive salt water ingress. If you fit a back plate of ply it makes it easy to mount your items.

If you arrange your terminal blocks in banks so they are vertical, the top terminal is 1 and first block on left is 'A' so you have references with no need to mark them, just record how terminals are allocation on your paper.

You can reserve banks of terminal blocks as example A for lighting, B accessories this makes it easier to remember if you can't access your records. to that end once you have completed your allocations, have a laminated copy stuck inside the j/b lid where it can't blow away.

Try to make all entries in the bottom or lower sides again to reduce water ingress and allow drainage should it get in because of condensation or spray.

Look in TLC Electrical online who have a good range to choose from with fair prices.

Alan
 
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