Think i need to replace my old breaker panel, but i am unsure what quality of panel to buy if we intend on keeping the boat. You can get something like the one in the first picture for $35 or something like the one in the second picture for $450! anyone know what the real difference is and any benefits of the more exy one.

Hey Keensailor,

I had a couple like in your first photo [$35 ones].

Had to get rid of them. Why?

Well I did an audit of my power consumptions and found that
once a switch on the board, was turned on, they were consuming
more power than anything else onboard my yacht!

Without doing anything! The switch lights in those boards really chew up the power.

Had a board made up without lights and better fuse holders [they are also crap on that board]

Don't know about the $450 one

Some of the more expensive panels have resets not fuses which is OK as far as I'm concerned used them a lot on my Harley's, used to go into custom shows. And over the past 10 years been doing sleeved wiring on my PCs. (its like wittiling a piece of wood). and do it at work every day. Ill probably make a larger panel and insert this into it and include my start panel next to it and also add a oil pressure gauge and a temp gauge with an audible alarm on the temp
I just started to fit this got it from the USA

< panels slightly crooked will fix it lot of waves on the swing mooring yesterday morning
As I do not like where my panel was located on the boat and do not know how long ago the wiring was done. Will be relocating my Engine battery closer to the starter motor. Ill just replication another Battery box exactly the same as whats there on the opposite side which will give me an extract house battery as well. This will charge all batteries automatically directing the voltage to which ever battery needs it most at the time adding a B/S7610 and just add my solar into the circuit later. Plus my Kids will use the boat and I need it to be user friendly So far found all my battery cable leads needed a good file down get them clean and shrink wrap every terminal and make sure there is not voltage drop




I did not like the above and where it was located its gone
Or this



To get to the motor you have to remove both the engine cover as well as move this panels as the same time and I do not like having all this electrical wiring inside the engine bay.
Plus as its part of my trade I have to know every piece of wiring what ever sort of machine and keep it as simple as possible

There are many nice panels around $65,
with build in circuit breakers and LEDS.
Those leds would draw about 0.015 - 0.025 A
and no fuses to worry about.

I installed one of the BEP circuit breaker sets around 4 years ago. It is a quality unit, and I have had no problems. I like the idea of using a circuit breaker rather than a fuse, so was happy to spend the extra $.

If you use circuit breakers then you need to match the breaker to the wire sizes or load. I tend to oversize the wire and match the breaker to the load plus a bit. The standard units come with preset circuit breaker ratings and have a range from around 1 amp to 15 amps. I purchased mine from Aquavolt, and they will supply with circuit breakers to unit you loads.

the BEP is good stuff, but you pay for it.

Since it's made in Kiwiland, you may want to try prices from Mike at discount marine.

discount-marine.co.nz/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=335_9_554

I bought a switch panel, battery monitoring system and shunts and was pretty happy with the price and service.
Plus AUD to NZD helps.

Select to expand quote

crustysailor said..

the BEP is good stuff, but you pay for it.

Since it's made in Kiwiland, you may want to try prices from Mike at discount marine.

discount-marine.co.nz/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=335_9_554

I bought a switch panel, battery monitoring system and shunts and was pretty happy with the price and service.
Plus AUD to NZD helps.

yes, their prices are good!

seems like you pay about double for one with a circuit breaker over one with standard fuses

There is nothing wrong to designed your own,
Get a bag of circuit breakers / 5A or 10A = 60 watts or 120 watts /
and switches, the ones you likes.
Perhaps LED diodes 3 or 5 mm diameter with small resistor 1k for low brightness, 680ohms high br.
Allllllll from eBay.

Complete panels from the same place.search.." Marine breaker panel "

Whitworths currently sells a lower cost line of Blue Sea circuit breaker panels that look Ok for general use. From memory, a six gang switch panel (red switches on black faceplate) costs around $54. Of course, Blue Sea also has gold plated panels for $699.

There were times in the past when I was glad that some circuits used fuses - in an emergency, if the circuit is moderately overloaded due to moisture or something and the breaker keeps tripping, you would have the option of using a higher rated fuse (eg. use 10A to replace a 5A) just to be able to trace the overload. So fuses can sometimes have more flexibility.
Similarly, if your panel comes with 10A breakers, but a circuit only needs to carry 4A max, you can't just swap in a 4A rated breaker in 60 sec like you could with a fuse panel. But of course you have to keep a stock of fuses.

Karsten, you spot on , troubleshooting with glass fuses is a breeze.
Especially when chasing a leakage.
Only place where is perfectly justified is anchor winch.
Big current fuses are 10 times more dearer.
We use truckie circuit breaker.

Sure brand new boats with LED lighting, are factory designed,
they used circuit breakers appropriate to current .
Now days it would be electronic smart fuses, you pay the price.

We wont to get things under control, occasionally replace globe
with fluro or LEDs, fuses current rating is a guessing game.
Fuse is to protect against the damages by dead short,
In relation to wire current rating.
If you blowing the fuse, you cooking wires.

We use ones 50 cent coin in the track, whole dash board was smoking.

Many thanks for this info it helps a old Dingy sailor . I use the same principle on land as far as fuses go . And as long as you think about it , you can apply other units from other industries.EG. Trucks, mining

Select to expand quote

Karsten said..


Whitworths currently sells a lower cost line of Blue Sea circuit breaker panels that look Ok for general use. From memory, a six gang switch panel (red switches on black faceplate) costs around $54. Of course, Blue Sea also has gold plated panels for $699.

There were times in the past when I was glad that some circuits used fuses - in an emergency, if the circuit is moderately overloaded due to moisture or something and the breaker keeps tripping, you would have the option of using a higher rated fuse (eg. use 10A to replace a 5A) just to be able to trace the overload. So fuses can sometimes have more flexibility.
Similarly, if your panel comes with 10A breakers, but a circuit only needs to carry 4A max, you can't just swap in a 4A rated breaker in 60 sec like you could with a fuse panel. But of course you have to keep a stock of fuses.

Interesting, was thinking the same thing the other day when deciding whether to replace the existing breaker panel with another breaker panel or a switch panel and just use inline glass fuses as many of the accessories already have them.

Think I will use a new switch panel and use inline fuses for the same reason as mentioned --> ease of troubleshooting.

Switch panels are cheaper too ;)

Have a look at this link www.thecoverguys.com.au/default.html I purchased one and about to change my old fuse panel to the CCt breaker type in the Link

Like that panel, breakers ratings ok,
/ Number of Circuit breakers: 6 (2 x 5 Amp, 2 x 10 Amp, 2 x 15 Amp) /
Do some thinking about current distributions.

Nothing wrong to use circuit breakers, just a bit more involve in case of chasing the leakage.
Word of warning, we used them in the other applications and after a multiple tripping on dead short,
they fail miserably. Product purchased from RS-Components - not eBay.