08/19/2026
While working in New York, I had the opportunity to sort out the electrical system on this 38 foot vessel.
The owner had previously paid to have the boat converted to a Victron system. Although everything appeared functional from the outside, he had concerns about loose wiring and a completely unlabeled breaker panel. His marina had even struggled to determine how to properly shut the system down for winter.
Once I opened the electrical compartment, it became clear there was quite a bit more going on. I found excessive cable lengths, unsecured live busbars and switches, unterminated wiring, incorrect battery fusing, and batteries that were not properly secured.
I started by tracing the existing system, cleaning up the wiring, correcting the battery protection, and properly securing the heavy cabling and components. From there, I upgraded the alternator charging system with six Victron Orion XS chargers. Four provide charging from the two engine starting batteries to the house bank, while the remaining two provide trickle charging back to the starting batteries as needed.
I also reorganized the breaker panel to accommodate the new protection devices and, importantly, labeled everything clearly.
Once the physical work was complete, I documented the entire system with a proper electrical diagram. If the owner or marina ever needs to troubleshoot, service, or shut down the system in the future, there is now a clear roadmap showing exactly how everything works.
A system should not just work when the installer leaves. It should be safe, serviceable, and understandable years down the road.
Offgrid Adventure Systems
864-256-1810