My biggest regret after doing the complete rewiring job was the rat's nest of wiring I ended up with. I'm no electrician, and the project got quite complicated before I was done, but I just took it one step (connection) at a time, doing each one carefully -- some may say even overkill but I hope never to need revisit it.

One of the tricks I learned -- put to use -- was to make inline fuses easily accessible, and label each one. I used strips of computer address labels cut in small pieces on which I wrote what it was protecting, e.g., Tiller Pilot, Depth Gauge, GPS, Solar Panel, etc. When you need to change a fuse on the fly, you'll want to be able to locate, access, and replace it quickly.

Another is to think it out in advance -- each connection you plan to make -- so you don't need to ever revisit it. I often drew diagrams for myself before touching wire, solder, or crimpers: "Thinking out loud on paper" I called it.

Of course, use only marine-grade wire and connectors. I used shrink tubing over all my connections -- which meant I had to remember to put the unshrunk tubing on before making the permanent crimp, then shrinking with a heat gun to make the connection watertight. I forgot a few times and had to cut the wire and slip on the unshrunk tube, then reconnect anew, grrr.

Besides the standard switch/fuse panel, I mounted a small positive buss against the aft bulkhead beneath the aft dinette seat for all the peripheral connections. I later added two more heavy-duty busses (one positive, the other negative) for the battery cables, 4-way battery switch for the dual batteries, etc. This is connected to that first, smaller buss.

Since I was adding an anchor light and deck light to the mast (new wiring harness inside it), along with the steaming light, I had to devise a means to switch them on and off individually -- which meant using more of the switch panel switches along with running additional wiring from the mast for each circuit, along with a larger deck connector. I eliminated the 12v master switch on the switch panel, freed it up for the additional mast lighting, added a new master switch to the winch panel.

The switch/fuse panel is connected to a 12v lighted rocker "master switch" on the top portside of the winch panel that controls all battery current going to the switch panel and small buss from the larger busses. The automatic bilge pump and solar panel are connected directly to the larger busses, before the master switch, so they can remain always-on when I shut the master switch before leaving the boat on its mooring. Once I shut off the master switch, I know for certain that nothing else can drain the batteries during my absence.

As I said, I'm no electrician; I understand but the basics. If you're game to undertake the rewiring project, then you probably know at least as much as I did, if not more. Think it out, take it one circuit at a time (then make sure it works), plan each step ahead, take it slowly and you shouldn't have any problems. It was time-consuming, but actually pretty simple one-step-at-a-time, and most satisfying when I was done and everything worked as it was supposed to!