Hi Larry,

I'm doing the exact same thing (using the same schematic). My big concern was finding somewhere to put all the new large bus bars and fuse blocks. Otherwise, the setup shown in that schematic does make sense and works (at least so far in my boat... I'm about 90% rewired using that schema). I've got the mkII, so the battery switch is separate from the rest of the panel (which makes it much cleaner than the setup you've got), but otherwise it should work for you as well.
-J

[QUOTE=2sailaway;16619]Hi there,

or was this the way they came off the assembly line from Catalina?[/QUOTE]

Larry, absolutely not. The OEM design should be included in your owners manual, available on this site.

That diagram in your link is one I found on sailnet and posted on our C34 "Electrical 101" topic. [url]http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6604.0.html[/url] It is far superior to the OEM wiring in that the alternator output is run directly to the house bank. It uses an ACR to automatically charge the reserve bank. ACRs were not included in the OEM wiring either. You can use an echo charger in lieu of the ACR (or a combiner, if you choose).

I heartedly endorse it.

[QUOTE=2sailaway;16619]Hi there,

One of the winter projects I have taken on is the re-wiring of the electric panel. My question would be about the wiring scematic found at this [URL="http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=6604.0;attach=3024;image"]link[/URL] does this make sense for our boats? If this is not the way to go does anyone have a suggestion? I have included a picture of the panel.....the modifications I guess were done by the previous owner>? or was this the way they came off the assembly line from Catalina?[/QUOTE]

That diagram would be fine however if you have the same size wire for the ACR as you do the main battery bank cables then the fuses on the banks are already sized for the ACR wire. The solar panel fuse should be on the bus bar side of the controller.

I rewired last year. On first inspection I planned on using the the existing wiring harness and layout. It did not take long to figure out the existing wiring is too small and not to any standard. Solution, cut it all out and redesign from scratch. Ther is no need to worry about where a wire went. :D I know what I have and where it goes, as things are added new lines are pulled in, not spliced into the most convinient power source...

I also built a new panel, lots of breakers, easy access to behind the panels and mounted buss bars and other components on plywood panels secures to the hull. I should take a picture of these but yet another winter storm is blasting up the NE coast. Tarps are secure and maybe can get there in March... Attached is a pic of the pannel as it was being installed in the spring.

I took the original panel and reused the frame parts and made a few pieces to match. The panel was one I purchased on Ebay and rebuilt as well. It unfortuately still has a couple of glitches in the meters, I may repplace them with analog ones. Yes the panel angles out, it allowed for some extra depth but also made for better viewing in the nav area. Looks neat too. :).

I have been a cabinet maker for the past 30 years and spend a lot of time working on boats... This is my part time job for the fun of it. Real job is teaching High School Shop... Good Pay and have the summer off. That is important for sailing here in Canada.:D

If next week is warm enough.... I will see if I can get some pics of the interior wiring and busbars.

Here is a pic of the panel frameunder construction.

Larry -
Looks very nice -- your "before" picture looks like our wiring mess at the moment, alas. Two thoughts:

1) I see you have the same Blue Seas battery combiner we have. I originally started to install it in the same location last year (i.e., behind the panel) and in a similar manner, but the instructions ([url]http://assets.bluesea.com/files/resources/instructions/990170140.pdf[/url]) state "It is recommended that the ACR be connected directly to your battery positive terminals through appropriately sized fuses. Connecting in a different location such as a battery switch may affect accuracy because of voltage drop along current carrying conductors." Apparently, any voltage drop can cause cycling (see [url]http://www.bluesea.com/articles/527[/url]). So it ended up installed in the battery compartment with direct connections to the positive terminals.

2) My understanding is that one of the weakest points of the original panel setup is the use of a daisy chain of small connections to supply power to the fuses and switches that make up the branch circuits -- which your pictures shows you still have. Replacing these with two small bus bars might be in order (not that I've gotten around to doing it on our boat, but its on the endless list somewhere....)

I've been looking at my electrical panel.  It is not as bad as some that I have seen, but not really what I want to see when I open that panel.  My boat like many has suffered through previous owners adding stuff and running wires however they see fit, or removing stuff and leaving the wiring intact (some things like my VHF radio (there is only one) has three power cables run to it).  I'd like to clean this up this winter, and I know many have done this project.  I'd like to see the results of your work so I can copy some of it and not re-invent the wheel.

Larry, I love how look the organization of your electrical panel, how tick is the board you have in the back to connect all your bus bars, what type of material is it?

Larry - I'm not a fan of A/B/Both switches -  there is a good discussion on the merits/problems on this thread of sailboatowners - https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/1-both-2-off-switches-thoughts-musings.137615/  it is rather long -  I have two on/off switches which connect the starter battery to the starter and one from the house bank to the starter, I also have a 120A CB which feeds my main DC panel, and a 30A MRBF that feeds a separate 24x7 fuse panel (for VSM or Battery monitoring, bilge pumps..)   I've attached a block diagram showing major portions - I worked all Friday night and Saturday on installing a new charger and the MRBF/ANL fuses shown -   I still have some work to go - I need to rotate the batteries under the Nav Seat 90 degrees, add more fuses the other batteries and fuse the alternator. 

couple other questions on your diagram -

relating to the ACR - 1) the ground connection shows a 15A fuse - docs say this should be 10A.  2) the Signal Positive (with 10A fuse) - what does this connect to - if the SI terminal - it should go to the starter solenoid, 2) if for the LED it should be fused at 2A adn LED not shown.  My guess it goes to SI which would always turn the relay off - so no charge to the #2 Battery. 

on your shunt I dont understand the purpose of the positive wire - should this be going to the Victron? with inline fuse?? or is it the negative side of the shunt for the victron and should go there ?