I've had boats with and without a main circuit breaker, Grady White uses the following 40A breaker just downstream of the battery switch on the lead to the main switch panel/helm and the wire to the outboards is separate same as Capt Bob describes. Batteries in the back w typical switch,

I would take 800 for this thing as-is-where-is.  i need it gone or the buyers of my house will get it as a donation. 

it's got side-scanning Lowrance GPS system in it.  i think that alone was well over 800.

Thanks Captain. I forgot about the red stuff. It’s deceiving because the blue stuff started to harden in around an hours time where it was a little thicker to remove the squeezed out stuff along the edge. So it’s deceiving to think it needs a week. I would have preferred 4000uv but I wanted the strength of 5200. I’m going to try Sika 295 UV on the inspection hatch and the gas tank cover.  Thanks for the reminder of the Red as I may need it in the future when I don’t have this kind of time. Unfortunately I have way more than a weeks time available as I will probably not set sail until the spring.

I’ve been studying up on boat wiring for my 1978 246CCP. Single motor. Dual batteries. ACR. Basic Blue seas fuse panel for Basic devices. There seems to be a reoccurring theme that the main leads right off the batteries are not fused. In the diagram below all the leads to the switch are unfused and only the leads to the ACR and to the fuse panel after the switch are fused.
To me it makes sense to have a 40 amp breaker right off of each battery terminal to protect the entire battery circuit from shorts. A glowing red hot 2 awg cable will start a fire. I am running my batteries under the center console so the majority of battery leads will be short runs but the outboard leads will be about 20’ long and run through the hull. Am I wrong to make the first thing off of each battery hot a circuit breaker then connect all of the outgoing leads downstream of that breaker? I would of course go with an appropriate smaller breaker/fuse for the Blue Seas 12 position fuse panel but my concern is disconnecting the main power source should there be a short. The 2nd photo illustrates what  makes sense to me. Is there there something I’m missing or can I wire it like the 2nd photo?

I probably should have added glass. In retrospect it would have been easier. I didn't do that.



When putting the cap on I failed to attach the vent and tank fill first. Not that big of a deal, just have to hook up the vent through a small hole. Here's my question. Considering there is no current going through the tank fill ground wire and the fill itself is metal and exposed does the following present any problems? Due to the tight squeeze is using this stainless piece of hose clamp a problem? I can't think of how it would be.