I'm looking at the way things were wired on the donor boat, considering how I want to use my boat, thinking about what makes sense for my purposes, and I think I'm going to eliminate using the protected Purple/Red wire coming off my ignition switch. It appears that this wire's function was to supply power to the fuse panel, so the accessories (bilge, blower, lights, etc.) on the dash would work. I'm pretty sure that would mean that those items would not work unless the key was in the run position (not necessarily started), and I don't want to have to turn the key to use any of those things.
Talking to people, and reading, I gather that as long as everything is properly protected, there is no rule or law regarding the set-up of the wiring. They say think about how you'll use the boat, and do what makes sense. For me, and the way I'm going to use my boat, I think I need a battery switch. I'm going to have a main battery switch that shuts down every electrical component on the boat. This boat is going to be trailered, possibly a month or two at a time, without use. It makes sense to have a convenient way to shut the whole thing down while it's not being used, so nothing drains the battery. I'm thinking, if I use the boat for the day, or rent a cottage for a week or two (where the boat will be docked and used daily), I turn the main switch on and use it (whether it be for the day or two weeks), then turn the main switch off when it goes back on the trailer. So, docked at a cottage for two weeks, the switch stays on, and I'll have to make sure the individual electronics are turned off every day after use, with the bilge switch on auto.
So as far as wiring, my fuse block behind the dash (which distributes power to all the accessories) will be fed directly from the battery, through the main switch. It won't be routed through the ignition, so I think that eliminates that wire. Is there anything wrong with this plan?
