( This is a "repackaged" version of a very old web site I did about
some projects to my old Santana 2023C sailboat)

'Lectrical Stuff 

The first thing I did was put in shore power and a permanent 3A charger.

The shore power inlet is inside the aft starboard locker. This has the advantage of being protected from direct spray and rain. It is also not as vulnerable to leaks into the cabin since there is a lid over it.

There is enough room under the lip of the locker cover to snake the cord out without pinching it when it is in use. I also installed a 12V cigaratte lighter plug.

I mounted the charger and a (switched) voltmeter to the wall inside the head.

The voltmeter is read with a pushbutton so that it is not always connected to the circuit. The charger can also be totally (both leads) removed from the battery with another switch. I installed one AC outlet in the Galley. You can see it on the galley page.

I keep the boat plugged in at home, so 3A was plenty for me. I can also "top-off" when I stay at marinas with power connections.

This is a schematic of the layout. I have a 4-bank switch panel that came installed in the boat. "Int Plug" is a cigarette lighter plug inside the cabin and "Ext Plug" is the one outside in the locker. The stereo and 12v fans are connected to the "Int plug" switch also.