CH Smith Marine have begun a new partnership with Blue Sea Systems who manufacture quality electrical products engineered and built to last for the harsh marine environment.

Blue Sea Systems designs and manufactures electrical products that work together in a complete system between the source of power and the load. Each of the over 1000 products can either function on its own or be paired with other products to work together in a subsystem.

Featuring Battery and USB chargers, Manual Battery Switches, BusBars and Insulators, Fuses and Fuse Blocks, Circuit Breakers, Panels and more, which are all now available under the Blue Sea Systems brand.

Battery Switches

Battery management is central to safe operation of a Boat or vehicle. A battery switch is required by ABYC in every Boat with a battery over 800 Cold Cranking >Amps (CCA). This requirement exists so the potentially destructive energy in the batteries can be isolated in the event of a fire. With involvement on the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) Electrical Component Project Committee, Blue Sea Systems is close to the source of standards for battery switches. The company’s participation in the process means quick response when standards and needs of boaters change.

The Dual Circuit Plus Battery Switch simplifies the switching of two batteries to OFF or ON while still providing battery isolation between the engine and auxiliary battery. The Combine function can be used to parallel the batteries in the event of a low engine battery and automatically combines batteries during charging, isolates batteries when discharging and when starting engines. Battery switches isolate the potentially destructive energy in the battery banks when the Boat is not in use or during emergencies.

Circuit Protection

Best practices and ABYC standards recommend that every positive wire on the Boat outside the engine starting circuit must have circuit protection. When excessive Current flows in an electrical circuit, wire insulation can melt and possibly start a fire. Circuit breakers and fuses protect the wire in electrical circuits. Blue Sea Systems extensive selection of circuit breakers, fuses, fuse holders, and fuse blocks gives a Range of choices for main and branch circuit protection.

To help select the right size wire and proper fuse or circuit breaker, Blue Sea Systems offers several tools:

• A web application found at www.circuitwizard.bluesea.com

• A Mobile Application for iPhone and Android devices

• You Can Do It Guides

• Step-by-Step guide. 

Blue Sea Systems' new ST CLB Circuit Breaker Blocks are specifically designed for applications where resettable circuit breakers are desired but with the same ease of installation and wiring found with an ST-Blade Fuse Block. The ST Blade Fuse Block can offer a space saving and cost effective solution to adding circuit protection when there are limited available circuit breakers on the distribution panel. A single circuit breaker on a distribution panel can provide the circuit protection for the feed wire to the ST Blade Fuse Block. This is frequently done for electronics that each have their own ON-OFF switch and don’t require the switching offered by a circuit breaker. The 6 or 12 position ST Blade Fuse Block then provides a consolidated location for fuses for each of the electronics.

Connectors

The nuts and bolts of any electrical system are the connectors which keep the Current flowing. Blue Sea Systems connectors reduce heat and improve efficiency and reliability in a boat’s electrical system. The features below make Blue Sea Systems connectors stand out from the others:

• Tin-plated copper buses provide maximum conductivity and corrosion resistance.
• Insert-molded Stainless Steel studs eliminate the need for securing nuts and allow high torquing for excellent electrical contact.
• UL 94-V0 rated base materials resists high heat.
• Stainless steel split ring lock washers and captive star-type lock washers keep connections tight in high vibration environments.
• Optional insulating covers meet ABYC and USCG insulation requirements.

ABYC limits the number of wires on a single terminal to 4, which can make it difficult to add more electrical loads like stereos, Fish finders and GPS. Install an easy access point to add future electrical appliances by pairing a DualBus Plus and a 6006 m-Series ON/OFF Battery Switch. The m-Series ON/OFF Battery Switch offers a method of disconnecting all loads from the battery for storage or in the event of a fire, while the Dual Circuit Plus will offer an insulated and compact termination point for both the positive and negative wires when installing additional appliances.

Power Distribution Panels

At the heart of a boat’s electrical system is the power distribution panel. Blue Sea Systems manufactures panels for small runabouts to large offshore cruising yachts, with four panel styles to choose from. WeatherDeck Waterproof Panels’ exceed the demands of any wet location.

The pairing of the new WeatherDeck Switch Only Panel and the ST Blade Fuse Block with Ground is ideal for small runabouts and RIBS. These boats often require the waterproof switching of the WeatherDeck Panel, do not require backlighting, and are operated only during daylight hours. Using an ST Blade Fuse Block allows consolidation of all of the boat’s circuit protection in a dry and protected location.

With so many applications available for Blue Sea Systems products, you can customise them to suit your needs. For more information on Blue Sea Systems, please contact CH Smith Marine in store or online.