1979 42' Grand Banks Electrical System

[CharlieJ]

I posted this on the Trawler Forum but hopefully will have more responses here:
I have started working on subject boat to clear a serious ground fault. I have not been able to locate the neutral bus for either shore power service or the safety ground bus.

It is unhelpful that the boatbuilder used black wire for everything.

I have a lot of experience on older boats but this one has me scratching my head and is probably the most poorly wired boat that I have seen in 21 years of doing this.

[Scott Berg]

Is the panel under the helm? On the 38 there is one large stud with all neutrals tied together; we usually pull them all out, tone and label, and re-crimp onto terminal strips; long, tiresome job ... send a PM if you'd like more specific aid (yes, I do this for a living, not asking to this job)

[CharlieJ]

Scot
PM sent.

[smac999]

most grand banks have the netutral and ground buses in the engine room. and only the hots in the panel. they are also normally brown / blue / green euro colors

grand banks are normaly done pretty well

[CharlieJ]

@smac999: Not this vintage. If you look up the phrase FUBAR, there is a photo of the wiring "system" (I use that word very loosely) of this boat.

[donradcliffe]

Its been a while since I worked on a gb42, but I do remember looking at the back of the shorepower/genset switch and scratching my head. I was trying to figure out why the stovetop bit people. Seems like I may have been in the forward head and removed a panel towards the helm, but there was a fair bit of room and a lot of unlabeled wiring.