Done something similar on a narrowboat a couple of years back — not a Bayliner, but the principle's the same and honestly the marine environment just makes everything 10x harder than it should be.
The corrosion alone is a battle. I found terminals that looked absolutely fine from the outside but were basically green powder internally. No wonder things were playing up.
A few things that helped me:
- Proper heat-shrink crimp terminals rather than the cheap bare ones — non-negotiable in a damp environment
- Tinned copper cable throughout, not standard automotive stuff
- Sleeving everything with split loom and tying it back properly so nothing chafes against metalwork
I went with a Victron Battery Protect on the output side which has been solid. Pairs nicely with a BMS if you've gone down the LiFePO4 route — I've got Fogstar Drift cells in my backup bank and the integration is clean.
The fuse arrangement itself — did you stick with a traditional blade fuse block or go for something more modern? I ended up using a Blue Sea Systems ANL fuse holder for the main feed which feels far more robust than what was in there originally.
Biggest lesson honestly was labelling everything before pulling it apart. Took photos on my phone at every stage. Saved me considerable grief when I couldn't remember which cable came from where three hours in with my hands covered in corrosion dust.
Would be interested to hear what you found lurking behind the old board — these boats always have a few surprises waiting.
