If you buy a used boat, someday you’re sure to discover something that the prior owner did that leaves you scratching your head.
Why’d they do that? And how can you transform it into something more “proper?”
For us, it was wiring colors. It seems that if a piece of wire was needed, one was simply grabbed without regard to whether it was the same color as what it was spliced into.
Things worked, and we didn’t want to get into the time and expense of re-wiring. But how could we make it easier to trace wires and know what was what?
Listen in for our solution!
Products mentioned:
Prefer to read? Check out Weird Wiring Colors
Check out our courses and products

Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Cheryl says
Marine wire is tin coated to resist corrosion. But connectors should be heat shrink