Koriolan – ShipHeart

Marine electrical refit: common mistakes, costs and modern solutions

Séverine Korovic — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:46:38 +0000

The electrical refit of a boat is one of the critical projects in the life of a vessel. On a 14-meter unit, its cost can be comparable to that of a new teak deck, between €30,000 and €45,000. Yet when it comes to modernizing the electrical installation onboard, owners often hesitate more. And for good reason: while a deck is immediately visible on a boat, a reliable, secure and scalable electrical installation works behind the scenes. Nevertheless, its importance is just as strategic for the safety, comfort, autonomy and value of the vessel. Let’s take stock.

Why consider an electrical refit on a boat?

A marine electrical refit represents an investment. But while it is important to be able to move around a deck safely, it is equally essential to have a reliable electrical network (electrical wiring, electrical panel) properly designed to protect both the crew and the boat.

Furthermore, onboard equipment has evolved considerably in recent years. The emergence of lithium batteries, the installation of solar panels, MPPT regulators and other smart alternators now open up new possibilities for energy autonomy on a boat.

Boaters are also seeking greater comfort and peace of mind. These expectations are made possible through features such as:

detailed visualization of onboard equipment consumption,
receiving alerts in case of anomalies,
automation of certain processes,
centralized management provided by a digital dashboard.

All these systems help reduce the mental load onboard for the skipper, and require a redesign of the electrical architecture.

Finally, the current capabilities of equipment make it easy to envision very good autonomy, in both direct current and alternating current. Today, equipping for 230V consumption is no longer unreasonable onboard; it is even becoming a standard without requiring a generator or expensive equipment.

The most common mistakes during a boat electrical refit

One of the most common mistakes is to replace certain equipment without reviewing the overall architecture of the electrical installation onboard the boat. A high-performance lithium battery or a modern inverter cannot compensate for aging wiring or a design that has become unsuitable. Worse, it even poses serious risks.

Another frequently encountered situation: the accumulation of modifications made over the years. Adding equipment, relocating a circuit, integrating a new device… These successive changes sometimes end up making the installation difficult to understand, maintain and evolve. Or even become dangerous!

Finally, the absence of an up-to-date electrical diagram constitutes a real handicap during maintenance, diagnostic or resale of the boat operations.

Does an electrical refit for a boat necessarily cost a lot?

Like any naval modernization project, the cost depends on the desired level of intervention. A partial upgrade will obviously not require the same budget as a complete overhaul of the installation.

However, the marine electrical refit should be considered an investment rather than a simple expense. A modern installation considerably extends the vessel’s lifespan while providing greater comfort, autonomy and safety. It also facilitates future maintenance and upgrade operations, while helping to preserve the vessel’s value.

Ultimately, the cost of an ill-suited or unreliable installation can prove far higher than that of a properly designed refit.

Whether it involves modernizing an existing boat, integrating new equipment or designing a complete electrical installation for a new build, Koriolan’s teams support owners, shipyards and nautical professionals throughout France and Europe.

L’article Marine electrical refit: common mistakes, costs and modern solutions est apparu en premier sur Koriolan - ShipHeart.

Marine automation: setting a course for a reliable and modular connected vessel

Séverine Korovic — Tue, 26 May 2026 15:16:14 +0000

Today, a car can automatically manage its lighting, monitor dozens of sensors, or report an engine anomaly without it being a surprise. In the boating industry, this evolution is now reaching pleasure boats through marine home automation and digital switching. From battery management to energy monitoring, including alarm systems or pump control, connected functions are multiplying on board. But unlike some closed systems sometimes perceived as complex, certain marine automation solutions seek to leave the owner in control of their electrical installation and settings. An analysis.

Marine automation: automation systems that go beyond onboard comfort

Long reserved for yachts, marine automation is becoming more accessible on sailboats and mid-sized motorboats. A vessel with an integrated automation system can now centralize numerous pieces of equipment from a touchscreen or a smartphone.

In practical terms, marine automation allows for the management of, for example:

onboard lighting, with automatic switching off or on of certain lights or the creation of moods according to navigation moments,
energy monitoring, thanks to the tracking of batteries, solar panels, or electrical consumption,
alarm systems, capable of signaling an intrusion, a water leak, or a circuit anomaly,
heating and air conditioning, to automatically adjust the temperature according to conditions on board,
audio and video systems, controllable from a centralized interface or a smartphone,
autonomy devices, with control of charge levels and optimization of available energy on board,
certain technical equipment such as pumps, the windlass, or auxiliary circuits.

This centralization also improves onboard safety by allowing the owner to keep an eye on their boat, even remotely.

Automating your boat without losing control

The challenge for boaters consists of being able to create automated routines, while maintaining an installation that is understandable, modifiable, and repairable independently. On a boat, the owner must indeed be able to identify a circuit, understand an alert, or adapt scenarios according to their navigation habits.

Unlike some complex or closed systems, new digital switching solutions also seek to simplify maintenance and onboard upgrades. On certain connected boats, equipment can be added, replaced, or reconfigured quickly without having to redo the entire electrical architecture.

Towards open and scalable marine automation

Certain platforms like ShipHeart focus on a more open approach to marine automation. Modules can thus be replaced quickly without it being necessary to redo the entire electrical installation, while circuits remain clearly identifiable to facilitate onboard interventions. The configuration, designed to remain accessible, offers a rare possibility in the world of digital switching: creating and adapting your own automated routines according to navigation habits and the boat’s real needs.

This logic also facilitates electrical diagnostics. The information provided by the system allows for faster identification of an anomaly, overconsumption, or a faulty circuit. This helps the owner or marine electrician during certain repairs and maintenance operations. Certain bypass or failsafe mode functions also allow for overcoming a failure or isolating defective equipment in order to maintain essential onboard functions without totally immobilizing the boat in the event of a malfunction.

At Koriolan, this approach to marine automation is based on a simple idea: beyond onboard safety, onboard technology must remain understandable, scalable, and truly useful on a daily basis. A philosophy that guides the development of ShipHeart digital switching and marine automation solutions, as well as the electrical design and installation projects carried out for boaters and shipyards, in refit as well as on new builds. Koriolan thus operates on projects in the Mediterranean, on the Atlantic coast, and more broadly across Europe.

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L’article Marine automation: setting a course for a reliable and modular connected vessel est apparu en premier sur Koriolan - ShipHeart.

Electrical design and installation for a boat refit: why outsource?

Séverine Korovic — Mon, 04 May 2026 15:07:37 +0000

LEDs, lithium batteries, solar, 230V, onboard home automation… In just a few years, marine electricity has changed its face. Thus, rewiring a boat no longer simply consists of replacing an obsolete electrical panel or a few worn-out marine cables.

Today, most equipment communicates with others: batteries, alternator, shore power charger, inverter, solar panels, navigation electronics… everything must work coherently. While onboard comfort and autonomy are progressing, the same is true for the technical complexity of the installation.

For a shipyard, whether it is a new build or a refit, outsourcing the electrical design and installation of a boat makes perfect sense. Here is why.

Marine electrical installation: a refit that has become more complex

Why has rewiring a boat become more complex? Discover point by point the impact of the latest developments on the onboard electrical installation.

Lithium batteries for boats: beyond simple replacement

Replacing traditional marine batteries to switch to lithium batteries involves, in most cases, a complete overhaul of the vessel’s electrical installation: adjusting or replacing the engine alternator, adapting the shore power charger, specific protections, battery supervision, load consistency…

In this regard, a poorly integrated lithium battery for a boat can quickly turn a modernization into a serious breakdown.

230V on board: modern comfort that requires marine electricity expertise

Thanks to the excellent efficiency of modern inverters and costs that have become more accessible, 230V is now finding its way onto pleasure boats, no longer being reserved for large units.

Air conditioning, cooking, IT… while the presence of 230V is synonymous with onboard comfort, it goes hand in hand with safety requirements (differential protections, AC/DC safety, overall installation consistency, compliance of connections…) which involve, to rewire a boat according to best practices, the intervention of seasoned specialists.

Marine home automation and digital switching: comfort and safety

Thanks to digital switching for boats which allows most equipment to be controlled from a single interface, home automation increases the level of comfort and safety onboard boats. Automatically turning off lights at dawn or monitoring batteries remotely involves a complex architecture, consisting of sensors, automation, communication between equipment, as well as a precise prioritization of electrical priorities.

Why outsource the electrical design and installation of a boat

A smoother refit project

Clear plans, consistent cable sections, anticipated equipment positioning, compliance with ISO standards… when the electrical architecture is thought out in advance, the installation gains efficiency. For a shipyard, delegating this phase helps limit reworks, unforeseen events, and time loss.

A scalable electrical installation

A boat electrical refit must not only meet immediate needs but also anticipate future equipment or technological developments, as well as the increase in energy consumption and new onboard uses.

An optimized installation without unnecessary replacement

Rewiring an electrical installation on a boat also consists of keeping what still works and adapting relevant equipment while modernizing what needs to be.

Electrical installation for boats: between safety, compliance, and durability

Onboard energy is a fundamental pillar of navigation. Risks of overheating, critical failure, or even major incident risks… in terms of electricity, successive modifications or temporary adjustments without a prior study risk weakening the entire vessel.

That is why it is crucial to ensure that an electrical installation complies with safety standards CE and that it has reliable diagrams while offering perfect technical consistency.

Shipyard, refit professional, or boat owner with an electrical modernization project? Koriolan supports you in the design, study, installation, and testing of your onboard systems in France (Atlantic, Mediterranean, Channel…) and throughout Europe: Baltic, North Sea, Black Sea, from the United Kingdom to Latvia, via Italy.

From new builds to complete refits, we design marine electrical installations built to last, evolve, and secure navigation.

Do you want to modernize your boat’s electrical panel or design a custom installation? Contact us to discuss your project!

L’article Electrical design and installation for a boat refit: why outsource? est apparu en premier sur Koriolan - ShipHeart.

Marine Electrical Panel: When and Why Modernize It?

Séverine Korovic — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:55:23 +0000

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Many recreational boats, whether sailboats or motor yachts, are equipped with a traditional marine electrical panel, composed of mechanical switches and fuses.

With the proliferation of onboard equipment (lighting, navigation instruments, pumps, electronics, chargers, or monitoring systems), this type of installation now shows certain limitations. In some cases, modernizing a boat’s electrical panel can improve safety, comfort, and ease of maintenance. Here’s an analysis.

Wiring a traditional marine electrical panel: the limits you need to know

On board a boat, a classic electrical panel relies on a simple logic: each electrical circuit is physically connected to the panel by a cable and controlled by a dedicated switch.

This type of wiring presents several constraints:

the number of switches is limited: when a panel is full, it becomes difficult to add new equipment without significantly modifying the electrical installation.
the cabling can become very extensive: with a classic marine electrical panel, each piece of equipment requires a cable connected to the panel. On a boat equipped with many systems, this can represent a lot

How Does a Digital Electrical Panel for Boats Work?

The most recent marine electrical architectures use a different principle, called digital switching, or numerical switching, often combined with a multiplexed system.

Multiplexing is a technology used in all automobiles for about twenty years. Thus, instead of centralizing all circuits at the electrical panel, the installation relies on electronic modules distributed throughout the boat, as close as possible to the equipment. These modules control the electrical circuits. They also communicate with a touch interface that monitors the status of each electrical circuit and each sensor (temperature, tank level, NMEA 2000, etc.).

Wiring and Installation of a Marine Electrical Panel: What a Digital System Changes

One of the advantages of multiplexing is the simplification of onboard wiring thanks to power modules that are installed as close as possible to the equipment. Wiring therefore becomes shorter and more structured, but also easily accessible when installing future additional equipment.

These systems also allow for the introduction of custom automation functions: lighting management, automatic triggering of pumps, or monitoring of certain parameters.

They also offer diagnostic and alert functions, useful for more quickly detecting an electrical anomaly, abnormal consumption, or faulty equipment. This monitoring capability enhances electrical safety on board the boat, by allowing faster identification of a problem on a circuit.

When to Digitize Your Boat’s Electrical Panel?

The modernization of an electrical panel can be relevant for a boat under construction or in refit.

The definite advantages provided by a digital panel primarily concern:

ease of implementation (electrical panel connection, dashboard configuration),
its future evolution on the boat,
the implementation of custom comfort automations (e.g., extinguishing anchor or navigation lights at sunrise),
the implementation of custom safety automations (e.g., alerting the skipper when the bilge pump triggers too often).

FAQ – Marine Electrical Panel

Can an existing boat’s electrical panel be modernized?

Yes. As part of a refit, it is possible to replace a traditional marine panel with a more modern system, such as digital switching. The objective is to improve circuit management and facilitate the evolution of the installation while providing custom functionalities.

Is it complicated to add electrical equipment to a boat?

With a classic marine electrical installation, adding equipment often requires running a new cable to the panel. Multiplexed systems allow for simpler evolution on board, with a more local connection, as close as possible to the new equipment.

What solution for securing onboard electricity?

A well-designed, properly protected, and regularly maintained installation remains the foundation for ensuring electrical safety on board a boat. Modern electrical systems, such as digital switching (digital electrical panel), also improve safety by facilitating circuit monitoring, anomaly detection, and diagnosis of electrical equipment.

Upgrade Your Boat’s Electrical Installation with an Expert

A specialist in marine electricity, electronics, and home automation, Koriolan supports shipyards and boat owners in the design, installation, and modernization of their onboard electrical systems.

The company operates in France and throughout Europe to carry out custom marine electrical installations, adapted to the specific needs of each boat: sailboat, motorboat, new build, or refit. From the study of the electrical system to the integration of modern solutions like digital switching with its ShipHeart solution, Koriolan designs reliable, scalable, and optimized architectures for navigation.

Do you want to modernize your boat’s electrical panel or design a custom installation? Contact us to discuss your project!

L’article Marine Electrical Panel: When and Why Modernize It? est apparu en premier sur Koriolan - ShipHeart.

Boat Show: Koriolan’s Metstrade 2025 Presence Recap

admin-koriolan — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 13:29:15 +0000

The 2025 edition of the Metstrade boat show, the world’s leading exhibition for marine equipment, held from November 18 to 20 in Amsterdam, brought together over 1,670 exhibitors. Attending as we do annually, we presented our new support offering for shipyards as well as the technical innovations of our ShipHeart digital switching solution for boats.

Electrical Design and Wiring: Koriolan’s Offering for Shipyards

The Metstrade was an opportunity for Koriolan to officially present its activity aimed at nautical professionals. Featuring: a comprehensive support service for shipyards in the electrical design and wiring of pleasure boats, for new builds and refits. At the heart of this new offering is, of course, the ShipHeart digital switching solution, which shipyards are adopting not only to achieve faster implementation but also to enable automations for both comfort and safety.

ShipHeart Digital Switching: 2025 Innovations

New features have been introduced on our dashboard, including:

the display of NMEA 2000 data on the homepage,
the placement of ShipHeart modules on interactive graphic pages,
the precise calibration of tanks (in percentage, volume, or Ohms/mVolts).

We presented them to visitors at the Koriolan stand from the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, and the Czech Republic, countries with which we have collaborated for several years.

National and European Reach in Marine Electrical Engineering

As the designer of the ShipHeart digital switching solution and an expert in marine electrical engineering, Koriolan operates across Europe. From France to Latvia, including the United Kingdom and Italy, we travel across the territory with all the tools and equipment necessary for our services.

Based in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, the Koriolan team supports pleasure boat shipyards and boat owners in all French nautical basins:

Atlantic: La Rochelle, Lorient, Concarneau, Saint-Nazaire…
Mediterranean: La Grande-Motte, Marseille, La Ciotat, Toulon, Hyères, Cannes…
English Channel: Cherbourg, Saint Malo, Caen…

And across European seas: Baltic Sea, North Sea, Black Sea, etc.

Interested in learning more? Contact us or visit the leading French professional exhibition for marine equipment, the Nauti Pro in Bordeaux, on January 13, 14, and 15, 2026!

L’article Boat Show: Koriolan’s Metstrade 2025 Presence Recap est apparu en premier sur Koriolan - ShipHeart.